Help new fish lying on side

[rangerchris00]

I purchased a blue eyed anthias a 2 weeks ago and it has been on the bottom of my tank since then. It almost looks like it's scared. It's curled up on the bottom on it's side. It comes out once and awhile but always go back to the same spot. I have 2 clowns and a dottyback in the tank also. The anthias also hasn't eaten any food since I added it to the tank.

 

[MMacro]

Tank size?
Parameters?
Etc...

Im assuming the blue eyed is a lyretail - Pseudanthias squamipinnis?
They need a lot of food to thrive in our tanks. Ideally they should be fed at least 3-5 times a day. I would setup a quarantine tank to isolate the fish from the others, making it easier to feed. It could also be suffering from flukes or internal parasites of some sort. After a few days in quarantine, I would run praziquantel for a day or two to see if that resolves the issue.

 

[rangerchris00]

Sorry tank is 30 gallons
Ph is 8
Ammonia is 0
Nitrites is 0
Nitrates is 20
Salinity is 1.023

 

[rangerchris00]

It's just weird because it swims around a little bit. But when it sees the dottyback it runs. Do you think it's so scared of the dottyback it's hiding and not eating

 

[MMacro]

It's just weird because it swims around a little bit. But when it sees the dottyback it runs. Do you think it's so scared of the dottyback it's hiding and not eating

30 gallons is on the small side for this fish. I would still move it to a separate tank to try and get it eating & fatten it up a little. Try hatching some brine shrimp and putting those in the tank. They will usually go after them. How big is the fish?

 

[scooter31707]

It's just weird because it swims around a little bit. But when it sees the dottyback it runs. Do you think it's so scared of the dottyback it's hiding and not eating

Yes this is probably your problem. Dottybacks can be very aggressive and a 30 gallon tank may be too small for what you are trying to do.

 

[Sk8r]

*I* would run from a dottyback. They're not good company for anything. Trade that one back for almost anything else.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Anthias are freeze frame fish. They hang on walls, lay at the bottom, under stuff, they will freeze up and play dead even. The fish sounds really stressed. And Anthias do not do stress well. They are a bit nervous. An aggressive fish like a dotty back would make the life of an Anthia pure h*ll.

 

[rangerchris00]

Thank you everyone. Thanks for the advice I'm trying to decide what to do

 

[lg2725]

Thank you everyone. Thanks for the advice I'm trying to decide what to do

Trust what you are hearing. Return that Dottyback!!