# Caribe=light Shy.



## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

My fish were kind of terretorial so i Move the wood to the middle. Anyways I tryed using my light and it seems to scare them so much. All 5 hide the corner together and do NOT move. What should i do? Leave it on? Turn it off? Thanks guys. Remember the tank is in the basement and will see little light without it.e


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

help quick! im going to bed soon and need to know what to do.


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## Soul Assassin (Nov 21, 2006)

Turn the light off, you only leave them on for 8hrs or so...


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

i have never had it on yet. This was the first try. Im turning it off. Should i turn it on a leave it on tomoorow?


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## Domelotta (Apr 25, 2007)

They're probably just stressed or scared right now because you changed their surroundings. But Soul Assassin is right. 8 hours of light is perfect. You have to remember piranha are very timid fish. Since yours are new to their tank and surroundings, when you change something it'll take longer for them to adapt. Just let them settle first.
Good Luck


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

yea, But i havent given them 8 hrs of light. The only light came from the room light whille i played some xbox. I want to use their tank light. When i turn it on they freak and run and hide, they dont move. I dont know tomorrow im leaving it on till they start swimming.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

I think they're still trying to get used to their new home and dim lights help


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

Just turn the lights on and off at the same time everyday. They will have no choice but to get used to it. Their behavior now is totally normal, skittish and scared of change.


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

buy a timer so it comes on and goes off at the same time ever day. or just leave it on for a week 24/7 to desensitize them to it.


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

Why are these fish being so terretorial? they keep chasing each other around the tank! WTF DO I DO lol... its makes me mad lmao


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Dolphinswin said:


> Why are these fish being so terretorial? they keep chasing each other around the tank! WTF DO I DO lol... its makes me mad lmao


There piranha, being territorial is normal. They are new to the tank and you moved so wood around so they are setting up territory. Leave them alone. If one will be killed its going to happen probably at night anyways. The only thing you can really do is drop the temp to the lower end of the acceptable scale.


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## primetime3wise (Sep 28, 2003)

^agreed. don't expect that territorial behavior to ever go away.


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2010)

I agree with everyone else. Purchase a timer and set it. You fish will eventually get use to the light coming on and off. Things dont go perfectly right away, your fish need time to adjust. Just be patient


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## Sacrifice (Sep 24, 2006)

Dolphinswin said:


> Why are these fish being so terretorial? they keep chasing each other around the tank! WTF DO I DO lol... its makes me mad lmao


Dude that comment sounds like the old Dolphinswin. Did you not pay any attention to all your previous threads. 2 Gigantic facts about Ps that you just seemed to let drift right over your head.

1.) Ps are very territorial fish.
2.) They like dimly lit tanks, but with time can over come this.

Just give them some time. Put the light on a time and let it go. They will eventually get less and less skittish, but do not expect this to be an overnight transformation. Man I'm really beginning to think that you're not cutout for Ps. Did you really expect them to not be territorial. You're most like going to lose 1 maybe even 2 to cannibalism. Good luck my friend. Don't give it up and remember to well heck REMEMBER what you read on here.


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## 02stampede (Jul 20, 2010)

As said by many others, they are scared of changes to their environment. Leave the light on for a while and they will get used to it. Mine were the same way for a few days. Now they really only freak out when I turn the filter off to do water changes lol. As far as being territorial goes, I was worried about cannibalism too and added a good hiding spot for each fish and a powerhead to wear them down. I have not had a problem yet and they are almost an inch bigger than when I got them last month.


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

I left light light on for 24hrs and now they have no problem. I might lose one since hes smaller than all the rest but it seems fine now.


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## Gibbus (May 23, 2003)

Caribe at a small size gernerally are going to be skittish. When they are small they are food for alot of other animals. It is naturely from the be shy and skittish. Also they came from not overally clear water. Let them settle in.


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

Everything is going just smoothly. A few fin nips but thats it. I have the timer for the lighgt going from 2-11. They eat right away! I just stocked my 10gal for fun with fish. I bought a pecock eel, spotted catfish thing, fiddle crab, and a shrimp thing. The eel is seldom seen since he is nocturnal and buries himself in the rocks all day. The catfish is only supposed to get 4in big. Pretty sweet lol. But not as cool as my serious tank.


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## WhiskeyBent (Aug 23, 2005)

Dolphinswin said:


> Everything is going just smoothly. A few fin nips but thats it. I have the timer for the lighgt going from 2-11. They eat right away! I just stocked my 10gal for fun with fish. I bought a pecock eel, spotted catfish thing, fiddle crab, and a shrimp thing. The eel is seldom seen since he is nocturnal and buries himself in the rocks all day. The catfish is only supposed to get 4in big. Pretty sweet lol. But not as cool as my serious tank.


Just don't neglect your smaller tank because you feel it isn't as cool. Make sure you give those fish the same amount of care and quality of life as your P's


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