Banner image

Totally tired of this! (1 Viewer)

S

scubaspew

Starfish
Lifetime Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
3,454
Location
Minneapolis
Every time I add fish to what was supposed to be a fishless reef, they hide in my rock work and never swim about and the when I feed they don't even come out, I know they eat and I know they are alive, I saw one I added a week ago for an hour today, first time since I put him in. I saw another one dart away as I walked into the room. I assume they are shy, skiddish, or hate me?:confused:Seriously though, it's getting old, there are four fish in this tank and none swimming in view and only one I can actually locate which has been hiding less of late although he's not the type to do anything but hover over whatever coral he is near at the moment, always SPS oddly enough. Maybe I just provide too much rock work for them to hide in? I also had a more realistic thought, perhaps my lighting is something they need to acclimate to since it's more intense than the lighting they were under at the LFS's I bought them from? Granted, all but one were added within the last two weeks which is why this thought occurred to me.
 
guy9smiley2 said:
what kind of fish are they? maybe look into a more "active" species.
Click to expand...

I'm kind of limited with what I can put in this tank so it has decidedly become a goby tank. Cleaner Goby, Yellow Clown Goby, Green Clown Goby and Mandarin Goby.
 
To much hiding space for sure. those are all fish that would rather hide in a rock or out of site. typically you should see the mandarin out in the open as it searches for pods.
 
scubaspew said:
I'm kind of limited with what I can put in this tank so it has decidedly become a goby tank. Cleaner Goby, Yellow Clown Goby, Green Clown Goby and Mandarin Goby.
Click to expand...

my neon goby is always out and about, in that small of a tank. how about a firefish? theyre shy yes, but do swim around more.
 
Granted I don't have any of the fish your experiencing this problem with, most of the fish I have added were shy for the first week to month. When I would come in the room they would do the same thing yours are doing. After a while they did start coming out of the rock work more because I think they finally recognized me as their food giver! Now I can't look inside my tank without one of them swimming right to the glass and blocking my view of what ever I'm looking at and will bob back and forth in front of me.

Give it some time and try feeding with a baster. Try to force them out into the open with food. It worked on my spotted goby and my Blue Hippo Tang that were just like this. After spending a bit more time at feedings to interact some what they are now all out in the open every time I come to the tank. Also look into if you have too much flow for them. I know I had to redirect my flow a bit to allow my group of small Blue/Green Chromis to swim out in the open.

Hope this helps
 
General0 said:
Granted I don't have any of the fish your experiencing this problem with, most of the fish I have added were shy for the first week to month. When I would come in the room they would do the same thing yours are doing. After a while they did start coming out of the rock work more because I think they finally recognized me as their food giver! Now I can't look inside my tank without one of them swimming right to the glass and blocking my view of what ever I'm looking at and will bob back and forth in front of me.

Give it some time and try feeding with a baster. Try to force them out into the open with food. It worked on my spotted goby and my Blue Hippo Tang that were just like this. After spending a bit more time at feedings to interact some what they are now all out in the open every time I come to the tank. Also look into if you have too much flow for them. I know I had to redirect my flow a bit to allow my group of small Blue/Green Chromis to swim out in the open.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

It's kind of what I am starting to think. I posted this out of utter frustration that I rarely see the beautiful fish I have put into this tank, however given that three out of the four were added within the last two weeks makes me realize the fourth fish which has been here since I set the tank up is now finally starting to show himself more. In short I believe you have the answer General.
 
Chad Vossen said:
To much hiding space for sure. those are all fish that would rather hide in a rock or out of site. typically you should see the mandarin out in the open as it searches for pods.
Click to expand...

Chad I just added the mandarin today, told he/she is eating frozen. I have pods either way, perhaps not enough yet to sustain it but I will continue to buy them until I know I do not need to. How long before you have pods available again?
 
Yes, more time and they'll figure out you're the guy who feeds them. I don't know how large your tank is but if you have room for a couple dither fish like a smaller Chromis it may help too.
 
NorthSide Reef said:
Yes, more time and they'll figure out you're the guy who feeds them. I don't know how large your tank is but if you have room for a couple dither fish like a smaller Chromis it may help too.
Click to expand...

No Chromis, never again I say. Yeah I'm just being impatient, they'll come around, the cleaner goby was out today eating algae out of my sand bed.
 
I just don't like 'em, no more, not in this tank plus it's to shallow and with limited water volume I think I can add one more small goby successfully and then I think I've reached my bio load.
 
ah I see, I like the the Blue Reefs a real nice splash of blue, but they do get a little bigger than some. so I can see why you would not want to go there with a smaller tank.
 
NorthSide Reef said:
ah I see, I like the the Blue Reefs a real nice splash of blue, but they do get a little bigger than some. so I can see why you would not want to go there with a smaller tank.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there's that too, they do get awfully big. I'm running a frag tank as a display ATM and it's probably temporary because I don't like they low water volume, I want something this size but a bit taller ideally, plus this tank isn't a true 2x2, it's actually something like 21.75 by 23.25 or something along those lines can't remember off the top of my head, but I'm lucky if between the tank and the sump I'm running more than 15-17 gallons total with all the rock and sand, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top