Most fish are hiding, is there anything I can do?

[MellowReefer]

When I set up my 125 gallon tank over 3 years ago, I was hoping to have a lot of colorful fish swimming around. I have 12 fish, but most of the time only 3 are swimming around and most others are hiding. I see videos of other tanks my size and their little fish are all out and about, and I’m not sure where I went wrong with my stocking plan. Any advice on what I can do? I am willing to trap and rehome fish if necessary. Actually I already removed my clownfish pair about a month ago in the hopes that they were causing the smaller fish to hide because they were getting very aggressive and had their “nest” in the middle of the tank (now they’re in a 24 cube that was previously my coral QT tank). My only guess right now is that my tang is intimidating them, although I hadn’t seen him chasing anyone until my most recent addition, now I’m wondering if he’s become more aggressive.

1 Royal Gramma - used to be out swimming most of the time, even after adding my larger fish, but now hides all the time

1 Bengaii Cardinal – usually hovering out in the open, has been mildly aggressive to a few fish when first added

1 Purple Firefish – stays in the back of the tank all the time, darts under his rock if tang or foxface swim by

1 Chalk Bass – hangs out at the bottom near his cave

1 One-spot Foxface – never aggressive towards anyone but I guess his size intimidates

1 Two-Spot Bristletooth Tang – until recently I didn’t think he was aggressive but recently chases new additions (anthias) and smaller fish go into hiding when he swims near

1 Harptail Blenny – swims around most of the time, doesn’t bother anyone

2 Scissortail Dartfish – when I first added them they stayed out for a few days, then found a nice cave and I rarely see them.

3 Anthias (male Lyretail, 2 female Bartletts) – Just added a week ago in the hopes that they would encourage the other small fish to come out of hiding. The male is out in the open mostly, but the two females hide most of the time, and they have taken over the dartfishes cave so now the dartfish are hiding under a rock all the time

In QT: 3 wrasses – Lubbock’s Fairy, Carpenter Flasher, and Ruby Head Fairy – those who know me know I had given up on wrasses but these are my final effort. I had gotten two wrasses though QT before but they only lived a few months  Hoping these guys will feel comfortable in a group of three.

I really appreciate any ideas. Thanks. Here's a picture of my tank if that helps. I think I have plenty of hiding spots, but also lots of open swimming room (I have a lot more live rock in my sump).

http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m563/lisarichter8/20150314_195327_zpsqn7vgftj.jpg

[ksicard]

I would try a shoal of chromis or cardinals. They are so care free and remain in the open, it helps show other fish that its safe to come out. That's what I would do personally.

[o2manyfish]

You've picked quite a few fish that spend their lives living in caves for protection. I'm having a similar issue with my Anthias. I have about 15 of them now, and they spend quite a bit of time in hiding.

I went back through some of the threads that had big schools of Anthias out in the open, and realized a lot of those tanks had minimalist aquascaping and the fish had no place to hide.

I was at the Aquarium of the Pacific a few weeks ago and they have about a 600g tank with just Anthias, and I studied the tank to see there were no places where the anthias could hide. While the tank was aquascaped with all kinds of fake rock, there were no caves for the fish to hide in.

I have dove with enormous schools of anthias several times in different spots around the world, and the anthias schools were always in caves and they were hanging out on the roof of the cave.

So back to your original question - You need to look for fish that are out in the open water column all the time and not dwelling in the reef.

Look for a genicanthus angel, some of the better behaved damsels, various groups of cardinals. Most of the other fish naturally want to hide and only come out to feed.

Dave B

[Betta132]

Not chromis, they'll fight to the death. Try cardinalfish instead, they tend to be out in the open.
Also, consider a few shrimpgobies and some pistol shrimp. The gobies will be out all the time in order to guard the shrimp's activities.
Maybe add more decor? Fish tend to feel more secure if they have loads of places to hide.

[GroktheCube]

Wrasses tend to spend a lot of time swimming around.

FWIW, I had a Twin-Spot Bristletooth go rogue on me. He started mercilessly chasing everything in the tank other than my Foxface, including fish that had been with him for 8 months+. Had to get rid of him. Was too bad, I like the fish, but he was an absolute terror.

[bluecoyote79]

Whoa, amazing tank!

You might try rehoming some fish to good homes if they aren't working for you. Halichoeres wrasse are pretty bold and active and may encourage shy fish to come out. I don't have as many fish but adding wrasses got my firefish to stay out all the time.

[MellowReefer]

Thanks for all the really helpful responses!

It's possible that the tanks I see with firefish and other cave dwellers do have rockwork that doesn't have as many nice caves and good hiding spots as my tank, so they are more forced out in the open. I also left plenty of room behind my rockscape for water flow, but that means I don't see them if they are back there, but I don't want to change my rockscape.

I have never tried a group of cardinals, so I may consider that. That was what I was hoping to accomplish with the anthias, but I've only had them a week so it may get better. Yesterday they were trying to come out in the open a bit more, and they are eating, but the tang is still chasing the male which in turn frightens the females.

So I'm not sure about my tang. If he doesn't stop chasing my anthias soon I may try to trap him. Everything I read about these guys said they are peaceful (except other tangs). But if he harasses all new additions including the wrasses I'm going to be adding soon, he's got to go.

[MellowReefer]

Wrasses tend to spend a lot of time swimming around.

FWIW, I had a Twin-Spot Bristletooth go rogue on me. He started mercilessly chasing everything in the tank other than my Foxface, including fish that had been with him for 8 months+. Had to get rid of him. Was too bad, I like the fish, but he was an absolute terror.

Was he easy to trap?

[acrohead500ppm]

Not chromis, they'll fight to the death.

Nahh, keep them in odd numbers and feed them 3 times a day.

[brett559]

Is the tank in a room where people normally go? My tank is right in our main front room, people coming and going all day long. I've heard fish kept in den tanks, where people rarely look at it, can be more shy.

I ask because it seems like you've added quite a few dither fish - wrasses, anthias, etc. My Royal Gramma didn't stop hiding until I added a wrasse.

[eatbreakfast]

If you were to remove the tang, either temporarily or permanently, most of the fish should start to come out more. If the aggression directed at the anthias stops tbey will come out more. If the anthias are out more the gramma and firefish will come out more. Even if the tang is not aggressive at all towards the firefish, the firefish may still be intimidated by the tang's size and activity.

[MellowReefer]

Is the tank in a room where people normally go? My tank is right in our main front room, people coming and going all day long. I've heard fish kept in den tanks, where people rarely look at it, can be more shy.

I ask because it seems like you've added quite a few dither fish - wrasses, anthias, etc. My Royal Gramma didn't stop hiding until I added a wrasse.


The tank is in our living room. But it's just the two of us, no kids and don't have people over that often.

I just added the anthias 10 days ago, so maybe I'm not being patient enough. They were out in the open more yesterday, but the tang is still chasing the male, although it only takes them a minute to come out again after the tang swims away.

I didn't add the 3 wrasses yet, they are still in QT. I'm debating whether I should hold off on removing the tang and wait to see how he reacts with the wrasses? Or if I should remove him asap, as I'm worried that once a growing tang starts becoming aggressive it will only get worse?