Fish Behavior Question

[245013]

Ok so I'm posting this having already done some research and knowing what the answer is probably going to be but I need some reassurance.

So we just added Cheddar, our yellow watchman goby to our display tank after a month of quarantine. During quarantine he did great showed no signs of illness or anything. He is definitely a snazzy little guy. His Tiger Pistol shrimp buddy that we got with him died in the first day of quarantine. He started to molt and then that was it.

Anyways we currently have 2 clowns and 3 PJs in our tank. It's 69 gallons total and about 56 in the display. The clowns were added first and they claimed the front left corner as theirs. Weirdly enough the PJs also hang out in that area as well. So I expected the goby to go to a quieter spot in the tank. But no he immediately goes to the same spot and has been glass surfing the whole time.

It wouldn't bother me so much except I'm worried about aggression. At first all the other fish checked him out and then let him be. But at one point our female clown Coco grabbed him by the tail and started dragging him around. She probably only held on for a few seconds but it felt like forever and I went to grab a net to seperate them but she let go. I had hoped he would take that as a sign to go somewhere else but nope.

So far no more big signs of agression but Coco is keeping and eye on him. Everyone was fed a couple hours before we added him and then I threw some reef chili in there to keep the established fish busy for a bit.

My big question is if I just chill out a give it time will he find a spot to settle down and also why do all of the fish hang out on one side of the tank? Temperature, flow, and lights all seem good.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

These abstract rock formations are beautiful but tough on gobies and blennies and RG's, they like to go into the rockwork to hide, there are no caves and crevices for him to hide. Maybe pile some rocks in a corner for him or something

 

[245013]

These abstract rock formations are beautiful but tough on gobies and blennies and RG's, they like to go into the rockwork to hide, there are no caves and crevices for him to hide. Maybe pile some rocks in a corner for him or something

There are some little nooks we thought he may use but he hasn't even taken a swim around away from the glass. I am more that willing to add something for him though. We have extra rock.

 

[Sharkbait19]

These guys are typically borrowers. Getting a new pistol shrimp may help it feel comfortable (if they pair).
The larger gravel may be hard for him to dig up at his current size. You can try digging a starter burrow for it to hide in and see if that works.

 

[245013]

These guys are typically borrowers. Getting a new pistol shrimp may help it feel comfortable (if they pair).
The larger gravel may be hard for him to dig up at his current size. You can try digging a starter burrow for it to hide in and see if that works.

Ok did not think about starting a burrow for him. We were worried about the gravel. Wishing we had went with sand.

 

[245013]

Ok so the clowns are still checking him out but no more attacks. He is still glass surfing and mostly staying towards the top back corner of the tank. I built a cave for him and placed it nearby and used some extra rock to close off some gaps and make more hiding spots in the aquascape. I'm going to walk away now and give it some time. I have been watching these fish for hours now I need to do something else haha.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Ok did not think about starting a burrow for him. We were worried about the gravel. Wishing we had went with sand.

The gravel does have benefits - it does look nice and I find it to be cleaner. I have a mix of sand and gravel in my biocube and my high-fin red banded goby loves it.
I could be wrong but I remember seeing that a lot of shrimp gobies come from areas with more rubble and gravel than just sand.

 

[jabberwock]

I would suggest that the aggression will only get worse as the clowns mature into breeding behaviors. Maybe stick a small piece of clean PVC into the gravel to give him some shelter.

 

[Zodiac]

A fully grown tiger pistol shrimp would be strong enough to move that gravel around and make a nice burrow for them, although I only have experience with sand. If you have a lid it would be good too, until he settles. While hes adjusting I've had these guys swim up and down the glass so fast they ended up on the carpet.