Fed up with skittish fish

[Kristen]

I've got 6 galaxies and 5 white cloud mountains in my tank on my desk. Sadly, I often stare at an 'empty' tank since they hide all the time when I sit at my desk. This is getting irritating and I'm this close to getting rid of them in favour of some other fish.

Any idea how to get them to stop being skittish?

[patricc]

wait...patience my young one haha ... just joking...

I still get my galaxies scooting off when i approach too suddenly even when i go slowly.... its their nature i guess...imagine being small then something big approaches

want to donate them to my tank

[Kristen]

want to donate them to my tank

$10

[patricc]

haha

exchange with penguin tetra? keke... or harlequin rasboras?

[Quincy]

Maybe can try ember tetra. They are small and don't go into hiding mode when Im approaching. Not asking you to get rid of your fishes though

[Enoran]

haha

exchange with penguin tetra? keke... or harlequin rasboras?

Yeh .. Penguins are pretty daring. They give little regards to the other fish in my tank except for themselves when I consistently see sparring among themselves.

White Clouds can get much bigger than galaxies, and I don't think they are timid from past experience. Are they why your galaxies are always hiding ?

[Kristen]

Penguins look good, but they're the same colour as my tank background and gravel :/ Anyone have suggestion for a small, active, gregarious and bright coloured schooling species?

Something like neons but hopefully not as big or commonplace.

[CK Yeo]

You can add some floating plants or more plants to make them more comfortable. I find that some fish are more skittish when the tank is too bright.

ck

[Tony]

You are right, my galaxies prefer dimmer lights even when there are enough plant coverage. One of them tried "superman" and I had to DIY a plastic mesh cover for the tank.

[Enoran]

Penguins look good, but they're the same colour as my tank background and gravel :/ Anyone have suggestion for a small, active, gregarious and bright coloured schooling species?

Something like neons but hopefully not as big or commonplace.

Why not try Pseudomugil furcatus ... aka Forktail Blue Eyes Rainbowfish

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Spec...y.php?id=10530

Just got these fish for about a month, so I am still learning about them.
They are swimming around freely ... no skittish behavior in my case.

[Delwin]

give them some time, feed them at a fixed time, after some time, when they see aproach, they will start to follow you.
I have around 30 Galaxy in my tank

[patricc]

try ember like what Quincy says... they are quite pretty as well.... or the boraras family...

[FishSoup]

I second Enoran's suggestion. P. furcatus are very active, hardy, and tend not to be timid, as long as people passing by do not intentionally startle them.

[1001wishes]

I know this doesn't satisfy your criteria of colorful schooling fish. But just to join the discussion on fish that are not timid, I would heartily recommend the little algae eater -- ottocinclus.

My experience is that these delightful little fellas practically ignore you whatever you are doing outside or inside the tank. When I was using the long scissors or pincers to trim the plants, they will even approach my tools to try to check for algae. And they display all kinds of positions and angles in cleaning algae off the leaves, doing it systematically in a circular, or left-to-right, or up-to-down motion. They would fit snugly atop the single round leave of hydrocotyle verticillata and go to sleep. They are a joy to watch in an aquarium.