Clownfish Acting Funny (And Several Other Fish)

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kart_racer3

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Apr 2, 2005
Messages
32
Location
Pennsylvania
Greetings!

I have a question about my one False Percula Clownfish. Over the weekend my mother bought some fish for in my aquairum as a gift. She came home with three False Percula Clownfish and a Bulb Anemone. All three fish have gotten along fine since Friday, but this morning I awoke to see one fish hovering near the top corner of the aquarium breathing heavy. He is still hovering near the top of one corner, while the other two fish (one large, the other smaller) take care of the anemone. If he isn't swimming vertically near the top, it is sitting upright on the sand under a LR ledge. This fish is also smaller. The other fish don't appear to act agressively towards it (they got along fine yesterday), and none of the other fish in my aquarium are acting funny either. Is this a health concern with the clownfish? Do they have trouble sharing one anemone? How can I fix this situation?

*Edit* I don't have any water stats immediately available, I'll post them asap if required.
 
To really do anything but guess, you'll need water parameters (ammonia/nitrites/nitrates, pH, salinity, etc), so post them when you get them.
 
Yes, this is for the 120 gallon tank. Unfortunately, later on Sunday evening my clownfish did die. I have noticed a disturbing trend. About one month ago, I came home to find my coral beauty angel laying on a live rock, not moving, but noticably alive. He died later that night. Then, two weeks later, I came home to find my firefish laying on the substrate, not dead, but breathing heavy. He died later that night. And now, before my clownfish died, he was laying against an empty hermit crab shell, not dead, but still breathing. All fish seemed to be almost paralyzed, and rigid, but their eyes still move, and they breathe every so often. The most dangerous critteres in the tank are a fox face rabbit fish and an anenome. The fox fish has been in the tank since day one. Is it possible he is accidentally poking my fish? My basic water stats are:

Ammonia = .2 mg/L
Nitrate = 3 mg/L
Nitrite = .05 mg/L
Phosphate = .45 mg/L
pH = 8.8 (I realize I'll have to lower this)
Temp = 75 - 76
Salinity = 1.024
Using RO/DI Water
*I'm running more tests presently

Any input is appreciated.
 
foxfish dont accidently poke things. I believe your water chemistry tells the story. You have some bad water in there.
 
Any suggestions beside partial water changes (I do a 15% every week) to correct the deficiencies? I suggested the fox fish because that is what my LFS said was the cultprit, even with the knowledge of my water sample. Why would I be experiencing problems all of the sudden? I've had the same inhabitants and parameters for almost 14 months now without any problems.
 
Definitely a water quality issue going on.
Ammonia should be 0 as well as nitrite. Looks like you have a mini cycle happening.
Phosphate shouldn't affect the fish, but I bet you have an algea problem with that high reading.
pH is quite high. What brand salt do you use?
Water is too cold. Bump that up to 78 at least.
 
I too was surprised at my phosphate level. There isn't any sign of alge what so ever in the tank. I originally used "Tropic Marin" salt to start the tank. I visited a fish store several weeks ago, and tried a mix that the owner reccommended. He states that he actually creates the two part mixture himself. So I added some with my water changes, and it seemed to work pretty good. I can get you more info from the label if you want.
 
I'd suggest that the LFS's "special" mix isn't too pure. Have you tested the salt water you mix up from the LFS mix, for ammonia/nitrites/nitrate and phosphates and pH, before you put it in the tank? My guess is that's where your high pH is coming from, and possible the phosphates too. Did the strange fish deaths start before or after you started using this mix?

You say you've had the same water parameters for the last 14 months, but that's obviously not the case as you just switched salt, right?

Check your source RO/DI water for contaminants, as well as the mixed SW. My guess your problem is there somewhere, but it's just a guess.
 
Thanks for the advice. I'll check the quality of the water from my RO/DI system, and from a small batch of the new sea salt and post the results this afternoon.

*Edit*

Ok, this is what I am looking at:

RO/DI parameters
pH = 7.6
Nitrate = 0
Nitrite = 0
Phosphate = 0
Non-Chelated Iron = 0
Ammonia = 0

Overall this looks very nice right?

Salt Mixture (has only been aging for about one day at 1.024 sg)
ph = 9 (holy crap)
Nitrate = 0
Nitrite = 0
Phosphate = 0
Ammonia = 5.5 (holy crap)

Would the aging process correct the awful current water quality of the salt? Also, would the high pH thusly cause the high Ammonia level? I always thought the two parameters were linked. Thusly, lowering the pH should help to bring my Ammonia back into perspective correct? If aging the salt won't improve the water quality, then this afternoon I will buy new salt. What do you reccommend to lower the pH? I want to take corrective action as soon as possible.
 
WOW Get real salt and forget about that homemade 2 part lfs crap. It is obviously causing major problems in your tank. Lowering pH will not lower ammonia. I'm no chemist, but when you add buffers to raise or lower pH it has nothing to do with ammonia. Raising pH does not all of a sudden cause a rise or the presense of ammonia.
You need to get real salt and I suggest doing some 30% water changes every 2-3 days to get your parameters in line.
 
Agree with the rest. Get salt from someone that makes for real and controls - or at least is aware of - the purity of the ingredients that go into it.

Ammonia and pH are not related. Your friendly lfs is just using ingredients that obviously are not top notch.
 
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