My fish refuse to come out and play!

[Anthony8858]

I think it's rather cute, but as a result, my tank ALWAYS looks empty.

I have 3 Parrots, 2 Geo Jurapari, and a couple albino cats in a 36 gallon bow tank.
It seems that as soon as I leave the room, ALL the fish come to the front of the tank, for all to see.

If I as much as "peek into the room", they see me, and bolt to the rear of the tank. As long as they can see me, they stay in the back of the tank, either in a cave or behind a plant.

(I can almost hear them say:... Here he comes HIDE,HIDE!)

Is this behavior normal?

[tomm10]

How long have you had the tank? They may still be settling in.

My pygmy cories bolt and hide whenever I approach the tank, no matter how slowly. If I sit there for a few minutes though, they come out and its business as usual.

[OrionGirl]

Fish get used to the most frequently occurring conditions, and react quickly to changes. For example, my 5 at work is ued to me being here, about 5 feet away from them. They dart into the plants as soon as someone comes close--giving the impression on an empty tank. My tanks at home are very used to activity around them in the evening, but spend most of the day hiding. If you spend more time in front of the tank, they'll get used to that and quit hiding as much.