Blue tang acting really wierd

[Steve1500]

I am not sure if this is an emergency or not but I tend to err on the side of caution. Yesterday, I transferred a blue tang, yellow tang and black cap basslet into the DT. Last night (first night in DT), the blue tang appeared to be wedging himself in little rock crevice/cave where the black cap had made its home. During the day, he seemed fine,,, Eating, moving around and acting normal. Then again tonight when the LEDs were turning down, he went back into the cave and it looked like he was trying to scratch himself by rubbing on the rocks. The basslet was actually biting him on the side trying to get him to leave the cave but he stayed in there. He even has tiny scratches on his side from what I think was from the black cap and not scratching. Then I turned on the T5s and he came out and was swimming around like he normally does. So I turned the T5s off and only the dim blue LEDs were on and he went back to the cave. Other than the abnormal behavior and the scratches, he looks fine. No heavy breathing and all other fish look fine. I tried to get a picture, but he is not cooperating for photos. Is it normal for blue tangs to do this at night, especially in a new environment? Should I pull him out yet or monitor for other signs of velvet?

I know blues have weird sleeping habits., but this guy has me concerned. I just checked on him minute ago and he is in the cave but I don't see him scratching as much. It is pretty tight in the cave so I am hoping he is just being pushed to the rock by the powerhead which are not too far away. His body is very close to the rock.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Robink]

Mine also would wedge himself behind the rock to sleep.

 

[Steve1500]

Thanks. Did he look like he was scratching himself against the rock? Scaring the daylights out of me.

 

[Jeepguy242]

my business partner had one that would look like backing up a 12 foot dump truck down a 9 foot alley....

happened every night like clockwork at 9pm when the halides went off

 

[JaimeAdams]

Yeah man, he is just getting himself into his bed(cave). Perfectly normal.

 

[Robink]

He would wedge himself in there pretty well. Sometimes I thought he was stuck.

 

[Steve1500]

Ok. I will certainly sleep better knowing this. Thanks to all.

 

[Dancingmad]

would look like backing up a 12 foot dump truck down a 9 foot alley

+1 Mine would do the same thing. Had a spot that looked like he would never fit and would back in every night. Rigorous tail movement! You can actually see the spot in my profile picture - the white rock on top of the purple ledge rock - somehow he would fit in that crack.

*beeeeep beeeeeep beeep*

 

[Jeepguy242]

+1 Mine would do the same thing. Had a spot that looked like he would never fit and would back in every night. Rigorous tail movement! You can actually see the spot in my profile picture - the white rock on top of the purple ledge rock - somehow he would fit in that crack.

*beeeeep beeeeeep beeep*

I got a mental video. Made me lol

 

[Sarah24!]

Lol omg,

My blue hippo is the exact same way. If the blues are one she is in bed. When the main lights kick on she is out to play. She has not changed this since I have owned her. She has her own special cave and nobody gets near it. She is one of my smallest tangs, and she is super fiesty when it comes to her rock and cave.

I was going to move it because I actually didn’t like how it looked, but didn’t have the heart to move her home. Just not sure what she will do when she gets bigger. It’s not a very big cave, but she loves it.

The behavior of your hippo is totally normal, and honestly is super fun to watch. I wish she would swim at night, but she goes to be early.

 

[Jeepguy242]

Lol


Beeep beep beep beep


Just keep backing. Just keep backing


Lol

 

[VelocityTech]

Mine also would sleep in between rocks. She actually started eating all my LPS coral, specifically my Gold Torch and Gold Hammer!! She would go into a shock after taking a bite, *as if she was getting actively shocked lol ), fall to the ground. Shake it off, and come up for another bite.

 

[Sarah24!]

Mine also would sleep in between rocks. She actually started eating all my LPS coral, specifically my Gold Torch and Gold Hammer!! She would go into a shock after taking a bite, *as if she was getting actively shocked lol ), fall to the ground. Shake it off, and come up for another bite.

This scene reminds of Dory, in the movie Finding Dory, where she keeps trying to swim into anemone with Marlin, and Nemo. Maybe she had bad short term memory loss also

 

[VelocityTech]

This scene reminds of Dory, in the movie Finding Dory, where she keeps trying to swim into anemone with Marlin, and Nemo. Maybe she had bad short term memory loss also

that is too funny to picture haha. I actually named her Flow* Dorys Reflection whom she talks to lol ).

 

[Steve1500]

Btw I named my blue tang, Narco. That thing can sleep through a feeding frenzy.

 

[mdrobc13]

Mine wedges itself into rock spots all the time. Had two in the tank and each would do this in their own fav locations. Smallest one died but larger one keeps going.....they have the weirdest behaviors sometimes. I wouldn't worry as much.

 

[stevieduk]

just security for the fish so they can sleep and not be eaten

 

[Wonf]

pretty normal. mine wedges itself in the base of my acro colony and the rock that it sits on... at first, I thought it was hiding (and it actually may have been) from the yellow tang who was trying to "show who's boss" when it first joined the DT. It was one of the few spots in the tank where the YT couldn't get his tail into to smack it. Now, it's his/her home/bed/hideout.

 

[tony'stank]

My blue tang fits himself into conch shell