Just figured that I'd give a Clyde (rope fish) update...
He is now very seldom in the tank's pump chamber and is quite active in the tank even with the lights on. While ropes are naturally pretty nocturnal they adapt easily to a lighted environment with no issue as they are half blind anyway.
Well, mayhaps, not half blind but fairly poor sight.
I think that thinking back I now know why the rope spent so much time in the tank's pump chamber. The rope and Panda Garras went in the tank within a day of each other so were both figuring out the new environment. At this time the rope would go in the pump or ceramics chambers but not all the time. He (don't know why I always say he as I have no idea as to gender but they are always a 'he' to me
) He only started spending most of the time in the chambers after I introduced the Smile Dwarf Cichlids.
I really think that Clyde saw the cichlids as a threat as they are more aggressive predators than he and went into hiding. Both are predators but the rope is much more passive. It seems that enough time has gone by that Clyde is no longer concerned about the cichlids and has decided they are no threat so has come out of hiding.
I REALLY should dig out the tripod for my camera and do a video of him being his normal miniature sea serpent self.