Making themselves at home: Have you intentionally done anything in your aquarium to enhance the natural behavior of your fish?

[Peace River]

Making themselves at home: Have you intentionally done anything in your aquarium to enhance the natural behavior of your fish?

There are lots of reasons to add fish to your tank including their stunning beauty, their practical utility, and much more. Of course, the fish need reasonable water quality, however there is a difference between providing for their basic needs and trying to simulate their natural environment. Some aquarium hobbyists go so far as to set up a biotope aquarium to replicate a natural ecosystem, however it is also possible to take intermediate steps that promote comfortable space for the fish. Some fish are swimmers, some like caves and/or arches, some prefer varying types of flow or lighting, some interact with the sand in their natural environment, and so on. Have you intentionally done anything in your aquarium to enhance the natural behavior of your fish? Please let us know what steps you have taken!

Photo by @maroun.c


This QOTD is sponsored by Nutramar: https://www.qualitymarine.com/nutramar/

“Nutramar’s 100% natural food products are used by public aquaria and breeders around the world. They offer superior nutrition to your most finicky and delicate fish and invertebrates.

 

[KrisReef]

I have a tank filled with bubble tip anemones, but my designer clownfish ignore them. Is that because they are tank raised or because they want a different kind of anemone?

I try to keep them all fed well and hope that they will feel comfortable enough and be happy not being in their natural habitat. I don't expect them to act natural, they are stuck in an aquarium. They rush to me at feeding time.

On point, I did try to give them a natural daylight period, but its an LED fixture, not the sun.

 

[MattPLaw]

Mostly I try to stock only what would be comfortable in my tank. Trying to avoid things with special needs that I cannot satisfy.

 

[Alexraptor]

Nope, but then I tend to take take a naturalistic approach to aquascaping.

 

[cnaegler]

I'm starting a 350 gallon SPS tank. I've been working on the aquascape to, both, accommodate SPS and give fish somewhere to hide and feel comfortable. I've been building it with quite a few overhangs.

 

[shakacuz]

i try to replicate as mixed reef as much as possible. alternating flow, lighting, etc (without too much variations)

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

seed my liverock with pods and phyto for my mandarin. Kessil A360x for more of a sunlight effect. Caves for territories.

On the contrary, I am removing the clown's carpet anemone that I inherited because its too dangerous to my coral. It keeps moving and making me nervous. Not sure why anyone in their right mind would put a Haddoni in a 3 foot long tank.