Fish aren't growing

[DopeCantWin]

The tank is an SPS tank, with the regular parameters that come with that. My feeding routine is an automatic feeder with a combination of Formula 1 and Formula 2 flakes fed 3-4 times a day. I do a small piece of Nori every other day. The tank is a 90 gallon and the fish are in order by size

Foxface 5"
Melanurus Wrasse 4"
Blue Tang 3"
2x Anthias 2"
Mandarin 2"

The one thats been with me the shortest time is the Melanurus at 4+ months. Everybody else is 6+ months. With the Mandarin bringing up the rear at over a year. I have Vitamin C and Garlic from Brighwell but I'm not using it. Fish are very agitated. What can I do to help them relax more and start growing?

 

[Grassroots]

Try feeding something with more protein such as PE mysis it contains 69.5% protein. Just step back and breath a little patience in this hobby is the most important thing aside from clean water.

 

[jjk_reef00]

Why are they agitated? If you are more descriptive we might be able to help figure out what is going on. It could be your blue tang isn't happy in the 4' tank. My fish become agitated when they aren't fed enough. The more you feed the faster they will grow, but that doesn't always mix with an sps tank.

 

[DopeCantWin]

Try feeding something with more protein such as PE mysis it contains 69.5% protein. Just step back and breath a little patience in this hobby is the most important thing aside from clean water.

The feeding schedule use to include PE Mysis once a day. The Blue Tang is almost the least irritated, he has grown from .5" to 3". The most calm fish is the Mandarin. The Anthias hide the most. The issue with them is I use to have 3. 2 of them would always be out and one would stay hidden unless I fed them. This was because one of the other 2 would always be messing with him. Then a week ago, one of the 2 that was usually out committed suicide by jumping in between the overflow cover and the net covering the tank. Now both of them stay back for the most part. My overall plan with the Blue Tang was to get him out at around 4-5", and replace him with something more appropriate. The waterflow is possibly a little strong. It is a single MP60 set on Reef Crest at full power.

 

[Recty]

IMO, you cant have too strong of waterflow... so I doubt that is it.

I have a small tank and have TONS of flow, more than your MP60 and my fish swim through it just fine and seem to "enjoy" it as much as fish can.

Is there a lot of action by your tank? Or is it pretty calm there? I find that the less action there is by my tank (like people walking by or looking at them) then they more skittish they are. They get used to no one walking by and then when we do, they spaz out a little. When we went on vacation to Hawaii for 3 weeks and came back, it took 3-4 days before they didnt dive into the rocks anytime I came near and probably full two weeks before none of them went diving into the rocks when I put my hand over the tank to feed.

Maybe describe what you call "agitated" to us? Do you just mean they are hiding or are they darting around the tank like they are in terror?

 

[DopeCantWin]

IMO, you cant have too strong of waterflow... so I doubt that is it.

I have a small tank and have TONS of flow, more than your MP60 and my fish swim through it just fine and seem to "enjoy" it as much as fish can.

Is there a lot of action by your tank? Or is it pretty calm there? I find that the less action there is by my tank (like people walking by or looking at them) then they more skittish they are. They get used to no one walking by and then when we do, they spaz out a little. When we went on vacation to Hawaii for 3 weeks and came back, it took 3-4 days before they didnt dive into the rocks anytime I came near and probably full two weeks before none of them went diving into the rocks when I put my hand over the tank to feed.

Maybe describe what you call "agitated" to us? Do you just mean they are hiding or are they darting around the tank like they are in terror?

That's an interesting point, they are left alone most of the time. They do seem to be out more when I'm not around. They dart behind the rocks when I am near it. The only other person in the house is my gf, and she doesn't come by the tank that much.

 

[Recty]

I would kind of suspect that to be the case... although it's just conjecture. I've definitely noticed the more time I spend around my fish tank, the more inquisitive and less skittish they are.

There was even a point when I started using an autofeeder almost exclusively and the fish started being scared of me again. I started feeding only once or twice a day with an auto feeder and then once or twice by hand and they are again happy with me and come right up to the front to be fed.