Flicking Damsel

[Danno]

I am in the middle of constructing my first marine aquarium. The link of it in is my signature. I have one Blue Damsel in the tank at the moment. The tank parimeters are just fine but my Damsel is taking it's tail and swooshing the sand. The fish isnt touching the sand but it looks like it is trying to make a pocket of sand. Then I was watching him some more and he was rubbing himself on the live rock a tiny bit. I looked at this body thoughly and checked his gills and looked for anything hanging on him all it all turned up nitch. He is still eating too but the flicking is worring the crap out of me! Has anyone have any advice to give?

 

[Lynden]

Could be digging, stratching the odd itch. Damselfish will often (like their cichlid relatives) construct territories, and to do this, they need to make some landmarks.

Try putting a valve (half the shell) of an small, dead clam - preferably a Tridachnid as this is what is used in nature - into the middle of the tank. Chances are, the animal will use this as a landmark and the need to dig will be diminished.

-Lynden

 

[Danno]

Should I take the half of the shell and lean it against some live rock so it is like a fort for the little guy?

EDIT:

I don't know if this is relivant but i've noticed this for awhile, on my live rock there are some super tiny white dots. I dont know what it is. It will be eated when I add a clean up crew. The tank is starting to get messy without a clean up crew.

 

[Lynden]

Against the rock, on the sand; choose what looks better. Keep in mind that the damsel fish will probably rearrange it anyways.

The white dots are likely sand that has been kicked up. In my nanotank it sticks to rock, snails, algae, goby, everything.

-Lynden

 

[Danno]

Thanks Lynden for all the advice!

Im going to go to my LFS today and get some pre-cured live rock today (to lessen the die-off). I'll pick up some clam shells there also.

 

[Lynden]

No problem.