Why do my fish ALWAYS HIDE????

[KingSpade]

why do you think my fish are always hiding?? they rarely ever come out. do you think it could be that they are scared of the flow in my tank?? they are always under the powerheads when they come out (but rarely ever come out) and when they arent under the powerhead they spen all their time just floating behind the rocks. i did a water test and heres what i came up with

Amm: 0-.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
PH: 8.3
Phos: 0
Calcium: 400-420
Temp: 77
SG: 1.024-1.025

 

[KingSpade]

i thought maybe stray voltage may have been an issue...............im about to tear my tank down and just give up. my fish are psyco, i tested for voltage and came up with nothing, i unplugged everything just to see what happens, i left the 4 powerheads and skimmer shut off for a few hours and they still are acting the same. twitchy, when they swim they DART in shots bursts, i cannot for the life of me figure out what is ****ing them off. i am within an inch of giving up on this. PLEASE HELP!!!! before i do something i regret, i have way too much money invested!!!

 

[fantasticfish]

how long have you had them? Maybe they just feel safe in hiding? It can take up to a month or two for mine to get use to their schedule and such fully.

 

[jenlovesty]

Your temp may be swinging a little too low. That happened to be. The temp read fine around 77 during the day when the lights were on, but would dip too low at night. My clowns would just stay in the corner. I added a heater and voila clowns began swimming more.

Check your temp at night and day. There should be no more that a 4 degree difference.

 

[OCDP]

Any parasites or infections on the fish?

 

[SaraB]

What type of fish do you have?

 

[guitarfish]

Why do you have measurable ammonia? It should be zero.

 

[KingSpade]

the ammonia was what it was like 2 days ago, i since did a 20 gallon water change and i havent checked it again yet, for those who asked what kind of fish they are, it is a Naso tang, and an atlantic blu tang, i also have a lawnmower blenny and a cleaner shrimp. i do not have a digital themometer, but my temp is set for 75-77. i will go test ammonia right now and repost

 

[KingSpade]

ok, heres my ammonia test, seems to be back at ZERO, second pic is my naso, thats where she ALWAYS hovers till she sees me then darts. she was out in the open for a couple seconds today and looked as though she was dodging a swarm of bees, bolting all around in short fast bursts till she got bac to her spot, the atlantic blue somewhat does the same once hes in the open he swims real fast to take cover again. i just dont know what to do, like i said i am so close to just giving up!!

 

[zman90]

Do you still have those 4 Seio 1500s going? Maybe they are hiding because they can't swim in the flow/current.

 

[guitarfish]

Fish are weird. I've had similar experiences with fish in my QT. I have not only the back, but also the sides of the tank covered, so they don't get startled when I walk in the room. It gives them a more enclosed feeling. They should lighten up over time though.

In my display, I have a Clarkii clown that is so ballsy I can chase him around with my hand and he comes right back at me.

 

[KingSpade]

i do but i have them turned down, and like i said i had them turned off for a few hours to see if the flow was an issue and incase there was stray voltage comming from one of them but still nothing changed

 

[Sk8r]

Do you have a loud stereo or telly near them? They do react to thumps...and to fear of other fish. Usually the aggressive one is out. It's not unusual to have a shrimp hide, but the fact that there are two tangs may prevent one of them from coming out...this will cure itself with time, I'd think. But being sure they're not itchy from bad water is a wise precaution.

 

[HotHotHot]

IMHO, it's not the flow. Mine actually play in the current (3,500+ GPH).

Tangs are skittish by nature. If I move too fast or wave my arms mine (1 yellow, 3 blue) head for the rocks.

How long has the tank been set up? How long have the fish been in there?

How much and how often are you feeding them? I feed mine at least once per day, and they go NUTS when they see me coming. Granted I've had the same fish for 5 years.

HTH
Ed

 

[otterpop510]

hmm.. how long have you had the tank up and how long have you had the fish in there? have the fish always done this or were they fine a month ago and how they are really jumpy? this may help clear up some questions..

 

[KingSpade]

the tank was set up a month before i added anything, the blue tang and the lawnmower blenny were added last wednesday, the naso and the shrimp were added this wednesday. the blue tang eats very very good, but i have yet to see the naso eat. the blue tang tore a big chunk off an algae sheet the other day and it got shredded in the powerhead and dispersed a bunch of pieces and the naso had a few bites of that, but other than that he doesnt really go after the food i put in. i feed once a day, and there is no aggression issue that i have seen, the blue will swim near the naso and niether of them really have a reaction to one another.

 

[zman90]

Take it down to 1 power head for a day or two. Unless you have some SPS. Anyway, 48X turnover in Seios alone may be too much and only a few hours may not be long enough. I know you turned them down by twisting the collar.

Just a suggestion and I think that's what you were asking for.

 

[tryffin]

They're still fairly new, probably just not yet used to their home, each other, and you

My tangs always hide when someone new comes over, but they're used to me now... just give it time. If the cleaner shrimp is still alive, your water conditions are most likely fine.

 

[Pete1399]

I am new to saltwater but I know with my FW experience new fish are shy/scared for awhile. Some fish take a month to acclimate where others take a week or so. I think your fishies are still unsure of there surroundings and whether there is a threat out "there". I had one fish that would stay in the back of the tank for a month. After a month he would come to the front of the tank but dive for cover when I put my hand near the tank. Now 3 months later he is right with the rest of the "guys" hanging with the rest of the fish. You can compare your fish to any other pet you get. If you have ever gotten a puppy you know that they are skittish for the first week or two also. Be patient and don't overfeed them as they may not eat real good at first also.

 

[Benitsme]

I have found that some fish like to play follow the leader if you have a fish who likes hiding and he is the biggest I have found a lot of fish will follow his example... I have found having a good variety of fish with different personalities really helps with these problems you have had I know this post is old but I thought I'd give my point of view...

Cheers