Sand storm from damselfish

[cinnamongirl]

Does anyone have any recommendations on stopping a Talbots Damselfish from swishing and digging in a sand bed? I have quite the sand storm going on for the past month. I'd rather not get rid of him. Thanks

 

[eastlake]

What grade of substrate do you have? If its just sugar sand you could mix in crushed coral and hopefully the additional weight and size from that will help to keep some of the fine particles down. Just my two cents, I'd welcome their digging activities. I have an pair allans damsels the do the same thing all day everyday especially when they feel its "breeding season" and its absolutely great for the sand bed and keeping it stirred. Plus its interesting behavior to watch.

 

[cinnamongirl]

Thanks, Eastlake. I think she's adorable, I love watching her scoot in and out. The only problem is, my tank is a complete cloudy mess. I can't even see through it, length-wise. I'm fairly certain the last month of cloudiness is affecting my corals, and I've lost a few SPS in the last few weeks, possibly due to lack of light and water quality I tried adding some larger rubble around her hole to see if that keeps her feeling safe so she stops digging.

 

[eastlake]

How long have you had her in the tank? Is this a new behavior? Has the temperature in the tank changed, increased in the recent months since its starting to get a bit warmer outside. Only asking because like I said my allens male turns into a micro earthmover once spring comes until the leafs start to turn. My tank isn't in a temperature controlled part of the house so I get seasonal temperature fluctuation that must spur his spawning activities. So if your talbots is anything like my allens the behavior should subside when the temps go down again. What kind of pre-filter are you using? Maybe something that can catch a finer particle grade could help clear your water?