I've had six Rummynose Tetras in my 10 gallon planted tank now for several months. They were fine for a while, but lately they have become extremely shy and have taken to hiding in the plants all the time. They never come out anymore, sometimes not even to eat. As the plants have grown in, maybe they have too many hiding places. I've thought about adding a couple more rummies to increase the school size in the hope that it may give them some more confidence. Any ideas? I'd like to actually see the fish now and again.
Reclusive Rummies
- Thread starter FlyinFoodieGuy
- Start date
Mine don't come out of the plants hardly at all and I've had mine a long time. They did in the beginning and I had 12. I think they don't feel comfortable out and about with the large discus, but maybe in planted tanks in general they like to hide.
Tetras are normally schooling fish. This is their defence mechanism. However when they become really scared, they hide. This is especially true in smaller tanks when open spaces are more limited and swimming "farther away" en masse is not an option.
I usually say a scared terta schools, a terrified tetra hides.
I usually say a scared terta schools, a terrified tetra hides.
From what I've seen, rummies are just naturally a lot more timid and shy than other tetras. When I first added my rummies to my large tank, they schooled and were always in the open as a pack. Now, after more time in the tank, they scatter themselves and hang out in the plants, each doing their own individual thing. I don't know that I think they're terrified as much as "chill" in a place where they feel safe and comfortable.
This is how mine behave now, they do stick together, but often just hang out in the plants, unless its feeding time or early in the evening when they zip back and forth across the tank in a line.
Maybe if the OP's 10G is becoming too heavily planted they feel as though they don't have enough room? mine love swimming the entire length of the 55G over and over. Maybe they feel that they don't have enough space to swim as much and so simply hide. Is it possible to get a bigger tank? 29G? 40G breeder?
this is tetra nature my neons and embers are always hunting in and around plants all the time they are searching for critters,.. even though there probably arn't any but this is what they do,.. its instinct,..