Do fish get stressed by being watched?

[dud]

A total newbie here. So glad I found this forum.

Started a tank I got from my friend about a week ago. Now I'm regretting that I should've found this site a little earlier. My friend told me the tank is 'cursed', but after spending a couple of hours reading here it was not the tank but my friend (who didn't know how to care fish) that was cursed.

I have a 10g tank with 4 neons (lost 1 this morning), 2 white clouds, and 2 ghost shrimps. I found out that they usually hide behind the plastic plant and stick around the bottom while we're watching, but in the evening when I turn the hood light off and walk away, I see them coming out from the hide and swimming all around the place. They sure look a lot happier without me ...

We're kinda thinking that they might be stressed by us, and maybe we should try not to watch them so much? I watched them for about 3-4 hours a day over the weekend.

[pkremer]

I'm assuming your tank is new? For the first week that they were in my aquarium, all of my fish hid from me. Just try to imagine what it must be like to get netted, moved to a completely new place with new surroundings, and then have a creature 1000 times your size stare at you. How do you know you aren't lunch?

Give them some time. Eventually they'll recognize you as the 'hand that feeds them.' After a while when they see you, they'll all scream up to the front of the glass to beg you for food.

After having had my aquariums for 3 months, I actually kind of enjoy watching them when they haven't seen me yet. It gives me an idea of how they really are. The second they see me though, they all come to the front of the glass, excited to see me.......OK, they really just want food. hehe!

Paul

[chasgood]

In time your fish will come to the front to greet you. Hoping you are going to feed them I'm sure.

[Blackpearl]

Certainly give them more time to get used to their new surroundings. My ghost shrimps try to climb over my hand and bite my fingers me whenever I stick my hand inside the tank (to vaccuum, rearrange decor, etc).

[love_goldfish]

ya you need to give them time , in a mont or so they will love to see you caz you give them food

good luke

[dud]

Thank you all.
I've lost another neon this afternoon, my wife saw him so stressed out when I came back from work, tried water change but the change itself may have been too much. I checked ammonia before the change and it read somewhere between .5 to 3 ppm.

I feel sorry for the neon, but a couple of minutes after the change they all seem a lot happier now (or is it just me that think so). I really hope the rest can get over this cycling process...