# Caribe Question



## scotth42 (May 4, 2008)

Are caribe shy like reds i had reds that would just sit on the bottom so i sold them. now i just orderd 4 caribe and will add 2-3 more if there more active then the reds.


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## primetime3wise (Sep 28, 2003)

my adult cariba are still fairly skittish around me, however, not as much as reds. they don't go crashing into the side of the tank when i approach or the light goes on, and, they are much more aggressive eaters in front of me. i've had both and i know what you are referring to. still somewhat skittish, just not to the degree of red bellies. overstocking a tank can also help with this.


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## scotth42 (May 4, 2008)

primetime3wise said:


> my adult cariba are still fairly skittish around me, however, not as much as reds. they don't go crashing into the side of the tank when i approach or the light goes on, and, they are much more aggressive eaters in front of me. i've had both and i know what you are referring to. still somewhat skittish, just not to the degree of red bellies. overstocking a tank can also help with this.


 but do they always hide or come out and swim my reds wwould never swim just sit on the bottom. Even if i removed everything. They all sat on the bottom in a corner i was told the caribe would come out more and swim but now im reading there skittish like the reds i hope this is wrong.


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## primetime3wise (Sep 28, 2003)

mine don't swim much since they have their territories. again, you could try overstocking to combat that. mine move from fighting more than anything.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

IMO there are better fish then p's for you. Most people have p's that more or less chill for the majority of the day. My serras dont usually move much untill night when they come out to cruise. Something liek a powerhead may help p's be more active.


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## shaneb (May 4, 2010)

Off topic but

My Favorite is a group of Macs... Mine are still small but they come to the front of the tank to see wtf i am up too.. Its nice to be able walk up to the tank without my fish freaking out.. My reds still go crazy if i come into the room when they are not expecting me...


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## nilocg (Apr 5, 2010)

My 6 caribe pretty much just stayed in one spot for months until I added a group of reds with them and since then they have been totally different fish. Much more activity and much less shy.


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## CuzIsaidSo (Oct 13, 2009)

I have a mix of 10 RBP & 9 Caribe and I don't really see a difference in behavior. The Caribe swim back and forth lil' more & seem to stick together but no major differences.


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## Sacrifice (Sep 24, 2006)

I agree with Cluster on this one. Ps just may not be your thing. They are not known for swimming around their tank all day. Generally the sent in one spot most of the day and just kinda patrol that area every once in awhile. This is the nature of the beast. As some have mentioned overstocking the tank can help this, only because it's difficult for them to setup up territories so they are always moving to keep other Ps out of their space. I wouldn't advise overstocking unless you have a good understanding of Ps. Which IMO I don't feel that you may have. Overstocking can lead to all kinds of problems unless you know what you're doing.

What size tank are you putting these Caribe in?


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

I have had my caribe for a week and a half and they are never skittish! They swim around likes its nobodys buisness lol. I can sit directly infront of the tank and they still dont go nuts lol. They eat before the food hits the substrate. I got 5 from shark aquarium. They are awesome and if you spend a lot of time in the room they will never be skittish. My tank is in my game room so Im down there for late night gaming sessions lol. Anyways Im sure you will love them. Try feeding them a few times a day and sit right next to the tank, they will become used to your prescence so when your friends come over and you throw some food in they see that viscious feeding that they expect lol! Good luck and post some pics!

Also, Nvm sacrfice saying they may not be your thing. They said they werent for me either but i wouldnt get anyother fish now. My caribe are constanly swimming back and forth with each other. I wouldnt worry to much just spend time in front of the tank and all will be swell.


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## lcujol (Jul 18, 2010)

My Reds are super aggressive i got 3 of them one is about 9 inches. They swim all over there tank loving it like there is no tomorrow. When i feed them they come flying up to the tank jumping at the food it's awesome mine have always been around people so that made them not so skittish actualy there not skittish at all. just put them where there is a little more traffic then they warm up 2 you im pretty sure that goes as well for Caribe


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## rhom15 (Dec 20, 2009)

my fish room is in the basement i think keeping them in a room with alot of traffic of people thay seem to get use to the movment around them i take people down there and the fish go crazy but when i had my 180 with reds in it thay just laid back not slamming into the glass when you walk up to them


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## scotth42 (May 4, 2008)

Yeah i have seen lots of tanks with them moving alot but them tanks don't have anything in them just sand.i gave my reds hiding spots and they never came out. I was hoping the caribe was more active that's what i was told by aquascape.i'll see tomorrow i guess i am getting 4 for a 125 long if there active i will add maybe 2 more or some rbs.


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## banshee42096 (Apr 29, 2010)

i have 10 rb in a 125 have one big piece of driftwood on one side and a big stone with holes in it in the center and my power head on the other end a ac110 on both ends.only time my reds are skiddish are in the morning if you turn the light on and go up to the tank with alot of movement other than that. they cruze the tank most of the day i have 2 that like to stay under the driftwood but the others stay out and travel.i think its all in the rbs raising i have mine directly in the living room seeing constant movement from my dogs daughter with friend ect.now my golds dont care they approach the front of the tank if you go near it.good luck.


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## scotth42 (May 4, 2008)

Got my caribe today 1was dead the other 3 are doing great so far nothing like the rbs there all over the tank with the lights off or on getting the one replaced and getting 2 more so ill have six. I tried feeding them some shrimp but so far they haven't seemed interest. But the dead fish fell in the tank as i was on the phone and when i came back there was a tail and head and nothing left. So i guess they ate


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## Da' Manster! (Sep 1, 2009)

I've had both Caribe's and Reds and there is really not that much difference in terms of skittishness and being shy...I would say however that the Caribe tend to be a little more active (constantly swimming back and forth) and have a tad bit more personality to them...I love both Caribe and Reds just the same.


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## rhom15 (Dec 20, 2009)

i know one thing caribes are not shy at dinner time and thay seem to grow alot faster


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

My caribe is a mean bastard he's bossing around my footlong reds that I picked up today


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## primetime3wise (Sep 28, 2003)

^^my most dominant one is a pain in the butt, he bosses around my other 5 pygos and has claimed 60% of the tank for himself.


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## rhom15 (Dec 20, 2009)

maybe because caride are wild and alot of reds are tank raised love to find some wild reds


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## scotth42 (May 4, 2008)

rhom15 said:


> maybe because caride are wild and alot of reds are tank raised love to find some wild reds


my littel guys aren't eating Very much i tried shrimp and talipia and they just barely nibble at it. this is there second day in the tank i have 3 tetras in there to they all swim together the caribe shows no interest in them at all. They have been very active all over the tank non stop is this normal? Will they settle down and just sit on the bottom like the reds? I wonder why they don't eat much should i feed at night or morning?


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## Criley (Jun 2, 2010)

scotth42 said:


> maybe because caride are wild and alot of reds are tank raised love to find some wild reds


my littel guys aren't eating Very much i tried shrimp and talipia and they just barely nibble at it. this is there second day in the tank i have 3 tetras in there to they all swim together the caribe shows no interest in them at all. They have been very active all over the tank non stop is this normal? Will they settle down and just sit on the bottom like the reds? I wonder why they don't eat much should i feed at night or morning?
[/quote]

How big are they? My reds didnt really like the fresh tilapia and such as much as blood worm cubes when they were real small(1-2 in). But when I would drop a blood cube in their tank theyd swarm it like crazy. Try to get their feedings on a schedule if at all possible. Juvies like to eat a lot, but try to do it at the same time of the day. The longer you have them the more youll realize that they can pretty well tell when things are going to happen at certain times of the day. My reds get stressed out if I dont turn the light on at a certain time, or turn it off at the same time of night. Same goes with their eeating. Try to get them on an alteration of the hikari cichlid gold and the bio gold pellets. I noticed huge improvements in their color and size when I got them eating these high quality pellets.


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## scotth42 (May 4, 2008)

How you get them to eat pellet? Mine never go near the top the 3in in size when there small i thought they would eat alot but there not.i feed before there lights go off about 10:30pm just onetime a day i have 3tetras in there with them and they just swim with them they don't seem agressive at all i checked my water temp is 81 ph 7.4 amo0 nitrites 0 nitrates 20.


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

How big is their tank?
They sound like normal skittish pygos to me


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## scotth42 (May 4, 2008)

MyTanks a 125 g long i feed once a day at night the fish are 3 in and are caribe just 3 but im looking into 4more i have been pretty impressed with these so far but there just not eating like i thought they would.


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## Criley (Jun 2, 2010)

scotth42 said:


> How you get them to eat pellet? Mine never go near the top the 3in in size when there small i thought they would eat alot but there not.i feed before there lights go off about 10:30pm just onetime a day i have 3tetras in there with them and they just swim with them they don't seem agressive at all i checked my water temp is 81 ph 7.4 amo0 nitrites 0 nitrates 20.


7.4 ammo? jesus holy christ, man did you cycle this tank? they are hurting bad right now if you got 7.4 ammo. sorry i didnt read your response earlier, and im sure other people have commented on this but i didnt read down past your post. it sounds like your tank is is the EARLY stages of cycling right now. your going to need to do very frequent small water changes. what kind of filter are you using? the best thing for you at this very second the sooner the better, is to try to get some established media from a friend or lfs. focus on that ammo count.
to answer your other question, rbp's on pellets is easy. they are hungry SOB's. only feed them pellets for a week, only a few at a time and only once a day if they dont take right to them. they can see everything in their tank, so they know they are up there even if you dont believe that they do. all it takes is one brave p to go up and theyll all start going up. its best to train when young, but really any ages pygo can be trained on pellets pretty easily... they arent stubborn like rhoms. but lets focus on your ammo ct.


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## Criley (Jun 2, 2010)

edit: Come on guys... im one of the newest members on this board, anyone of you could of caught this. We got a fountain of fishkeeping knowledge here!Dont stop watching our boards, not because you necessarily need the knowledge but people like this guy could of really used a heads up when he stated that ammo count immediately. You all helped me out immensely when i jumped into the hobby with a loaded gun and no safety. scott... keep us posted frequently you got all the knowledge in the world here to help you, but like i said fix the ammo count then we can help you with the feedings.


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## scotth42 (May 4, 2008)

Criley said:


> How you get them to eat pellet? Mine never go near the top the 3in in size when there small i thought they would eat alot but there not.i feed before there lights go off about 10:30pm just onetime a day i have 3tetras in there with them and they just swim with them they don't seem agressive at all i checked my water temp is 81 ph 7.4 amo0 nitrites 0 nitrates 20.


7.4 ammo? jesus holy christ, man did you cycle this tank? they are hurting bad right now if you got 7.4 ammo. sorry i didnt read your response earlier, and im sure other people have commented on this but i didnt read down past your post. it sounds like your tank is is the EARLY stages of cycling right now. your going to need to do very frequent small water changes. what kind of filter are you using? the best thing for you at this very second the sooner the better, is to try to get some established media from a friend or lfs. focus on that ammo count.
to answer your other question, rbp's on pellets is easy. they are hungry SOB's. only feed them pellets for a week, only a few at a time and only once a day if they dont take right to them. they can see everything in their tank, so they know they are up there even if you dont believe that they do. all it takes is one brave p to go up and theyll all start going up. its best to train when young, but really any ages pygo can be trained on pellets pretty easily... they arent stubborn like rhoms. but lets focus on your ammo ct.
[/quote]
Dude read Ph 7.4 ammo 0 this tank has been running for 2yrs fluval fx 5 eheim 3 pro and 110 aquaclear also a powerhead


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## rhom15 (Dec 20, 2009)

keep working with them try kril not frozen dried it floats once thay start eating that then you can throw pellets in worked for me







good luck


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## scotth42 (May 4, 2008)

rhom15 said:


> keep working with them try kril not frozen dried it floats once thay start eating that then you can throw pellets in worked for me
> 
> 
> 
> ...


man that's a good idea my oscar loved the krill.these caribe are aggressive they all seem to be chasing each other but it's getting worse is this normal there nothing like my red bellies these guys eat every couple he's if i don't feed they start going after each other.


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## rhom15 (Dec 20, 2009)

glad it worked for you thay do go at each other i just lost one of mine and it was the day after i fed them


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

scotth42 said:


> How you get them to eat pellet? Mine never go near the top the 3in in size when there small i thought they would eat alot but there not.i feed before there lights go off about 10:30pm just onetime a day i have 3tetras in there with them and they just swim with them they don't seem agressive at all i checked my water temp is 81 ph 7.4 amo0 nitrites 0 nitrates 20.


7.4 ammo? jesus holy christ, man did you cycle this tank? they are hurting bad right now if you got 7.4 ammo. sorry i didnt read your response earlier, and im sure other people have commented on this but i didnt read down past your post. it sounds like your tank is is the EARLY stages of cycling right now. your going to need to do very frequent small water changes. what kind of filter are you using? the best thing for you at this very second the sooner the better, is to try to get some established media from a friend or lfs. focus on that ammo count.
to answer your other question, rbp's on pellets is easy. they are hungry SOB's. only feed them pellets for a week, only a few at a time and only once a day if they dont take right to them. they can see everything in their tank, so they know they are up there even if you dont believe that they do. all it takes is one brave p to go up and theyll all start going up. its best to train when young, but really any ages pygo can be trained on pellets pretty easily... they arent stubborn like rhoms. but lets focus on your ammo ct.
[/quote]
Dude read Ph 7.4 ammo 0 this tank has been running for 2yrs fluval fx 5 eheim 3 pro and 110 aquaclear also a powerhead
[/quote]


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## Criley (Jun 2, 2010)

scotth42 said:


> How you get them to eat pellet? Mine never go near the top the 3in in size when there small i thought they would eat alot but there not.i feed before there lights go off about 10:30pm just onetime a day i have 3tetras in there with them and they just swim with them they don't seem agressive at all i checked my water temp is 81 ph 7.4 amo0 nitrites 0 nitrates 20.


7.4 ammo? jesus holy christ, man did you cycle this tank? they are hurting bad right now if you got 7.4 ammo. sorry i didnt read your response earlier, and im sure other people have commented on this but i didnt read down past your post. it sounds like your tank is is the EARLY stages of cycling right now. your going to need to do very frequent small water changes. what kind of filter are you using? the best thing for you at this very second the sooner the better, is to try to get some established media from a friend or lfs. focus on that ammo count.
to answer your other question, rbp's on pellets is easy. they are hungry SOB's. only feed them pellets for a week, only a few at a time and only once a day if they dont take right to them. they can see everything in their tank, so they know they are up there even if you dont believe that they do. all it takes is one brave p to go up and theyll all start going up. its best to train when young, but really any ages pygo can be trained on pellets pretty easily... they arent stubborn like rhoms. but lets focus on your ammo ct.
[/quote]
Dude read Ph 7.4 ammo 0 this tank has been running for 2yrs fluval fx 5 eheim 3 pro and 110 aquaclear also a powerhead
[/quote]


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## bigred (Nov 13, 2003)

Ok you can also feed them melworms alive or dried and earth warms are really good. My caribe's and reds are all 4" now and I have had them sense June 20th hey was only 1.5 inches when I got them. And they ate 4-5 times a day at frist. Now it's around 3-4 at the most. Once you get all you levels worked out you should be fine. And keep in mind p's just act funny SETI
es cause mine are lol lol


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