Not wanting to.preach but it seems to me many people don't really know how best to watch their fish or reef.
This is my light hearted take on it. IME standing in front close up isn't the best position to take up to observe your aquarium, that is probably the worse position to take up in fact.
I first thought about this watching people striding upto a tank in the LFS and all but pressing their nose against it to see what's in or to eye up a potential purchase. Most often with the result that the fish dart behind a rock refusing to come out for sometime and each time it started to the observer would move in front of the tank causing said potential to immediately dart back into the brickwork, well what do they expect one wonders, nopeNot good.
When I visit my LFS I try to go at quiet periods. I stand back from the selling tanks for a while and scan the tanks from a distance. Case in point. Yesterday in my favourite LFS I was looking for another female fireball angel. I asked one of the assistants if they had any, one was the reply. He pointed to the tank it was in and sure enough there was but it looked to be a male, dang!
However, through careful observation I saw a flash of blue and orange in another holding tank . Sure enough after a couple of minutes out popped another fireball this time a female. RESULT! I purchased it, the LFS didn't know they had that one, doh! That is not uncommon as many will know.
Anyway, back to my tank watching at home. Here is my take on the best way to watch your tank. Wait till evening, turn all the lights off in the room this limits the chance if any fish noticing any movement in the room. Pull up your fave armchair and position it about 6' from the tank.
Now put a small table next to your armchair and stock it with your favourite beers and snacks.
Now feed your fish, retire to your chair, open a can, relax and just observe.
You might want to just observe the whole tank at first then perhaps concentrate on one fish for a while. If you have pairs etc as I do so much the better you can watch their interaction and if lucky enough, at the correct time, perhaps as your lights dim you may catch a spawning or two.
Dwarf Angel's, wrasses and dragonets all spawn during late evening for them. You may, if very luck even catch inverts and corals spawning.
After you have finished your 6 pack go to bed as you are now little more than a danger to your tank and inhabitants.
Happy reefkeeping.
This is my light hearted take on it. IME standing in front close up isn't the best position to take up to observe your aquarium, that is probably the worse position to take up in fact.
I first thought about this watching people striding upto a tank in the LFS and all but pressing their nose against it to see what's in or to eye up a potential purchase. Most often with the result that the fish dart behind a rock refusing to come out for sometime and each time it started to the observer would move in front of the tank causing said potential to immediately dart back into the brickwork, well what do they expect one wonders, nopeNot good.
When I visit my LFS I try to go at quiet periods. I stand back from the selling tanks for a while and scan the tanks from a distance. Case in point. Yesterday in my favourite LFS I was looking for another female fireball angel. I asked one of the assistants if they had any, one was the reply. He pointed to the tank it was in and sure enough there was but it looked to be a male, dang!
However, through careful observation I saw a flash of blue and orange in another holding tank . Sure enough after a couple of minutes out popped another fireball this time a female. RESULT! I purchased it, the LFS didn't know they had that one, doh! That is not uncommon as many will know.
Anyway, back to my tank watching at home. Here is my take on the best way to watch your tank. Wait till evening, turn all the lights off in the room this limits the chance if any fish noticing any movement in the room. Pull up your fave armchair and position it about 6' from the tank.
Now put a small table next to your armchair and stock it with your favourite beers and snacks.
Now feed your fish, retire to your chair, open a can, relax and just observe.
You might want to just observe the whole tank at first then perhaps concentrate on one fish for a while. If you have pairs etc as I do so much the better you can watch their interaction and if lucky enough, at the correct time, perhaps as your lights dim you may catch a spawning or two.
Dwarf Angel's, wrasses and dragonets all spawn during late evening for them. You may, if very luck even catch inverts and corals spawning.
After you have finished your 6 pack go to bed as you are now little more than a danger to your tank and inhabitants.
Happy reefkeeping.
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