Added new fish and now an old fish is hiding!

[vlangel]

Hi everyone, I am having an issue that I have never come across in my 20+ years of marine tanks. I had 8 fish that I have had for over a year in my 56 gallon display. 2 pajama cardinals, a green goby, a firefish goby, a barnacle blenny, an orange spot blenny, a royal gramma and a carpenter wrasse. They all resided very peacefully but I wanted more color and activity. I also wanted 1 bigger fish to catch the eye.

I settled on a tomini tang for the bigger fish and a group of yellow tail damsels for color and movement. Everything went perfect except now the carpenter wrasse is in hiding. He is a fat healthy fish but I know that he will not stay healthy forever if he is continually stressed. I have never seen any of the new fish or old fish show aggression toward him so I am perplexed why he, who was an established fish is anxious.

I am feeding extra heavy to make sure he is getting food and I believe he is. So do I just continue to do that until he settles down or is there some other action that I should take?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

How long has it been hiding? I can't help but blame the damsels...

 

[vlangel]

It's been about 4 days, which is about how long the new fish have been in the display. Yellow tail damsels are considered the most docile of the specie and I have not seen any aggression at all. These appear to be juveniles also as they are pretty small, a third of the size of the carpenter wrasse.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

It's been about 4 days, which is about how long the new fish have been in the display. Yellow tail damsels are considered the most docile of the specie and I have not seen any aggression at all. These appear to be juveniles also as they are pretty small, a third of the size of the carpenter wrasse.

Call it a hunch.

I'm trying to get the wife to let me buy a Chinese alligator instead of a pet dog. They're considered the most docile alligators...

I've owned many yellow tails, they're evil!

 

[vlangel]

Wow, well maybe the yellow tails may find themselves relocated to the refugium!

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Eh just keep an eye on them, who knows

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Call it a hunch.

I'm trying to get the wife to let me buy a Chinese alligator instead of a pet dog. They're considered the most docile alligators...

I've owned many yellow tails, they're evil!

I have a yellow tail today that is a model citizen so they are not all bad.

 

[lefkonj]

My bet is the damsels sorry just based on past experience. The other choice is to mess up the rock work and cause some of your own chaos to bring about new balance and order.

 

[vlangel]

I have a yellow tail today that is a model citizen so they are not all bad.

I have had a lot of yellow tails that were all model citizens but this is the gentlest tank that I have ever had.

 

[vlangel]

My bet is the damsels sorry just based on past experience. The other choice is to mess up the rock work and cause some of your own chaos to bring about new balance and order.

I am guessing if the wrasse became insecure even though he had been in the tank for over a year, (before I got the damsels) then rearranging the rockwork will probably not help.

 

[vlangel]

I managed to catch the wrasse today and now he can reside peacefully in the refugium. No doubt he will decimate my pod population but oh well. I needed to place him where he would be safe.

 

[vlangel]

I checked on the wrasse in his new surroundings and he seems much more relaxed. He ate mysis this morning and I think he will be happy in the 30 gallon refugium.