ocellaris sleeping funny

[president89]

That subject must have raised a few eyebrows. I have had this pair of ocellaris for almost a year now, and they do something no other pair I've had done. They are probably on the older side. The owner before me guesstimated 5+ years because that's how long he had them.
Behavior: Lights on, they are totally normal. They host a flower pot, ok no rapid breathing or anything. Once the lights turn off, they go straight to the surface and lean on their side like they are sleeping. Now i've seen my fish do that if I shut off the filters for any long period of time. To me, that means gasping for air. However, there's no reason the lights being shutoff should inhibit that behavior.

All the parameters seem ok. No ammonia/nitrite. They are in a 10g that has a hob filter rated for 40+ gallons, so there is plenty of flow. Sgc is 1.020, nitrate fluctuates. I tend to do a 50% water change every week with ro/di s/w mix to offset.

They are the only inhabitants of this tank. It's FO barebottom.

Has anyone ever seen that under normal conditions?

 

[Rich1427]

i saw a pic on one of the forums where they were sleeping on the return pipe half out of the water so i guess anythings possible

 

[jfuka78]

Mine do the same. My other fish are in or on rocks but clowns are laying up top until morning?

 

[rebelson]

Clowns are odd. Expect the unexpected with them.

 

[velvetelvis]

My female ocellaris has scared me before by appearing torpid, almost lying on the substrate, when the lights first come on. After about 5 minutes, she seems to wake up and resumes her normal activities. Like rebelson said, clowns are odd...

 

[PACHY-FAN]

My Ocellaris pair do that too. Not sure why though. Maybe a safety issue? They dont have an anemone so I am leaning to safety.

 

[miguelp19]

i have that same behavior with my male B&W. the female stays in her cave at night but the male always sleeps at one of the top corners of the tank on his side lol its pretty funny.

 

[WaffleWalffle22]

Mine sleep in a crevice together right next to their eggs. For some reason tonight they aren't sleeping. Their eggs hatched last night and normally, since I have my light on a timer, they're asleep about five minutes before the lights go off. Does anybody know anything about clownfish not sleeping?

 

[SethSPST]

Mine slept upside down like he was dead in between my overflow box and the back of the tank. He did that for almost 2 years before I sold the tank and livestock,

 

[president89]

Good to know nothing is wrong. Strange little buggers clowns are.

 

[BonsaiNut]

That subject must have raised a few eyebrows.

Your clowns are tank-raised. They learn that behavior in breeder set-ups, where they tend to cluster around the top at night for protection. Get an anemone, and the minute they are hosted in the anemone they will stop sleeping at the surface of the water.

This behavior is not found in wild caught clowns.

It does not mean the behavior is bad, or that anemones are required. It is just a function of where your clowns are from.

 

[WaffleWalffle22]

Your clowns are tank-raised. They learn that behavior in breeder set-ups, where they tend to cluster around the top at night for protection. Get an anemone, and the minute they are hosted in the anemone they will stop sleeping at the surface of the water.

This behavior is not found in wild caught clowns.

It does not mean the behavior is bad, or that anemones are required. It is just a function of where your clowns are from.

Before I got an anemone, my clownfish slept on the sand. They now sleep with their eggs on the rock. Does this mean they're wild caught?

 

[89Foxbody]

Mine used to sleep near the top as well til I got my BTA. Now they're inseparable.