Fish are hiding in a corner...?

[Big K]

Hello, People!

I have a question about my fish. I have a 55 ga. 48" wide tank with: Yellow Tang, Black Clown, Clownfish, 3 Blue Chromies, Engineer Goby, and a Mandarin Goby.

I know the tang requires a larger tank ( I got all this stuff together off Craigslist) but all my fish besides the Gobies (who are comfy behind the rock) tend to congregate in one corner of the tank. Mainly the Tang but the rest seem to follow his lead. The others venture out occasionally but the tang just seems to want to hide under the powerhead all day. Also, we just recently started feeding him algae flakes and he seems a little better. This tank has been set up here for just over a week but the previous owner had it for over a year.

Any ideas how to get my fish more comfy?

 

[bjohanson1234]

We need more info about the tank.

What are your water parameters?

What kind and how much flow?

IMO, it could just be the stress from the move. You could have also kicked up a cycle when you moved the tank. I would also take some of those fish to the LFS. 8 fish in a 55 is pushing the limit.

 

[Big K]

I have a Eheim 225 cannister and a single powerhead (not sure the rates).
I tested all parameters Thursday and all the levels were very good. Calcium at 420 ppm PH at 8.1 everything else was at zero.

Yeah, I read that the fish were too many. We aren't planning on getting more (we like the coral and inverts) but may take the Tang back if things don't get better.

Thanks, Bjo!

 

[SarahSmile]

My fish tend to hang out on the right side of the tank, I thought maybe it was to stay away from the heater and then I realized I always dump their food in on the right side so maybe they are circling for food? It is funny to see them all clumped together, I agree.
What are you referring to when you say "if things don't get better?"
You're going to want an additional powerhead for sure, lots of options, for a cheap option grab a big ol' koralina one. Should be $40-50.
With 8 fish in a 55 you're going to want an awesome skimmer for sure, not a canister filter. Is the mandarin eating? I'd sell that one, they need pods and established set ups.

 

[little_fish]

+1 everyone
The may be hanging out in the that corner because that is where the most oxygenated water is. With so little flow and so many fish it's a sure bet that there is a low amount of oxygen in the water. I would right away get another power head and make sure it's pointed at the surface giving you a strong ripple to get better oxygenation of the water

 

[cvcdrk]

How was this tank set up, or rather, moved?

That's a very large bioload for a tank that size that, assuming you did the move correctly, is going to have a weakened biofilter already.

How are you testing? Which kits are you using? Are nitrates definitely 0?

Also, ditch the cannister filter.

 

[Bifferwine]

It always irritated me that all my fish stayed in the same spot as each other. Even when I had my 240 gallon (7 foot long) tank, all my fish liked one side the best. I don't know if it had to do with flow or the rockwork or what -- the flow was even throughout the tank, so I thought it couldn't be that.

Regardless, they were all healthy and happy. If none of them are sick, it's just something you will have to live with. Maybe they have a "pack mentality" and just feel safer in a group.

 

[Kelz88]

My fish all clump on the opposite side of my lionfish lol. For obvious reasons of course.

 

[AdamC]

I am curious as to how long its been since you moved the tank because the params in my opinion should not all be 0.

Moving should have shot something up. With new water and old water, sand disturbance, and rocks moving.

 

[yote]

I am curious as to how long its been since you moved the tank because the params in my opinion should not all be 0.

Moving should have shot something up. With new water and old water, sand disturbance, and rocks moving.

That depends on careful the move was done.
I've helped moved several that didn't even get a slight nitrate spike. But by the same token, I've helped move em and within a few days, the entire tank was dead.
That's a gamble that's taken when a tank is moved.

 

[Big K]

We moved two weeks ago tomorrow (Wednesday the 29th). I tested a week later last Thursday. We kept all the water and left the sand in-tank so there was very little disturbance. I was very surprised with the levels as well. I'm testing again today though so stay tuned!

Kelz, I bet! Those things are wicked looking. Beautifully so though.

Biffer, I'm hoping that's it. The Tang seems to be calming down a bit. Maybe time's all they need.

Sarah, I thought of the feeding thing and am trying to put it in randomly. The return and powerhead blow it all around pretty quickly. I was just worried the Tang was too stressed to be in my tank, since all the info I find says they need a bigger tank. That's what I was referring to as "improving". I got some Pods for the Madarin. Thanks for the advice, I thought it ate the flakes.

I'm definitely getting another powerhead this weekend.

Cvcdrk, I'm using a Hagen test kit I bought off Amazon. I'm currently researching how to do a sump/skimmer.

 

[FishyReef]

A few suggestions - first, ditch the flakes, they cause nitrate/phosphate issues and aren't as nutritious. You'd be much better off feeding frozen cubes - marine cuisine, mysis, emerald entree - many of us get a few types and rotate through to give the fish variety - if your local LFS sells Rods frozen food, that's a good bet too. Just thaw a little of the frozen food (1/2 - 1 sm cube) in some tank water and then use a turkey baster to drop it in the tank. You can likely feed every other day and your fish will be fine. And your tang will need nori sheets a few times a week as it is primarily an herbivore. You can pick those up at any LFS and hang with a veggie clip (also available at any LFS). I'd try to spot feed the mandarin with the frozen food - if it eats it, fantastic! If not, then you're either going to have to feed pods like crazy (think a bottle a week), which gets expensive fast, or think about trading it in. Also, if the mandarin was eating flakes before, it will likely happily eat frozen, but if you change its diet to pods, then you may have a very hard time getting it to revert back to eating non-live food.

 

[yote]

Fishy is right about the flakes. Frozen food is a whole better for your tank. Both in nutrition and water quality. Plus some of the frozen will get into the rock for your little cryptic critters that hide in there.

 

[Big K]

Yeah, I have some cubes that I rotate into the menu. I'll definitely try the direct feed to the goby. Pods are way too expensive! When I get my sump up and running I'll reintroduce him to them though. Thanks for all the great advice, please keep it coming!

 

[Big K]

Update! I got my inflow hose stream underwater today and filled the tank all the way to the black rim and the fish are all over the place now! guess it was teh bubbles stirred up by the water streaming into the tank.

I feel like an idiot!:frustrat: