Clown fish refuse to swim around

[krisko]

I have 2 clown fish. Not sure there real names. They look like the finding nemo clown fish. I have had them for about 2 months and since day one they have always swimmed in the very top cornor of my tank and refuse to swim anywhere else in my tank. I have tryed to move then to new spots with a net and they will hang around there for a 5-10 minutes then go back up to the very top cornor of my tank. Even at night time they just stay in that one spot. I bought a anemone for them to try and host. Not sure the name of it ether. My LFS store said its the kind clown fish host if they will host it. Still no luck. Anyway idea's on how to get my clown fish to be more active. My water has been tested many times and is all 0's. I'm about to take these fish back to the store for credit if they won't start acting like a fish.

 

[Trademark]

clowns will typically stick to one area in a tank, totally natural , I you want them to swim around more I have found that when I added more clowns of the same species to the tank they swam around the whole tank. I currently have 7 clowns in my 90 gal

 

[Trademark]

and not all clowns will host a nem, I seen in another post that someone used a laser light put on the nem and they went to it and stayed.

 

[E.intheC]

can you post a bit more about your tank? (IE tank size, lighting, flow, tankmates?) these all could be reasons why your fish aren't swimming around.

Now, if you expect them to move around like a wrasse or chromis would, constantly roaming the tank; you've got the wrong fish. Clownfish just don't typically do that.

 

[graveyardworm]

What else is in the tank, and what size is the tank?

 

[woowoodengy]

i had the same prob with onyx clowns in my 260 but as soon as i added 4 tangs 9 chromis a copperband butterfly the clowns swim just about all over but still return to the overflow lol i have to get a red or purple carpet, maybe both =)

 

[krisko]

The tank is a 24g aquapod. The only fish I have are the 2 clowns. I have 4 snails and 5 hermit crabs. A couple soft corals, one needle sea urchent, 20 pounds of live rock, 20 pounds of sand, and Im using the stock lighting its 65watts.

 

[krisko]

I also upgraded the stock pump to the maxi jet 1200 for more flow and current.

 

[Trademark]

maybe its not the fish for you,but because of the size of your tank you are limited. Not really a whole lot of room for them to go far

 

[sedor]

Are they eating? In the wild clowns usually don't travel much further than 18" away from their home, so its normal for them to stick to the same place. I have a pair in my 72 and although they do some swimming around they are not nearly as active as my other fish.

 

[E.intheC]

also, check to see if they're hanging around a particular object. My old pair of black and white clowns were hosting my powerhead, so they didn't move too much out of that general area.

 

[woowoodengy]

also, check to see if they're hanging around a particular object. My old pair of black and white clowns were hosting my powerhead, so they didn't move too much out of that general area.

:lol: :lol: :lol: silly clowns, i wonder what they host in the wild (other than anemone's)

 

[krisko]

Yes there eating. Thats the only time I can get them to adventure away from the cornor. There is nothing over in the cornor for them to even host.

 

[StillerNat]

totally normal for clowns to do this. my snows did this for a while until they found the nem. they both swam in the upper left corner for weeks.i know several people who said this happened to them as well.
the only time mine moved from the spot is if i turned off the pump and koralia's. then they went right back to their spot when the pumps came back on.

 

[IPowderBlueTang]

Not all clowns will host and if you get an ananome that is not what they are use to in the wild they might not host in it. I have two pairs in a 65 gal with 3 mems carpet, Gbta and carpet and it took them awhile to host in them. Be patient it might take awhile for them to host a mem. Your 24g aquapod is not a large tank with a lot of space for them to travel around. I have a small pair of Percs in a 20 gal with a bluetail damsel and 50 snails. They stay by the heater all day long. Thats fine with me, thats how clowns are. If you want action , you need a larger tank and get some tangs they will swim nostop.

 

[traveller7]

The clowns are young, conditioned to hide until they have a suitable host, or other fish come out into the water column.

I would not trust most LFS to know what A. ocellaris(most likely your fish) or A. percula naturally host in, and much less to have a healthy anemone of proper species.

You are on the right path of keeping your tank stocked with a low bio level, but you'll need to get a suitable "home" for the clown in a location benefiting you as well. A 3" clay flower pot, 3" pvc elbow, etc, placed at the bottom center of the tank have worked well for clown breeders over the years.

At this stage, stop chasing them around with nets, etc., that contributed to the "predator" problem. Feed them a bit 4-6 times a day to get them conditioned to you being at the tank opening the lid as a good thing vs your current role of "predator". In short order, they'll rush out to great you like puppies when you come home.

 

[knights27]

are they tank raised?if they are tank raised the are waiting at the top for food mine did that than i put brine in that sank and now they host a big conch shell then i added some fire fish a tang and now they are all really active have a carpet on the way

 

[knights27]

these are my babies when they fist started hosting the shell