Shy fish

[Devonjevon]

Well I like my tank it's 125gal. Nice coral. But all my fish hide all the time. I never see them out. I have a purple tang. Magnificent Foxface kole tang and 2 perc clownfish that are alway hiding in the rock never to be seen but for a minute or 2 during feeding. Any thoughts as to how I can get them more active and out in open. Maybe put a TV in front so they can get use to motion and action in the room they are in? This is the reason I am considering anthias and more active fish.

 

[Loki]

Remove all rock work. Then they will always be out. :)

I don't know of a way to change a fish's behavior. Feed more smaller amounts more often?

 

[angrycubano]

You may have to re aquascape. Since no pics it's hard to see what you are dealing with, but make sure your rock work is open with lots of swimming room. Also some fish hide cuz of possible predator like behavior from another. Just try and see if you have a bully in there and then use that info to reassess the stock. Just some ideas and I hope they help.

 

[Dowtish]

I am stumped already. I can't imagine a purple tang and a kole tang not swimming the length of the tank all day....

I have read that depending on the order of introduction of fish into your tank, that can determine whether they feel safe to swim out in the open. I know that my clowns would not come out of there 5 inch radius, until I added some chromis that would swim in the open water. But I can't imagine you having this issue with the fact you have tangs. do you have kids that bang on and lick the glass?:tongue:

 

[pickupman66]

Dither fish as they are called can help with shyness. Dither fish are anthias and chromis. Do you have bright lighting in the room? Do they come out if u have the room lights off and watch from afar? Noisy children that run rampant thru the house?

 

[Turtle77]

DevonJevon I live in La Vergne too and getting back into saltwater again after being away for a long time. Sometime I;ll have to come by and check out your tank.

 

[gmoney243]

My clowns used to not come our much till I removed my lutescens wrasse. But id try dithers such as chromis or anthias

 

[SteveT]

I would also suggest feeding less and more often. Eventually your fish should be "trained" to think its feeding time every time you walk up to your tank

 

[pickupman66]

Mine see me in the kitchen and all rush to the closest corner of the tank to beg. I don't have to go into the fish room to get them excited.

 

[Devonjevon]

You may have to re aquascape. Since no pics it's hard to see what you are dealing with, but make sure your rock work is open with lots of swimming room. Also some fish hide cuz of possible predator like behavior from another. Just try and see if you have a bully in there and then use that info to reassess the stock. Just some ideas and I hope they help.

I actually have very open rock work. The Foxface was the first added and then the others. I havent witnessed any bully behavior because they don't cone out. I been home all day and seen my kole once. Outside of feeding.

Dowtish I do have kids that run around but they actually don't mind the kids


Pickupman it doesn't matter if lights are on or off. I will take a picture at halftime. Im going to try anthias

Turtle you can come over its not much not very fancy.

I'm going to start feeding my fish as soon as I get home in the afternoon.

 

[Devonjevon]

Ok hope I uploaded the right pictures havent done a water change in 2 weeks so a little dirty sorry.
Can u find the fish? I saw one of my clowns very briefly

 

[Devonjevon]

Ordered 4 anthias from nyaquatics. Wish me luck

 

[Dowtish]

what kind? and did they say they could be gender specific?

 

[Devonjevon]

I got the Lyretail Anthias (Red Sea)-Female

 

[pickupman66]

you will Love the Lyretails. Be sure to have plenty of Mysis and Cyclopeze on hand when they get in. I truly Feel for you Devon. Its hard to look at an empty tank knowing there are fish in there. Maybe you just got all the shy ones. I know I had a Singapore angel once who was SUPER SHY. rarely saw him for a few months. then all of the sudden it was loud and proud...

 

[shred5]

Something is not right; some of those fish are not shy and should be out. They are scared for a reason or sick. Either there is a bully in the tank or something outside the tank scaring them. If they are newly introduced they will hide for a few days to several weeks.

Also stray voltage in the tank can cause this behavior.

 

[Dowtish]

I thought about stray voltage too. might be a good idea to get a volt meter in there and check it out.

 

[Devonjevon]

Hmm never thought about voltage. I do have a grounding probe in my display.

. Most of the time when I see them they are all together. I have never seen them fight. Anthias are in the tank. One swam right into my huge bubble coral and was toast. Fish suicide he swam in head first. The clown came out to see them for a second

Pickupman I have mysis and brine. No cyclopeze. Guess I might go to AC to get some tommorow. One of them ate a pellet.

 

[Devonjevon]

My anthias motivated my fish to Come out. All fish swimming around yeahhhhhhh.

 

[stingray 125]

Just saw this thread and my fish were shy until I put 3 Lyretail in and it was a different tank. Glad to hear it worked for you.