Fish Behaviour Change After Move To New Tank

[Sayuri]

On Sunday I collected a new larger fish tank for my main living room display tank.

I caught and moved all the fish from my 130l tank, and kept them over night in a 75l "tub trug" with a heater and their normal filter as well as all the plants from their old tank. When I moved them they never left water as I used a net and tub.

Since being in the new tank I haven’t seen my platys at all, they're just hiding behind the plants near the substrate at the back of the tank. My Rainbowfish just sulk in one place and scatter behind plants as soon as they realise you're in the room. Haven't seen my loaches either. The tetra are behaving normally, as are some of the larger platy fry that I left in there. Only the fry and tetra have eaten anything.

Tests have come back Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5, PH 7.5 so no problems there.

Is this still moving shock or is something wrong with my new tank?

 

[justjon]

In regards to the platy, when I recently moved my two they behaved exactly the same for about a day. They seemed very shy but now seem to swim about a lot more.

 

[Sayuri]

Yeah I was expecting maybe a bit more sulky for the first day as they were when I first brought them home but it's been since 9am Monday now and I still haven't even seen them!

Before I moved them they used to mob my hand for food every time I had to replant something and ate bloodworm happily from pinched between my fingers. I miss my friendly fish!

 

[lukes280]

i would just leave them for a bit and see if they get less shy, i had that problem with my Corys as they just hid behing the rock which i found qite amusing as they just looked at me like what?! lol

Luke

 

[Sayuri]

Thanks! I was just worried if I was ignoring some really obvious problem! I'll just leave the lights off and wait some more.

Mine give me that look too if I squeeze up to the wall to try and peak at them down the back!

Guess I just have stropy fish

 

[lukes280]

lol they will be use to you in know time unlick gold fish, with a 3 secound memory, the tropicals have alot more lol, because the recinze feeding time and also the time and also me but when my broth come in they hid so

Luke

 

[betta fish]

How big is the tank they have been moved to? if it is much larger they may just feel a bit vulnerable due to all the space, if you get more plants to plant it up you should find they soon come out of hiding

 

[Sayuri]

How big is the tank they have been moved to? if it is much larger they may just feel a bit vulnerable due to all the space, if you get more plants to plant it up you should find they soon come out of hiding

Tank size has doubled to 260l, twice as tall and deep as my old one.

Will have to go plant shopping tomorrow then (can hear OH moaning - not more plants!) as its a great excuse! The front is very empty with glosso and dwarf hairgrass so perhaps something big, bushy and fast growing is called for. My plants do look very insignificant in the bigger space and they were crammed into my old tank so its true the fish may feel the same.

 

[Sayuri]

Added loads of new plants yesterday morning, half the substrate at least is taken up with plants 30cm+ high, the rest covered in glosso and shorter plants up to max 15cm. All my driftwood has moss and Anubias on and the surface is also pretty well covered in floating plants.

Still no real sign of my Platys, although the Dwarf Rainbowfish are swimming about more if I'm not nearby they are still very skittish and not themselves.

In the couple of glimpses I've got of the Platys they look healthy enough, good colour and no visible signs of fungus/poorly fins etc.

Why aren't they coming out, it’s been five days now?!