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Heya there, a few of you will probably know me from some other posts... ive been busy weighing up the choice between feather whisker (spatula whiskers here on PC), pictus, or raphaels. For the first time i saw some raphaels in my local store and was very interested in getting them, due to their pretty hardy nature, and their great look! the only thing that worries me is the fact that the fish seems to be very nocturnal. Im worried that perhaps the fish may not been seen much or at all, and if thats the case i would rather have one of the other more active species. On the other hand, if people have methods for getting the raphaels more active during the day i would love to hear some ideas!

Thankyou all in advance, Sam

It's gonna be hard to change the habits of a species that likes to hide & is only active really at night. They will venture out in daylight to feed without any problem but will venture back to their chosen retreat soon after.

The pictus is a mini-predator (beware neons, guppies etc) that needs to be kept in a small group (5-6) - prefereably in a tank minimum of 30-36" with some water movement, but is an active fish during the day.

If it is cats that are active during the day & peaceful that you are mostly after i'd recommend the corydoras or dianema as first choices. All pimelodids are predatory & almost all doradids are noturnal - those that aren't are more scarce & therefore a bit more expensive.

For the most part my Raphael stays quiet during the day, but after lights out (bedtime is 8 o'clock) , You can watch them cruise through the water like some kind of ethereal creature. They are very graceful to watch and we simply adore ours. But don't put them in a tank w/ anything that can fit in their mouths as you will loose a small Tetra or two over time. It is kinda nice to think that in my tank there are day and night creatures just like in the wild. Makes it a little more natural I think.