SilverBlade86 Posted May 5, 2007 Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 What can I do to make my BNs less shy? I've got both a male and a female and they do not seem to like to venture out often from their hiding spots. Is this common? Edit - Tank is a 3 footer, have Swords, Guppies, Tiger Barbs and Angels in there. All fish are small and still growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew_W Posted May 5, 2007 Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 turn the lights off, as they are nocturnal (sp*) Mine used to suck onto the glass, and swim around, then I tried to net him, and he started hiding, just starting to venture out again now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted May 5, 2007 Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 They do tend to hide when possible, or blend in so well you don't see them when they are right in front of you! Mine only come out when I feed them so that is when I take the opportunity to count them and check for trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsarmina Posted May 5, 2007 Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 i have over 50, 1cm bristlenoses swimming around my tank. they are all over the place and only hide if i almost touch them :lol: the parents tend to hide as soon as someone stops in front of their tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gannet Posted May 5, 2007 Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 make the best cave against the front glass so he thnks hes hiding but u can still see him... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBlade86 Posted May 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 If they are nocturnal, that explains a lot actually. They come out once in a while when the lights are off but hide when I try to take a look at them. On a side note, my female Sword just gave birth! I got around 6 fry swimming around the tank and they are just starting to turn orange. How big are they when born and am I correct in saying that there probably was more but are eaten by the rest of the fish? They are around 2-3 mm long at this stage and are orange. When did she give birth? I didn't notice anything till my Dad saw a few orange things swimming in the floating plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 A few tricks you can try... Like has been said, make some more hiding places that you can see into easily. Those ceramic hollow 'logs' are good. More hiding places often encourages them to come out more as there is allways a convenient place nearby to hide. Feed them just before lights out, in the same place. Turn off the tank lights but leave the room lights on. Once they get in to the habit they will associate the lights dimming and the tank lid rattling with food. Then just sit beside the tank quietly and see if they come out. Get them used to having people around the tank, they may startle when someone walks up, but they will get very used to someone sitting there quietly. My big pleco is in a tank that sits between our computer desks, and he is out and about most of the time as we sit here. When he gets hungry he comes and sucks onto the front glass and waits for food. When I drop a disc in he races it to the bottom. My other pleco is in a tank on the other side of the kitchen where there is seldom anybody there. He hides as soon as anyone shows up. Caves are set up so you can still see him, but you have to look under a rock or the filter box. So one associates a person walking up with food, and the other still thinks danger. Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBlade86 Posted May 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 That is extremely helpful, thank you very much. Will try this soon. Hopefully they'll come out more often. It's quite sad when you pay good money for a fish you rarely see at all. (Even though some people actually think BNs are hideous. Philistines) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew_W Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 make the best cave against the front glass so he thnks hes hiding but u can still see him... I made my only cave next to glass, and they dont use it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 mine only comes out to eat his pellets, thats all i see mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatito Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 mine are out all the time and ignore me, i have to push them out of the way if i need to move them... maybe i've just terrorised them for long enough with my poking and prodding that they're numb... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBlade86 Posted May 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 I wish my BNs had the same personality. I tried turning the lights off but leaving the living room lights on. After half an hour, I saw my male BN sitting on the driftwood and staring at me. But when I tried to feed him he ran and hid. :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatito Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 How long have you had them? I can't remember how shy mine were at first but i'm sure they've just grown used to me - had them just over a year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 I find if I feed mine by dropping the pellets along the front of the tank they will come out and feed if I stay very still. The moment you move, even slightly, they're off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatito Posted May 6, 2007 Report Share Posted May 6, 2007 I find if I feed mine by dropping the pellets along the front of the tank they will come out and feed if I stay very still. The moment you move, even slightly, they're off. That method could help in getting them used to your presence SilverBlade86. Get them used to you sitting still watching them feed (even if you're really watching TV or reading a book ), and then see how they go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted May 7, 2007 Report Share Posted May 7, 2007 I tried turning the lights off but leaving the living room lights on. After half an hour, I saw my male BN sitting on the driftwood and staring at me. But when I tried to feed him he ran and hid. You are on the right track though. Try dropping some sinking food or a lump of vege in there when you turn the lights out. Then sit and watch TV beside the tank and see what happens. First few weeks it might be the same but eventually it will get bolder and treat you as part of the furniture. Not as a large and potentially plecy eating 'something' Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chazza404 Posted May 7, 2007 Report Share Posted May 7, 2007 I find if u cut up some zucchini and place it along the front of the tank etc theyll be on that within an minute or two and theyll suck on it for quite a while, i stick mine into edges of wood or under rocks however my plecos love to be in the open especially the GBAs theyre fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBlade86 Posted May 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 Update on the tank. I've been feeding the tank once a day instead of 3 times a day, and leaving the lights off more often, as well as feeding in the same spot. I've noticed great results! I see both BNs more often, and its fun to see them chase away other fish from eating their pellets. However, I noticed that my big "female" turns out to be a he! Now I see him chasing away the smaller male around the tank and away from the food. Now, I want to make sure I'm absolutely right before I swap him for a female, so how exactly do I know how big the bristles get? The bigger BN is easier to see as his bristles has now developed forks in it, so it has to be a male. The smaller BN has bristles as well, fairly large ones, but without forks. Whats a sure fire way to find out if my BNs are female? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 Male BNs have bristles up the middle of their heads. Females just have short ones around the mouth. Male Female Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBlade86 Posted May 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 $#@$@$)(@&$@($&@$ That confirms I have 2 males then. *&$)@#&*(@#&$#@(*& Anyone in Chch wanna trade a reasonable sized male BN for a female? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 You got a pic of the one you want to trade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew_W Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 make a moonlight :lol: best thing I did for viewing the little fellows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBlade86 Posted May 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 I'll try to get a picture up. He's of a reasonable size, just that he's getting picked on at the moment. My bigger guy is a real bully, now that I see him more often. Dunno if thats a good thing or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBlade86 Posted May 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 Erm, I kinda ran into a problem. How exactly do you catch a reasonably sized BN in a heavily planted tank? This is heavily planted as well. Cant get a picture at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayci Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 BN's are hard to catch when there is nothiing in the tank. Try putting there food on the net and wait for them to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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