weird behavior from my damsels

[WuTang]

I have a male and female pair of damsels, i am not sure what they are specifically but they are colored tan and cream. ( i just call them davenport). But my concern is that the larger of the two, the female, has just recently began to burrow a large hole between the bottom of two pieces of live rock. She fans away the substrate (crushed coral) and then actually picks up pieces and swims them across the tank and deposits them on the other side. i'm concerned because she digs all the way down to the tank bottom, and when i first noticed the hole i refilled it with the surrounding coral only to have her very angrily clear it back out. Then when i put my face by the tank to see her work - she gyrated very angrily at me and actually nipped me when i put my hand in the tank to readjust my powerhead. I'm pretty sure she's still mad at me :? . i dont know why she did this and i wonder if i should keep refilling the hole she dug. I heard somewhere that this could open a pocket of ammonia buried in the substrate and consequently do some real damage. Could she be getting ready to lay eggs? any input would be great --- thanks everybody. I put in the best pic i could get of her and the hole.

 

[snapcrackler]

Hi, I have 4 yellow tails that have all decided to do the same thing... it started as one and I posted the same question because I thought she was going to lay eggs but.. the rest of them started dragging rocks around and fanning the rocks away and stuff too, digging down to the glass. (very fun to watch)

So I am thinking they're just digging thier homes, an AA member told me this as well. They defend their "homes" pretty aggressively too.

BUT.. I do not know about the mating habits of these fish.. so wouldn't it be cool if they were laying eggs!

 

[ddcboys]

My damsels do the same. It is were mine sleep at night. when the lights are out take a flash light and look for her inthe hole.

 

[mrmarine]

Yes its a home my damsel does this and sleeps there as well. That would be cool though

Mr. Marine

 

[Sam]

LOL Ditto for my yellow tail. I have four and this one started to fan a hole in the sand bed. At first I thought she was nuts, have an identity crisis, needed therapy or all of the above. But she has made a little cave for herself which no one dares enter. It is funny though to see her using her tail to swish away the sand. Now I know that she is not any of the above.

 

[ChrisCancell]

my blenny actually covers himself up with substrate, all you can see is his eyes! pretty cool looking though