Help with new Ocellaris Clownfish

[jstlsn]

I added my first fish to my tank last night. He is an Tank-Bred Ocellaris Clownfish. He is about 2 inches long. Here are my tank parameters right before going to the LFS:

temp - 78.7
pH - 8.11
SG - 1.025
dKH - 8.6
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitiate - 10ppm
Calcium - 325ppm
Magnesium - 1275ppm
Phosphate - .03ppm

When I got home last night I put his bag in the tank for about 20 minutes to match the temps of the water in the bag with the water in the tank. Then I put him in a collection cup and started to acclimate him with a small drip. It took about 3 hours to get the SG closer to my tank. The LFS keeps theirs very low. Then about 9:30 last night I moved him from the collection cup to the main tank. The main tank is 75 gallons.

First thing I noticed is that he appeared to be having trouble swimming with all of the current in the tank. I have the main return running on a Mag7 and 3 Maxi Jet MP900s on a Wave Master Pro set to the calmest level. For several hours he would just swim back and forth across the front of the tank. Around midnight I hit the Night Time button on the Wave Master to calm the water a bit. This morning I found him up in the right corner of the tank swimming at a slight angle. To me he appears to be tired out. So, I completely shut off the power heads. Right now he is swimming calmly around the back center part of the tank. Is it possible that he is having trouble swimming in the current of the tank or am I just imagining it? I don't want something to happen to him because he is so tired from trying to swim all the time.

Also, what should I feed him? Right now I have some Dainichi Marine FX with CYCLOP-EEZE that the LFS said he has been eating. They are little pellets. I have dropped some in, but haven't seen him eat them yet. I also have some seaweed Select's that I put in there on a clip but he hasn't gone near it. The only attempt at eating I have seen is a few picks at glass in the back of the tank. Not sure what he is picking off. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Brad

 

[zoomfish1]

It will take that lil guy several days to get acclimated to his new suroundings. I wouldn't worry too much that he isn't eating yet. He will. I also don't think he is tired from all that swimming. I mean, fish swim, that's what they do.

If, after 4 or 5 days he still isn't eatin, then I would do something then. maybe soak his food in a few drops of garlic, or try some flake, or small pieces of mysis.

 

[jstlsn]

Thanks for the advise. I was able to get him to eat some of the pellets. If I drop a few in right above him, he will swim and catch one before they drop to the bottom. He does this funny thing where he spits them out and them catches them. He won't swim to the bottom and get them yet, but hopefully he is still getting use to his surroundings like you suggest. So, how much should he be eating? I don't want to over feed.

Thanks
Brad

 

[zoomfish1]

Probably just a couple of pellets. I heard once that a fishes stomach is about as big as his eye. Don't know how true that is. Fresh caught fish eat pretty big baits. Clownfish will always act hungy, BTW, so it's hard to tell if they really are.

I am not real high on pellet food, but if that's what he likes, great. I, personally, would get him to eat what the other tank inhabitants eat. Easier on you that way.