Fish training

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JCW_1

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After joining here I learned my tank was too small for my young tetra when they get bigger - and I upgraded tank and transferred fish.

In my old tank, if I lifted the lid the tetra would immediately come for feeding. In my new tank, if I lift the lid they do nothing and if i put food in it sinks as they no longer come to eat.

It has been 3 days since transferring tank and the fish haven't stopped swimming in a shoal - it seems they love new tank but stopped coming for feeding.. Can you train fish to eat - and how long will new tank excitement last before they get back to feeding routine, ie, opening lid.
 
They usually start feeding within a day or two of going into the new tank. It's not a problem if they don't eat for a couple of days but if they haven't eaten after a week I would be concerned.

Can you post a picture of the tank?

Is the aquarium water good (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, less than 20ppm nitrate)?
 
Water is good and i'm monitoring as it is new tank.

Here is a picture - it looks empty because i didn't transfer a number of rotting plants from old tank and I need backdrop that fits. I'm going to get more plants today and hopefully backdrop.

Any ideas for best tetra plants and tank build for would be useful!
 

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If you have a light unit on the tank, then Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma, Amazon sword plants and narrow Vallis are good plants. As is Water Sprite, which is a floating plant but can also be grown in the substrate if you get too much on the surface.

I like to have tall plants along the back, some floating plants on top and leave the front and middle open for the fish to swim around in. However, it's what you like that counts.

I would say the main issue is simply the new tank and no background and the fish are still getting use to their new home.
 
Thanks - i'll let you know when i'm ready to enter tank of the month!

I think you are right - they are still exploring new tank and enjoying a bit more space. Hopefully background will help and they will get hungry.
 
Floating plants will help a lot, now and going forward. This is a normal reaction to the stress the move caused them, and the new environment. But even after they settle down after a period, an open "ceiling" is stressful to forest fish. Floating plants like Water Sprite, Water Lettuce or Frogbit will solve this. Light is much more of a factor in fish health/stress than many understand. I cannot see the species in the photo, but many will also move up inn the water column if they have floating plants, rather than primarily remain in the lower third.

Also agree with Colin on the background...plain black construction paper works very well.
 
Floating plants will help a lot, now and going forward. This is a normal reaction to the stress the move caused them, and the new environment. But even after they settle down after a period, an open "ceiling" is stressful to forest fish. Floating plants like Water Sprite, Water Lettuce or Frogbit will solve this. Light is much more of a factor in fish health/stress than many understand. I cannot see the species in the photo, but many will also move up inn the water column if they have floating plants, rather than primarily remain in the lower third.

Also agree with Colin on the background...plain black construction paper works very well.

I have purple emperor tetra and guppy. How much time would you suggest is appropriate daily, baring in mind i'm building a plant based tank - and do floating plants block light to planted plants?
 
I have purple emperor tetra and guppy. How much time would you suggest is appropriate daily, baring in mind i'm building a plant based tank - and do floating plants block light to planted plants?

The guppy is not an issue but the tetras will appreciate floating plants. Yes, they do block some light, but this involves initial intensity, plant species, and then duration. Faster growing plants need more light (and nutrients) than slow growers. On the right I think I see Java Fern and a crypt, and maybe moss (?). These are slower growing so less intense light is OK (again, don't know what the light is). The stem plant rear left is faster growing, it may or may not work. Years ago I tried a number of different plants over months, and what worked I kept and got more, what didn't I tossed.

As for duration, this depends upon the intensity and the plants. You aim for a balance of light and nutrients so the plants make full use of both and the duration is not longer than what provides for this, then problem algae is non-existent. I started out with I think 10 hours of light, had some brush algae issues, so reduced it down an hour at a time (give it a few weeks to see the result), until I ended with 7 hours a day, on a timer. Problem algae never came back in six or seven years.

I consider fish primary, and plants secondary because I can always find some plants that will work in "x" light. Fish are affected by light, the intensity (hence the floating plant suggestion) and the duration (the timer allows a consistent period each day).
 
Correct - you know your plants! And you explained why these plants survived and my others didn't - not enough light. Sometimes the fish didn't like the light so i didn't keep it on, which is why some plants died and these are fine. Probably best to get more of the same and not too many floating plants but enough to please tetra.
 
Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) would be a good floating plant. It grows rapidly on the surface but is easy to control. If you get too much you can plant it in the gravel.

Try a variety of plants and see which ones do best in your tank with your light. If a plant struggles, then don't get more of that type.

What sort of light do you have on the tank?
 
LED light but my fish are a funny bunch - sometimes I can turn the light on for as long as i like and other times they don't like it.
 
I have found over the years the only fish you can really train are Cichlids all the other species do what they want when they want. They will come when hungry, but Cichlids come because they like your company.
 
LED light but my fish are a funny bunch - sometimes I can turn the light on for as long as i like and other times they don't like it.
Lack of floating plants will do that and so will turning the lights on when the room is dark. Having the wrong colour spectrum of light will irritate fish too. They need a full colour spectrum (red, blue, yellow, green & white) during the day. And 8 hours of darkness to sleep.

TURNING AQUARIUM LIGHTS ON AND OFF
Stress from tank lights coming on when the room is dark can be an issue. Fish don't have eyelids and don't tolerate going from complete dark to bright light (or vice versa) instantly.

In the morning open the curtains or turn the room light on at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the tank light on. This will reduce the stress on the fish and they won't go from a dark tank to a bright tank instantly.

At night turn the room light on and then turn the tank light off. Wait at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the room light out. This allows the fish to settle down for the night instead of going from a brightly lit tank to complete darkness instantly.

Try to have the lights on at the same time each day. Use a timer if possible.
 

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