Shy dottyback -- will I ever see my new fish?
 

I just purchased a beautiful Pseudochromis dilectus dottyback, and he's a painfully shy fish. I'm used to dottys being obnoxious, gutsy and even mean fish, but this guy seems really reserved. He's in robust health, really beautiful, but refuses to come out of hiding until I'm out of the room (I do see him come out when I watch him from around the corner where he can't see me).

In the LFS tank he was housed with some pretty tough customers; I figured he was staying in his PVC tube to avoid the vicious damsels that were trying to take pieces out of him, each other, and everyone passing the tank. Now that he's been here for a while (four days) I had hoped he would relax -- he's got a PVC tube in his QT and nobody else in there to bother him -- but his behaviour hasn't changed.

He seems incredibly intelligent, always watching movements outside the tank, and he's eating very well (he loves frozen blender mush) -- provided I put the food in the tank and then leave the room. I've been reading up on dilectus and they're supposed to be fairly aggressive as dottybacks go, but this one seems positively meek.

Does anyone have a dilectus dottyback? Has anyone seen this behaviour with this, or other species before? I really hope he'll warm up to me -- I want to see him more often, he's such a gorgeous fish!

How long have you had this fish? My brother had one and it came out quite a bit. not as much as a fridmani or such, but it still popped out and would come out to eat.

I have a Bicolor (royal) dottyback and an ocellaris clown. I feed the clown by dropping food piece by piece. He normally eats each piece before it hits the ground. Once a couple hit the ground I would stop. These pieces went to the quickest crab. Once the dottyback was introduced he hid when ever I was near (for about 2 days), I guess he learned quick that he needed to come out if he was going to get food before the clown. Now I see him out quite a bit.

I tried to add another fish to the tank (6 line wrasse), boy was that a mistake. The dottyback then came out in full force. Give him some time to set up his home, once he is comfortable you might see some changes in attitude.

Brian

give it some time.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11571867#post11571867 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JillNairn [/i]
[B]How long have you had this fish? My brother had one and it came out quite a bit. not as much as a fridmani or such, but it still popped out and would come out to eat. [/B][/QUOTE] Four days -- we bought him on Monday.

Thanks for the replies guys, I guess I just needed a little reassurance -- I had a neon dotty when I had my 65g up and running and he was quite bold right from day one (and a nasty little guy). I never thought I'd want another dotty but took one look at this guy in the LFS and decided if he ends up a shrimp-killer I can live with that -- he's just beautiful. Now I'm so disappointed because I know there's a stunning fish in the QT and all I can see is the end of his nose!

It can take them awhile to get adjusted and establish their territory. But there is a chance it will like to stay in caves quite often. I had a firefish that didn't like to swim around in the main water column very often.

Re: Shy dottyback -- will I ever see my new fish?
 

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11571542#post11571542 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ACBlinky [/i]
[B]but refuses to come out of hiding until I'm out of the room (I do see him come out when I watch him from around the corner where he can't see me).
[/B][/QUOTE]

Can you please post a picture of yourself?:eek1:

I have not kept that species, but I have kept several other Pseudochromis.

Most will become increasingly bold, the only one I have kept that I rarely see is my P. mccullochi, which also happens to be one of my favorites.

If he is out and about when you are out of the room, I think he will learn to come out when you are there. Especially once he starts to associate you with feedings.