My fish act strange when there's no LEDs on at night

[whitneyd88]

First of all this is my first post. So hello everyone!
I have a 65g reef and I have a pair of platinum clowns and a mandarin goby. I never used the LEDs on my fixture because they are so dull they don't do much of anything. I always had a problem with one of my platinums getting in the overflow at night. When the lights turn off he immediately leaves the other clown and goes up into his corner above the powerhead which is right next to the hole on the top of the overflow. So annoying!! My mandarin never swims out into the water column, except when the lights are out. He freaks! He's out swimming around pacing against the glass and I've seen him almost get sucked up into the overflow. My friend (peachyreef) gave me some nice LEDs a few weeks ago (thank you!) and since I have been using them my fish are calm. The clowns stay together in their hammer & the mandarin stays in the rocks. I turn it on at night so they're never in complete darkness.
Just thought it was interesting enough to mention.
Maybe it would be good for people to consider LEDs (if they aren't using them already) at night instead of darkness?

 

[dawgface]

<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">How long have you had the fish? It often takes a few weeks if not a month or more for the fish to acclimate fully to their new environment. Pacing along the glass and skittish behavior are often times experienced at or during fish acclimation.</span></span>

 

[whitneyd88]

I've had the clowns since Oct. But I did get the mandarin a few weeks ago. I got him after I started using the LEDs, I just noticed him doing that for the first time when I forgot to plug in the LEDs before the actinics turned off. He only does it when they aren't turned on at night (the tank is in my bedroom) but he is still a new fish.

 

[whitneyd88]

Oh yes, my tank is loaded with copepods and amphipods, and he started eating the second I dropped him in the tank! He's also the only pod eating fish in my tank. I worked at Star Aquatics in Augusta GA for Jorge, the owner of Pure Reef up there in Alpharetta, for a long time so im not a newb lol.

 

[rbredding]

my clowns (ocellaris) are the same way.. at night, they tuck their self in a corner just under the surface of the water.. (to sleep)

 

[whitneyd88]

Yup!