# Ruby Tetra



## Dan Crawford (29 Sep 2008)

Hi everyone, i bought 20 of these _axelrodia riesei_ @ Â£2.50 each from MA Crowland, they are stunning but they are the most illusive fish i've ever kept.
http://www.jjphoto.dk/fish_archive/aqua ... riesei.htm
Any thoughts on giving them some more confidence? I'm gonna reduce the lighting but otherwise i'm stuck!
Cheers
Dan


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## Ed Seeley (29 Sep 2008)

Very nice Dan.  Maybe some overhanging plants (not knowing what the scape's like in your tank) might halp with shady areas for them to shelter?  Or, failing that, some floating plants?


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## Thomas McMillan (29 Sep 2008)

I would normally say try increasing the shoal but 20 is ample. How long ago did you get them?

The only other thing that I can think of is the lighting, but looks like you've got that covered. Lots of plant cover is always good. Any other tankmates? Some shoalers are just naturally quite shy I think, maybe a few more less shy fish would do the trick.


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## George Farmer (29 Sep 2008)

They should get more confident over time too, especially as they learn to recognise you as their food supplier...


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## Dan Crawford (30 Sep 2008)

Thanks guys, I was hoping that they would see me as the feeder but they hide so much that the food just disappears into the plants and substrate so that is also a worry. Well, i'll see how it goes.
Thanks again.
Dan


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## Tom (30 Sep 2008)

What are you feeding them? Have you tried frozen cyclops? My Microrasboras loved that when I dropped some in the flow and it spread round the tank. 

Tom


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## Dan Crawford (30 Sep 2008)

No i havn't, i've tried that JBL Click stuff, flake & frozen brineshrimp. All to no avail. I'll have a go with the cyclops, cheers.


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## Dave Spencer (30 Sep 2008)

I think it is generally down to safety in numbers and give them time to get used to the movement of people around the room. Not that I ever sorted out the same problem I had with my Cardinals.

Dave.


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## Dan Crawford (30 Sep 2008)

An interesting observation i noticed, in "router to wilderness" i never really saw my Ember tetras coz they had al lsorts of places to hide or whatever, i now have the same fish in my 100mm wide iwigumi and they are as bold as brass coming straight up to the surface for feeding and never trying to hide. (coz there is nowhere)


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## Thomas McMillan (30 Sep 2008)

I've learned a couple of techniques in feeding timid fish:

1. Crush a pinch of flakes into a small pot.
2 Add about 20ml of water or so.
3 Suck up the stuff with a syringe.
4 Syringe it in the general direction of the fish.

This always seems to work for me.


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## Dan Crawford (30 Sep 2008)

nice one mate, I'll give that a go too!


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