Red firefish laying on substrate

[N.Sreefer]

Is it normal for a firefish to lay on the substrate and barely move right after adding to a tank? Its straight up and down not laying on its side but it kind of drifts and then rights itself like it has very little energy. Ill take a pic when the lights are on, if it makes the night. I drip acclimated it for 30min in a 5g container with a heater and the bag water before adding it to the tank. I have a cuban hogfish sailfin tank and yellow eyed kole tang (plus 50 million mollies) didn't see anyone take interest other than the hogfish for a second. Mabey it was getting bullied? Odd thing is its a 6 foot long tank with a million hiding places and its laying in plain sight. Would it be a good idea to move it to a smaller tank by itself for awhile before trying to add it again or would that just add unnecessary stress? The store I bought it from qts new fish and medicates with copper before selling them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Likely settling in and stressed. How did you acclimate it and for how long ?

 

[N.Sreefer]

Likely settling in and stressed. How did you acclimate it and for how long ?

That's what I'm hoping fingers crossed. I temp acclimated it (floated) for around 20 min before putting the bag water in a 5g container with a heater and I ran a drip line dripping every 10 sec for a half hour.

 

[vetteguy53081]

That's what I'm hoping fingers crossed. I temp acclimated it (floated) for around 20 min before putting the bag water in a 5g container with a heater and I ran a drip line dripping every 10 sec for a half hour.

Make the drip method in the future at least an hour and PRIOR to release, assure the salinity is equal to or near to the display tank salinity. Many shippers and stores keep the water at as low as 1.020 and 1/2 hour of drip MAY bring it to 1.022-1.023 which is not enough.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

how is your fish today?

 

[N.Sreefer]

how is your fish today?

Cant find it for the life of me but I guess it would be stuck to the overflow or floating or dead so mabey a good sign def not laying in the same spot. I'm going to do a real good sweep of the tank when I'm off work. I added a sailfin tang and kole tang at the same time (yesterday) and they're both crazy active and eating dulse.

 

[N.Sreefer]

Dead actually almost completely eaten, by what I'm not sure my hogfish ate my cuc. I will extend drip to an hour in the future. Thanks for the help/feedback everyone.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Dead actually almost completely eaten, by what I'm not sure my hogfish ate my cuc. I will extend drip to an hour in the future. Thanks for the help/feedback everyone.

sorry for your loss. Drip acclimation should only be done if salinity is different, if salinity is the same, no need to acclimate except for temperature. This article will provide you with more info: https://www.saltwateraquariumblog.com/drip-acclimate-not/