flase perc sick?

[HoCkEyGmC]

my false perc clown is getting little dark spots in between his stripes, near his dorsal mostly, its almost like hes shading in his body a little. when i got him a few weeks ago he was pretty much pure orange (with stripes) ((duh)). but now he is much darker than he was before. not sure if its normal or if hes not doin good or what. cant get a good pic since hes always moving about.
Thanks!

EDIT: sry im so stupid, posting in the wrong forum, mods can fix if u want or whatever.

 

[OniTweak]

You sure he is a false perc and not another type of clonw?

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

it was sold to me as a wild false perc. its definitely a false or true perc tho, i know that.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Got any corals like frogspawn, torch, or the like in the tank? Sometimes they can get a little "burn" from a coral sting and it'll look like a little black dot. But there's usually only one or two, not a lot.

It could just be the fish taking on a more mature coloration. A picture would help!

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

ill try to get a good pic, but he usually goes to the other side of the tank whenever i goto take a pic. might gotta qt it to get a good one. and yes i do have a frogspawn along with a trumpet, blasto, silver xenia, zoos, and a wells brain coral.

 

[Fluff]

I'm thinking along the same lines as Kurt. It sounds like coral burns. I had a pair that took to hanging out in a cluster of zoas and had almost turned completely black. Once I removed the clowns from that tank, their color did slowly return but my lived with the coral for many many months and other than the coloring, they were healthy happy fish.

 

[melosu58]

Moved to sick fish forum.

 

[Fluff]

I wanted to share some pics for identification purposes. The first two pictures was early on when they first decided to set up residence in the corals. You can see the coral in two of the photos. The last pic is three months later.

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

it looks really similar to that but way earlier on in the process. like a day into it or somethin. he's shown some interest in the frogspawn but i really wish that he'd wait a few months for an anemone. but hey its the fish's choice not mine so w/e. So will Steve-o be ok?
Thanks!

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

also, could/should/would i be okay with getting a longspine urchin. (28gal nanocube).

 

[Fluff]

I can only offer you my experience and mine lived a long time happy and healthy. They just didn't look as nice as they should have but, I figured as long as they weren't killing the corals I'd let them be. I did eventually have to move them (had to move some fish around to make room for a fish adoption) and they gained thier color back but they didn't seem nearly as happy without thier coral.

 

[melosu58]

but i really wish that he'd wait a few months for an anemone.

There is no guarantee that he will host with the anenome. Mine would not and hosted with a bubble coral. I had to take the anenome back. Here he is with the bubble coral.

 

[Chisel]

There is no guarantee that he will host with the anenome. Mine would not and hosted with a bubble coral. I had to take the anenome back. Here he is with the bubble coral.

Why did you have to take the anemone back? Couldnt keep both?

 

[Fluff]

You may get differing opinions on urchins in general but since you are doing a reef, I'd pass. They are clumbsy and really should have more space and liverock to feed from. The one you see in my pic is a common purple urchin that was a hitchhiker. He was a bit of a pain because he would plow through the corals, knocking them over. They really aren't graceful at all.

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

wow, so they wont regain their color at all if something doesnt change? hmmmmmmmm... i dont really kno what to do now?

 

[Fluff]

Well, I wouldn't panic yet since your not even sure if they are trying to claim any of the corals. They may just be testing them out and may or may not find them appealing. I'd give it some time and see what happens.

 

[MsBeanCtr]

You may get differing opinions on urchins in general but since you are doing a reef, I'd pass. They are clumbsy and really should have more space and liverock to feed from. The one you see in my pic is a common purple urchin that was a hitchhiker. He was a bit of a pain because he would plow through the corals, knocking them over. They really aren't graceful at all.

You're being so diplomatic I have two tuxedo urchins (which I enjoy a lot) that are constantly dragging things around and moving them. I think roka has a picture of his dragging around a hydrometer! They are neat creatures but be prepared for some moving around. Also, keep in mind that they will pretty much strip all of the algae from your live rock.

Just want to make sure you're aware of some naughty things that they do.

 

[melosu58]

Why did you have to take the anemone back? Couldnt keep both?

It was always moving around messing with my corals. Had to go.

 

[Fluff]

LOL I have a pincusion that is a grabber of things as well. But he was talking about a long spine and I don't believe they pick things up. They will eat all algae, including coralline but with its long spines, grace is just not something I'd think of when considering one, especially in a small tank.

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

maybe ill hold off on the urchin to put in to the 55 gal. any thoughts on a marbal, or serpent, or brittle star?