anyone else tired of not seeing fish in their reef?

DMK · #1 02/12/2006, 11:20 AM

i have a good amount of LR in my tank and it seems like all fish, besides a couple, love hiding in LR, caves and tunnels. i guess that's the way it is when u have a reef tank but i wish they would swim in open more. only 1 that's always out is the bangai cardinal. the maroon was too until i added RBTA. now she stays in it. besides these i have a lawnmower blenny, flame hawk and 6 line wrasse. besides feeding time, it's hard to find these guys. i'm getting a kole tang soon. also would like a pair of leopard wrasses and another maroon.
- what other fish tend to swim around instead of cruising through LR?

DMK · #2 02/12/2006, 11:23 AM

do lyretail or dispar anthias swim in open more? not sure if they like high flow though? anyone know?

marie · #3 02/12/2006, 11:23 AM

Chromis swim out in the open water and they have the added benefit of bringing out the other fish that usually stay hidden in the rocks.

dunham16 · #4 02/12/2006, 11:25 AM

i am surprised that your 6 line hides mine is all over the tank he is the most active fish i have had.

NbMaxx13 · #5 02/12/2006, 11:33 AM

I agree w/ marie .... I had a similar problem and after doing a ton of reading on how to get my fish to swim more in the water column what i found was the best way to get the shy fish out was to introduce some reef chromis ... Now there is constant movement in both of the tanks I had the issue w/ ... I think what it does is it creates constant movement and make the fish less skiddish when we come storming in .....

scrmbld33 · #6 02/12/2006, 11:34 AM

i second the chromis

NbMaxx13 · #7 02/12/2006, 11:47 AM

or 3rd for that matter

Chromis it is ...

swclown · #8 02/12/2006, 12:48 PM

I'm surprised your flame hawk isn't out more. Mine wont leave me alone. If I'm cleaning the tank he'll always be a couple of inches from my hand. And whatever side of the room I'm on that's where he is trying to see what I'm doing.
I second the Chromis thing and the Anthias should have the same effect.

Scuba_Dave · #9 02/12/2006, 01:16 PM

My clowns host right in the front middle of my tank in a green carpet. My sailfin & hippo are constantly out cruising the tank.
My lawmower blenny is also all over the tank
I have another fish (yellow) that also cruise around

It all depends upon the fish you keep
and their "personality"
also if they are agressive towards each other

Jackie Renuart · #10 02/12/2006, 02:27 PM

I had a Dispar until he went carpet surfing. Always out in front saying hello.

DMK · #11 02/12/2006, 02:46 PM

the flame hawk and 6 line are usually visible within a minute or 2 of looking into tank, but seem like they like cruising in and out of LR. i need open water swimmers. chromis huh? i was thinking of them but will the high flow/current mess them up? i'm concerned w/ the anthias too w/ the high water movement. none are aggressive towards each other. it seemed like once i put flame hawk in more of the fish were visible. before him sometimes i would look at take for awhile before i saw anything other than the cardinal and maroon.

swclown · #12 02/12/2006, 03:04 PM

Don't be concerned about the amount of current. A natural reef has much more than what's in our tanks. They figure out how to best use the current to their advantage. If your flame is doing okay with the current then a real swimmer will do fine.

old salty · #13 02/12/2006, 04:20 PM

Chromis love the high flow in my tank (5,000 gph total recirc.) I think that when other fish see them swimming around, they assume it's safe to be out too (not scientific evidence, just an interesting theory.)

chrismunn · #14 02/12/2006, 04:33 PM

my mandarine is always out cruisin'

tkeracer619 · #15 02/12/2006, 04:34 PM

All of my fish wont leave me alone. I have a fridmani dottyback, 3 stripe damsel, and a lawnmower blenny. At first they all hid in the rock. Its a 150 so they have plenty of hiding room.

The lawnmower blenny is always popping up on a rock right in front of me. Stares right at me.

The 3 Stripe Damsel is always tailing my hand if im in the tank.

The dottyback comes out of hiding and stays with me as I move along the tank.

I just added a pygmy angel on friday and he stays pretty hidden still. I'm sure that he will become more friendly of the hand that gives him food.

I would have to agree with old salty. and often times its the small schooling fish in a reef dart creating a definite preditor beacon to the other fish which instinct says hide when other fish run.

I have a cat and he is always beeting on the side of the tank so they are used to unordinary movement around the tank.

iaJim · #16 02/12/2006, 05:44 PM

My flame angel is always out and about. Ditto to other comments on the flame hawk, he's a real snoop.

reg828 · #17 02/12/2006, 06:02 PM

get a dispar anthias or lyretail, they like to swim in the open. also, chromis.