Clown Confused?

[travis32]

Well, I had this clown in a 29, through hypo and everything, it did great, wasn't an agressive eater, but visibly ate, and hung out in a pvc pipe most of the time.

my 55g crashed before I moved him over, so, he stayed in the 29g at standard salinity for a few months. He did great in there and I finally got my 125g up and going. All fish are doing great.. A sleeper goby and a marine betta and 1 additional clown for this one. They're both Oscellaris clowns.

The one I had the longest though decided to hang out with a large toad stool. he just hangs out under the toad stool's edge. He once in a while brushes up against the toad stool stem, but, just hangs out at the trunk of the toad stool. His mouth constantly opens and closes. Gills and body look fine, and no signs of other distress. No signs of injury or anything.

He just hangs out by the toad stool and won't move from it.

When I feed, he shows no interest in the food. I target feed by his toad stool: I've tried brine, mysis, flake, pellets, and still no change. there's plenty of debris and HA right now for him to eat from, so he could be eating at night or whatever. i did notice him towards the top of the tank this morning. he must have been sleeping. But as soon as the light is on he stays under the toad stool.

Any thoughts on this behavior?

 

[travis32]

21 views no thoughts?

 

[AquaReeferMan]

Sounds pretty common to me minus the not eating part. As you can see from my avatar my female barely leaves her frogspawn. I would continue trying to feed some different foods, maybe soaked in garlic. What was it eating in the 29g?

 

[velvetelvis]

I wish I could help you, but I've never run into this situation. I'm hoping some of the more experienced clownfish keepers will be able to give you a hand. How long has she (is probably a female by now) been in the new setup, and how long has she been acting this way?

 

[sirbiggstixx]

maybe she is still getting used to the tank still..my female perc stays in her GBTA or in the toadstool all day..my clowns arent big eaters either..some times they will eat tons and the next week they just eat a nibble here and there..

you also said you kept it in the 29 at standard salinity..if you have a different salinity ya know for corals then she might just need time to adjust..ive read that it sometimes takes a fish a month or so to fully adjust..

if you have had it in the tank a while then check your water params and make sure the temp hasnt moved..it doesnt take much to stress a fish, im sure you know that but just trying to help..

 

[travis32]

In the QT she ate flake food and some brine. she would bite mysis and spit it out. She also ate some of the gel food.

I've tried flake, garlic soaked brine and mysis. And she just stays by the toad stool. She doesn't look to be getting skinny or anything. It's only been the last 3 or 4 days..

I noticed the clown I got last weekend, may have ich. GRRR!!!! LFS assured me they treat for parasites with a special dip every fish they get, and they feed a food containing stuff for internal parasites. The "sickly looking clown doesn't come close to the other clown. So, I'm wondering if she's not worried about her partner and is stressed enough to not eat.

Just a hypothetical thought. Not sure if I should pull the sickly clown and put it in my Hospital tank or see if he lives or dies in the DT. And yes, i know, if it's got ich my entire tank is now infested. Sometimes this hobby just frustrates me too much!! The healthy not eating clown and other two fish are still healthy and doing fine.

 

[travis32]

The new clown I got last week is dead.

The clown I've had for 2 months or more, has something white hanging from it's head... Either flukes or ich. Not sure which. My betta is fine still and I am unable to find the sleeper goby.. I'm hoping he's not dead. No signs of him having jumped out though.

 

[travis32]

Well, this is a lesson to QT everything fellow reefers. The new clown I brought directly to my DT last week must have brought in a parasite. Last night my wife and I were watching the tank and my betta came out some when the halides were off, and on his head we noticed something moving around fairly fast. It was on the outside of his body, but on his body. It eventually just slipped right off him and didn't get to do anything. It was wormy looking and white. Very short, barely barely visible.

the clown is still alive, been 24 hours, but, it's not looking good. It's digging itself into the sand. Still swims o.k. but, it's breathing heavily. I'm not sure how to do a freshwater dip? That's the only thing I can think of that might possibly save him, if he's not dead by the time I get home. At this point, he's going to die whether I do something or not, so, I'm willing to try a long shot.

I can throw him in something with RODI water for 3 mins. But, How do you get the temp and PH right? Or you don't you just get the temp right?