HELP: Clownfish frantically swimming laps?

[j.falk]

I've had these three baby Black Ice clownfish for a few weeks now and they've all been doing great...until recently. Two days ago, my light came in from FosterSmith so I put it on the tank and ever since then they have been swimming laps around the tank as fast as they can. I took a video tonight to show what they are doing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPALKt0dScI

I'm not sure if this is normal for clownfish or there is something seriously wrong? I've never owned any clownfish before so this is all new to me. I checked the water and there's no ammonia or nitrites showing but in my opinion, it looks like something is really stressing them out. Any ideas?

 

[pfan151]

I'd try leaving the lights off for a couple days and see if they settle down. Tank looks extremely new. Was it cycled? Also, 3 clowns will not work.


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[Postal]

The first thing I would do is to test for any stray voltage in your tank, just to rule it out for safety reasons if nothing else.

 

[j.falk]

I turned the light off over night and haven't turned it on today and they are all back to swimming normally. Maybe they just don't like the light?

 

[j.falk]

I tried putting the light back on the tank today and within minutes they were back to acting stressed again. And no, it's not stray voltage. I think I just have vampire fish...they do not like the light. So much for my dream of having an anemone and clownfish aquarium. Sigh.

 

[Gladmaker]

I'd try leaving the lights off for a couple days and see if they settle down. Tank looks extremely new. Was it cycled? Also, 3 clowns will not work.


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Why won't 3 clowns work? I have 6 clowns in a 75 gal tank. They get along fine. With 3 you will have 1 female and 2 males assuming they were all males when introduced.

 

[Slarti]

I tried putting the light back on the tank today and within minutes they were back to acting stressed again. And no, it's not stray voltage. I think I just have vampire fish...they do not like the light. So much for my dream of having an anemone and clownfish aquarium. Sigh.

:beer: New species, Vampire Clowns!!! You could make money...

 

[Slarti]

PS Is the light adjustable? Can you lower the intensity and phase it in over time?

 

[pfan151]

Why won't 3 clowns work? I have 6 clowns in a 75 gal tank. They get along fine. With 3 you will have 1 female and 2 males assuming they were all males when introduced.

How long have you had them together? Eventually you will more than likely end up with a pair.

 

[ThRoewer]

Multiple clownfish may work as long as they are still young and not spawning. Once two pair up and start spawning they may try to keep the third at a distance he can't keep in the confines of a typical tank.

In large tanks and when a large anemone or cluster of smaller ones is available you may be able to keep more than a pair and possibly even pairs of different species - as can be seen at the Steinhart Aquarium in SF.

Another option is overcrowding - adding so many juveniles of one species (and ideally same size) that it becomes difficult to single out any individuals to harass.

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[ThRoewer]

As for the swimming around frantically: I'm assuming that you have no anemone or suitable surrogate for them in the tank, right?
In that case they may feel insecure and panic, especially in bright light.
I would give them a ceramic flowerpot as surrogate anemone to feel more comfortable and behave more natural.

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[j.falk]

The clowns are no longer swimming around frantically doing laps. As long as I leave the light off they are fine. No fighting and all three of them swim around doing their own thing. They are tank bred Sustainable Aquatics Black Ice Ocellaris so I'm wondering if they were possibly raised in grow out tanks with no lights (which would explain why they seem to prefer not having a light on the tank)?

As for having three in a tank, I did that on purpose to try and get a pair. As of right now all of them are 1" - 1 1/2" inches in length so they are still babies. If I see a pair become established, then I have another tank that I can put the third one in if necessary. Until then, I'll leave them altogether.

 

[j.falk]

PS Is the light adjustable? Can you lower the intensity and phase it in over time?

Unfortunately no. If it were that's what I would have done. My wife suggested turning the light on in increments...5 mins today...10 tomorrow...etc...until the fish get used to it.

 

[sdweller]

They may settle down...not unusual behavior.

 

[pfan151]

Unfortunately no. If it were that's what I would have done. My wife suggested turning the light on in increments...5 mins today...10 tomorrow...etc...until the fish get used to it.

Try putting a few layers of window screening under the light. Then remove one layer every day or two.

 

[j.falk]

Try putting a few layers of window screening under the light. Then remove one layer every day or two.

That's a good idea and that's also something that I do have lying around after a recent window repair.