clown exhibiting jerky movements

[probe dms]

my newly added saddleback is doing some weird side twisting jerky thing with his body. he has no ich spots but my damsel does a bit. i have my diatom running now. what should i do? will he be ok? im going to do a water change in a few hours.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

is it solo or paired up...sounds like he wants to get it on...

 

[probe dms]

he's by himself...

 

[SabrinaJean]

you know I saw my skunk doing the same thing. It me it seems like its only the boyfriend because I have never seen the female do it. I was thinking it was mayb Broklynella or a ich because he even stratched himself on the sand a few times last week. I think I am going to add this medicine to the tank and be back to read what other people say.

 

[SabrinaJean]

Well the medicine is called PraziPro. It's for Flukes, Tapeworm, Flatworms, Turbellarians, and my guy at the LFS said its good for Broklynella. All I do is add 1 teaspoon and 1\4 teaspoon into the tank for 3-7 days and it's healthy for everything.
Today I figured it is porbably my Berh's Chromis that is causing the stress, so now I just have to figure a way to get him out without taking an hour and messing up the aquscape.

 

[Andythescientist]

Jerking is a behaviour exhibited in dominance battles by clowns. That's how they decide which will end up being the male and which the female if there is two. It's quite possible that the little fella is doing it to his reflection!

 

[thosefishguys]

"Jerking is a behaviour exhibited in dominance battles by clowns. That's how they decide which will end up being the male and which the female if there is two. It's quite possible that the little fella is doing it to his reflection!"

He may even be submitting to other fish...I've seen clowns "submit" to anything larger than they are, especially the sometimes-nervous saddlebacks.

Jason

 

[timthetoolman]

Good points. He could even be seeing himself in the glass. The 'jig' they do is normal. I don't know if scratching their bodies on the rocks or bottom is, I've never heard of that but I think probe's clown is fine.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

i have heard that scratching the bottom or the rocks is a way to clean them up before they lay eggs on it...

i would go easy on the Barry White for a little while...you have got one vain fish there...LOL