Clown gone into hiding...

[scbrooks87]

Hey guys, I have 2 clowns in my tank. Fairly new, about 8 weeks old now, got them together about 2-3 weeks ago. One clown, the larger of the two is always out and about, playing around in the current... Other clown used to do the same, but lately has been hiding... Can't figure out why, everything else seems to be doing great.

I got the clown to come out a bit, and it seems to be a little less colorful than when I got it... not quite as bright orange.

Here's my tank info:
29g D/T, 20T sump.
Just tested all levels tonight. Amm 0, trite 0, trate 0, PH 8.2, SG 1.026 (using auto temp refractometer, calibrated right before use), temp is 79 degrees. All top offs and w/c's are using RO/DI water

So, if you need any other info to help me figure out why my smaller clown seems to be declining, let me know!

Hope to find some answers, thanks!
-Scott

 

[scbrooks87]

Nothing eh? Well today I looked around and cant seem to find him in the tank... I put some pellet food in, and normally both clowns are going crazy over it, but this time, only the larger one came to the top to get it, the smaller still nowhere to be found. Lots of caves in the rock so im not surprised but still would like to know whats going on.

Thanks
-Scott

 

[Anthonius]

This sounds like a familiar story to me... I did the same thing and in fact same exact story... the ending wasnt well. I came home from work and the smaller clown was stuck to the powerhead. I noticed he wasnt eating as well and tried flake, pellet, frozen brine... nothing seemed to get him to work. I never noticed any real agressiveness between the clowns but the smaller of the two went into the corner and rarely came out from under a rock cliff.

In hindsight I wish I would have removed the fish to the qt tank for supervision.

If I were you I would take him out if possible and put him in a 10 or 20g tank with WC water and try feeding with Garlic enhancer... see if that works. Immediately test all parameters to make sure every thing is well. But if hes still kicking try and capture him and qt him.

Best of luck to you and I hope the clown is ok.

 

[ilovesoda]

Maybe he's molting?

 

[scbrooks87]

Well, unfortunately I think an ill fate has come to my clown... He is nowhere to be found, I did a WC today, and looked under and around all my rocks, moved them around, and couldnt find the little guy... No body or anything, No carpet surfing either...

The only guess I have is that he died, and was cleaned off by my bristleworms and shrimp etc... I mean... he's a clown, not a very easily hidden creature by color...

I feel terrible as I have no clue what cause his untimely demise... If anyone can give me some hints, I'd appreciate it. Could the larger clown have starved him out? They didnt seem to be very well paired together from the get go so... yeah... Let me know if you have any ideas.

Thanks!
-Scott

 

[scbrooks87]

Pretty upset about what I just found... Poor clown made his way through my whole tank system... Went over my c2c weir in the tank, through the bulkheads, into my siphon line, into the sump, over the baffle into the fuge, over the next baffle, through the bubble trap, over another baffle, into the return chamber, then got stuck to my return pump, where he died...

Simple solution is some eggcrate, though I think the clown was small enough to get through that... So im not 100% on where to go with it...

Dang...
-Scott

 

[ChicagoReefer88]

o wow, that is insane, i added a twin spot goby to my tank about 2 months ago, when i acclimated him he didnt move for 20 min. then i walked by the tank, scared him behind some rocks and that was the first and last time got to enjoy him in my tank. I have no idea what happen lol

 

[Anthonius]

So you found him then? Sorry for your loss man... What I did in my 20G Long sump is at the top of my fuge baffle i siliconed in some gutter guard mesh. I did this to prevent chaeto from getting into the return section and going up into the tank. I guess this will work for fish as well. LMK if you go that route. I havent had a fish take a ride down the drain pipes yet but snails do it here and there and this 1/4" gutter guard keeps them from getting into the fuge or return sections.

 

[Kweli]

wow, that sucks, sorry to hear

Looks like he may have been on his way out anyway

 

[scbrooks87]

Yeah I think he was on his way out as you said Kweli.

Anthonius- I may have to look at the gutter guard stuff, I'd probably just glue it to my bulkheads leading from inside the tank to the external trough housing my bean animal system... I think that would work well cause then fish couldnt ever completely exit the confines of the display tank unless i wanted to, I think I will also use some before the bubble trap in my sump though, that way if I had to drop something into my fuge, it would have to stay there...

I keep turbos in my sump to chomp away all the nasty algaes down there, and they have free reign, they clean my return pump actually since they can just walk all over it...

If I do add that to my sump, whats the best way to adhere it to the glass walls?

Thanks!
-Scott