Clownfish Problem

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FishFanaticSyd

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Joined
Jan 16, 2016
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138
Location
Rural Va.
I recently started up a 30 gallon marine tank, (my first marine.) I purchased a tank-bred common clown from a local retailer and acclimated him to my new tank by letting the bag sit for ten minutes and then releasing him. I did everything by the book, but he won't eat the food. I tried him on pellets and flake, but he still won't eat. What do I do?
 
Hi its not unusual for fish to refuse food for a short period after being introduced to a new tank. I wouldn't worry too much,he'll start eating after a day or so. This is providing the fish looks healthy otherwise.
 
He is swimming kinda funny, almost diagonal. Is this anything to worry about, or is it just a result of overfiltering the tank?
 
I recently started up a 30 gallon marine tank, (my first marine.) I purchased a tank-bred common clown from a local retailer and acclimated him to my new tank by letting the bag sit for ten minutes and then releasing him. I did everything by the book, but he won't eat the food. I tried him on pellets and flake, but he still won't eat. What do I do?


You should always do a drip acclimation for marine fish. Most legs will keep their tanks in the 1.015-1.017 range in sg and most home aquarists keep them in the 1.023-1.026 range. A swing in salinity can severely stress or even kill a fish, it's also better to add the fish with the lights off and leave them off for the rest of the day.


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You should always do a drip acclimation for marine fish. Most legs will keep their tanks in the 1.015-1.017 range in sg and most home aquarists keep them in the 1.023-1.026 range. A swing in salinity can severely stress or even kill a fish, it's also better to add the fish with the lights off and leave them off for the rest of the day.


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I had not read about drip acclimation at the time but will look it up. My sg is 1.019 like my dealer. I did not have the light set up until two days after I added my fish. (update) I gave my clownfish some lettuce in a produce clip. It definitely looks like he ate some of it... but I dont have any frozen mysis or brineshrimp, although I do have some freeze dried. Will that work? Incidentally, does anyone know how to sex clownfish anyway?
 
If it is in the tank on its own it will turn female.

Go get some frozen mysis it will eat then
 
I didn't know clownfish could change sex, I thought only guppies and swordtails could do that... I will see what I can do about frozen mysis. Can I freeze freeze-dried? Ive got some of that, but never tried freezing that. I also have marine flake and pellet food.
 
Thanks, I gave him some shrimp flakes and he ate a little bit. I will look into frozen mysis once I save up my allowance.
 
Fish don't eat when stressed. This can come from acclimation to a new environment, but as this is a brand new tank...you have a liquid test kit to know what your ammonia and nitrite levels are? If the tank wasn't properly cycled, the ammonia levels are probably poisoning your fish.
 
I have ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and alkalinity test kits. Tested my water today and it reads fine. I got him to take some crushed flake food and a little lettuce.
 
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