Why does my fish stay in there?

Question

I have a fish who always insists on staying inside a little rock formation at the bottem of the tank, and it never/rarely comes out.
When I go to feed the fish, it will come out sometimes, but not usually.
Not too long ago, I found one of my fish dead in the same rock formation.
It doesn't seem to be caught in there, so why does it always stay in there, even when there's food outside?

Answer 1

The key to answer may be the type of fish that's doing this. Some species are sensitive to light and/or nocturnal, so it may just be using the cave as a place to hide until the lights go out - then it comes out when you aren't able to see it.

Some cichlids are cavity nesters, and claim a "cave" as their territory.

Other tamis, fish which would normally be active might hide if they're sick, being bullied by another fish in the tank, or a livebearer about to give birth to fry.

If you know what species you have, you might try googling "(name of species) behavior" to see if yours does any of the above, or just watch its interactions with its tankmates to make sure bullying isn't a problem.

Answer 2

What kind of fish is it? Most fish prefer hiding in rocks or other crevasses. Fish feel vulnerable out in open water and do not prefer to travel that way for extended periods of time. This is just simply a survival instinct. And then you have nocturnal fish who will hide during the day and come out at night. This is natural behavior and if you force them to behave differently, it can affect them physically, even causing death. Why your one fish died is difficult to say, but as long as the fish looks healthy and your water is healthy, it is best to just let them live naturally.

Answer 3

probably its frighten try taking the rock out

Answer 4

if they were mates it might just be he or she cant stop but stay undre there