Hole in one: Are there places to hide in your reef?

[Peace River]

Hole in one: Are there places to hide in your reef?

Some fish like to stay front and center, where others prefer the secluded lifestyle. Whether they are social or reclusive, many reef fishes like places to dart into for protection at some point. Similarly, many invertebrates like to have holes where they can retreat. Sometimes the places to hide for fish and invertebrates where intentional parts of the design and other times the holes were provided by happenstance. Of course, some reef designs end of with no holes at all. Are there places for fish or invertebrates to hide in your reef? Tell us about your experience and let us know if you have any tips or recommendations to share with the community!

Photo by @Eva Rose


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.tidalgardens.com

“The goal of Tidal Gardens is to offer the highest quality corals to those seeking a piece of that world without destroying it. We hope to instill a deep appreciation for the natural reefs and help develop a self-sustaining hobby that no longer requires the collection of fish and corals.”

 

[ChrisPPolys]

There are plenty of nooks and crannies to hide in my reef tank. I’ve always heard hiding spots are necessary for inverts who’ve molted. As well as inverts to small to defend themselves from other inverts who will eat them. (Bumble bee snails vs blue legged hermit crabs)
My six line wrasse also loves the little hiding spots he can get into and play amongst the rocks.

 

[vlangel]

My tank has a lot of rock, macro algae, and coral. There are ledges, nooks and crannies. I just got a spazzy jawfish so am hoping it can find a nice hole to call home.

 

[i cant think]

My rockwork probably has dart holes even I don’t know about!

 

[AtlantiCat]

There's plenty of places to hide, but none that I can't see into and/or poke into if I have a flashlight and I'm looking from the right angle (often from the side). I just wanted to make sure I could remove anything that might die before the ammonia builds up.

 

[Dburr1014]

Holes all over!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

My scape has multiple spots where my fish tend to hide.

 

[TheLandShark]

Hole in one: Are there places to hide in your reef?

Some fish like to stay front and center, where others prefer the secluded lifestyle. Whether they are social or reclusive, many reef fishes like places to dart into for protection at some point. Similarly, many invertebrates like to have holes where they can retreat. Sometimes the places to hide for fish and invertebrates where intentional parts of the design and other times the holes were provided by happenstance. Of course, some reef designs end of with no holes at all. Are there places for fish or invertebrates to hide in your reef? Tell us about your experience and let us know if you have any tips or recommendations to share with the community!

Photo by @Eva Rose


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.tidalgardens.com

“The goal of Tidal Gardens is to offer the highest quality corals to those seeking a piece of that world without destroying it. We hope to instill a deep appreciation for the natural reefs and help develop a self-sustaining hobby that no longer requires the collection of fish and corals.”

I thought my clown fish was dead
Turns out he likes to lay flat like me in his comfy soft bed.

 

[Tcook]

I usually hide from my wife in the fishroom behind the reef after I buy a nice fish or acantho.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Choose one of the following:

1) Yes -- I've created a complex gallery of aquascape from the skeletons of all of the SPS that I've killed/sacrificed to the reefing gods!

2) Yes -- I've created a complex gallery of aquascape to hide all of the SPS that I've killed/sacrificed to the reefing gods!

 

[saratin]

Yup, purposely aquascaped nooks!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

My tanks are all rock walls. I feel it’s the most realistic habitat that naturally provides countless holes and cracks and hiding spots.

 

[AtlantiCat]

My tanks are all rock walls. I feel it’s the most realistic habitat that naturally provides countless holes and cracks and hiding spots.

Post a pic? Or two? Or ten? I haven't seen many like that.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have and must have a number of caves and crevices based on the many fish I have.

 

[mattdg]

IMO hidey holes are a requirement, not an option. I make it a rule that I can only introduce a new fish, if I can see several places that other fish haven't already claimed, especially for it to sleep at night. Different demands, for different types of fish and verts, such as wrasses who need to bury themselves at night, damsels and cardinals who require algae or coral branches to hover near, shrimp who need ledges to hang under, or tangs that tend to float in a corner. If that patch of gravel, cave or corner is not available, that newly introduced fish or invert won't last very long.

 

[Miguel.PT]

The reef has a lot of places for them to rest/hide, but even tho… those 2 , grumpy the goby and gunslinger the shrimp are happy nomads, camp anywhere, I find everything covered in sand from time to time .

 

[Sharkey18]

I need more. I tried to build some structures with holes and caves but it fell apart. I’m now waiting on the quick Crete to arrive.

 

[Fritz05]

As a Goby lover my tanks have lots of places to hide. Many species need them.

 

[Mark Goode]

Too many. I only see my fish at feeding time.

 

[Treefer32]

There are too many places for fish to hide in my tank. It's funny that at feeding time I usually see most of my fish, but many of them can remain hidden for months at a time and I don't know whether they're dead or still alive. I have a pistol goby that thinks he's an eel and lives between two rocks. Comes mostly at night and will only comepletely out of the rocks to get food. That said he's been missing at times for 6-8 months, then I see him and he's alive and well. I've had him going on 3-4 years. I thought Gobies didn't live that long, but he's doing great!

340 gallon in wall, So many places for things to hide. I have a 6 inch abelone snail in there somewhere. I've found him hanging upside down from a rock and his shell blended so well with the rock I thought that the rock had a new bump I missed before. The snail is one of the weirdest and coolest snails I've seen. He does amazingly well in my tank. But hides during the day. He'll be on the glass all night eating away. There's around 18-19 fish in there, but can't see more than a couple in the picture. 3 of them are large 8-12" round tangs. . . Even they find spots to hide at night.