New clowns "digging" their tank

[mrsgoose]

Hi - I just introduced my first fish into my29g on friday, a pair of ocellaris clowns. They seem very happy and are swimming, eating and cuddeling eachother. I've noticed a rather large depression in my sand bed, though, that gets bigger every day. I can't observe them at night - the tank is in our dental office. The only other things so far are some hermits, snails and one peppermint shrimp. The fish do not eem to hover near the ditch during the day, but it has appeared only since I added them. Any ideas? Also, how long before I can add another fish - shrimp goby or something similar?? Tank has been up for 6 weeks with established lr and ls. Thanks!
Here's a full tank shot pre-fish and a close-up of my new clowns, Flossy and Brushy!

 

[Chaotic Reefer4u]

very nice, thanx for sharing...

 

[sulp]

Very Nice! I wish you the very best of luck!

As for the depression, I'm thinking snail, crab or some consistent swirling current. I doubt it was the fish but I dont know for sure. I can only say that I have owned O.clowns for many years and have never seen any of them do really anything near the sand.

I would think you would be fine adding a goby or a shrimp right now. As long as you are completely cycled (which I'm assuming you are) you will be fine. A rule of thumb is wait a week between each thing you add but that is false. You are fine.

 

[splateee]

We have a pair of Clarkii Clownfish and everynight just before the lights go out the biggger one starts digging in the sand in the same spot right next to our open brain coral. If i fix the sand it will just go right back and do it again.

 

[RJFich]

i had a clown that would pick up a piece of substrate and spit it out to make a huge cave wher there was some live rock all the way down to the bare glass, i thought it was cool too watch but i never moved it back cause he moved it for a reason

 

[Andrew]

Nice clowns.

 

[TITANIUM]

Hi nice clowns

My clowns would dig at night and sleep in the hole. I have no idea why. I had a pair of pink skunk and a pair of ocellaris like yours and they all slept together. Once I introduced a anemone they all went into there.

I hope this gives you an idea of what the digging is all about

 

[cyclgrl]

I've seen both tomatos and GSM clowns do this.

 

[kjordan]

I have one that sleeps in the sand in the corner of the tank

 

[theop]

They just do that and are probably sleeping there.

If your nitrates are low, then you should be fine to add more livestock.

 

[dc]

Yep, that's pretty much just what they do. Mine has never slept in the holes she makes tho.

 

[jeffhaag]

My Maroon clowns dig all the time also. I actually filled the hole with real fine rubble then pushed the sand back over it. It worked for a while, but I think it [profanity] off my clowns becuase then they started moving the rubble everywhere

 

[rschelby]

My Clarki fans its tail, sending up a big plume of aragonite and then goes poking through it. I believe that its looking for food. For a while I thought that it was 'steering' the LTA that it hosts, but I'm pretty sure its looking for tasty morsels.

Russell