Skittish Snakeskins

[kubora666]

i got some snakeskin gourami's earlier this week and they are brilliant fish, so full of activity and social
theyve even helped my Uaru come out of his shell, the problem is they are mega skittish and if anyone moves in the room they go crazy darting around into objects and getting all sorts of bashes and cuts on them. how can i discourage this behaviour? is there anything to do so they dont injure themselves so much? cause if i go over to feed them they do it. they come eat the food afterwards, but i dont want them to get infections or anything from these cuts etc

 

[nosoup4you]

Is the tank in a high-traffic area of the house?

 

[kubora666]

Is the tank in a high-traffic area of the house?

medium. there is no chance of me moving the tank so im looking at options to calm them down and prevent damage to them
ive kept pearl and opaline gourami's before and never had this problem

 

[nosoup4you]

You might try covering the back and sides of the tank if they aren't already...

 

[kubora666]

You might try covering the back and sides of the tank if they aren't already...

sorry soup, they already are. any chance that some thickets of plants would be good? then they would retreat to them? as i dont have any...

 

[nosoup4you]

Yeah, any sort of additional cover would probably make them feel more comfortable. If that doesn't work, you may heave to remove any sharp objects until they feel more at home.

 

[kubora666]

Yeah, any sort of additional cover would probably make them feel more comfortable. If that doesn't work, you may heave to remove any sharp objects until they feel more at home.

could you recomend plants that would work?
as i have a uaru and i hear they are notorious for eating many types of plants
also 2 of them dive into the gravel and hit themselves so they might still continue.
i got a group of them so they felt more at home as i read snakeskins like to be kept more in groups in 4ft tanks +

 

[nosoup4you]

Dunno, might have to go with silk with those guys...

 

[kubora666]

Dunno, might have to go with silk with those guys...

i know there are several types of plants that dont get eaten by any fish, i just know nothing of aquatic plants names

 

[nosoup4you]

Even if they don't eat them, they may uproot them or just generally tear them up...just for fun. LOL

 

[kubora666]

the gourami's? or the Uaru?
i have a random plant in the tank i put in that got to big for another tank, to see if they would eat it. and its still fine a week and a little later

 

[nosoup4you]

The Uarus...you could try some more robust plants (Swords, Java fern, Crypts).

 

[drobbyb]

The Uarus...you could try some more robust plants (Swords, Java fern, Crypts).

Might I also suggest Anubias.

 

[kubora666]

The Uarus...you could try some more robust plants (Swords, Java fern, Crypts).

Might I also suggest Anubias.

tanks guys, il try to sort it all out, and inform if the situation worsens-betters

 

[kubora666]

they are alot more active today, and slightly less scared,
i added 5 sword tails 2m+3f and a rainbow cichlid (heratilapia multispinosa) the swordtails open swimming fearless nature has had a very positive effect on them as before the snakeskins were the only real open swimming fish in the tank