Fish won't eat after moving tank

[mfs1855]

So over the weekend I moved an active 60 gallon cube from Brooklyn over to my place on Long Island. Everything was set back up ok, but the fish are still hiding in the rocks and won't come out to eat. I don't want to put too much flake in if they aren't eating it so in addition to a little flake, I also put some seaweed on a clip (they aren't eating that either.) Here are some specifics on the tank and what I did with the move:

Tank:

60 gallon tube
Sump with skimmer
50 lbs love rock
5 small fish
I haven't turned the light on yet, there is daylight reaching the tank (indirect).
40 lbs of new live sand seeded with several cups of old love sand.
Doing 10 percent water changes per day during re cycle.

The move:
Moved the tank on Sunday
Took everything out
Fish were in one bucket with air pump during move
Sand and 35 gallons of water where in other buckets ( I took the bottom half of the sand to minimize ditrius and threw out the upper half. I did not wash this sand, it was about 2 years old)
At new location I washed rocks in old tank water
Added 50% new water to tank
Added rocks
Added new sand
Added old water
Waited for silt to settle and then added several cups of old sand
Added fish ( water in bucket was same temp as tank)

So far fish look healthy, crabs are moving and anemones (2) are open.
Salinity is a little low at .024 but I'm getting it back up.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I should add that this is my first reef tank.

 

[drej424]

What type of fish? Have you tried mysis?

 

[piranhapat]

Just check your water par. Just in case something is out of range. Other than keep lights off for a day. And slowly they should start coming out and eating. Give sometime to settle in...

 

[mfs1855]

Unfortunately I don't know the types of fish, I'll try to look it up. There is one clown fish though and two small blue hardier fish that were bought a when the tank was new for the original fish in cycling.

I'll get some mysis on the way home and see how that works.

I'll check the parameters tonight but the fish seem to be active

 

[Cu455]

Just give it a few days. I wouldn't even try feeding them until tomorrow or Wensday. They just need to get comfortable in their new. Set up. You probably had a lot of die off during the move. Do a couple of water changes and you will be fine. If you want run a 30 micron sock for a couple of days. You will have to make sure you clean it. You can also put a 200 into the 30 so it doesnt clog as quicly from large particles. The 30 micron sock will catch a lot of the debris from moving the rocks and sand.


The two small blue fish are probaly damsels or chromis.

 

[mfs1855]

Thanks, I'll pick up the socks but the water is surprisingly clear. The skimmer is pocking up very minimal matrial.

to the previous post, the fish in the tank are:
1 - Mimic Lemonpeel Tang
1 - Black full bar anenone
2 - Blue Damsels
1 - Unknown red fish, looks simolar to the tang

 

[Cu455]

If the water is clear don't worry about the sock. Just do a few water changes over the next few weeks. Post a picture of the red fish.

 

[mfs1855]

The red fish is a flame angel.

Just tested the water:
Just did the tests:
Ammonia:1 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: between 0 and 5 ppm

 

[Cu455]

Your tank is going through a cycle. Change some of the water every day or two and keep an eye on your parameters. When you change the water vacuum the substrate and rocks. Don't feed to much. You can use prime which detoxifies ammonia or try one of those botttled bacteria.

 

[mfs1855]

Thanks. I've been doing a 5 gallon water change everyday. I'll start vacuuming and add a cap full of prime.