Hello everyone, Friday night I got two baby clowns from the LFS. Drip acclimated them both carefully. They are the only fish in the tank. At first they were just swimming in one corner of the tank and after a few hours they both went this little nook and haven't come out. They just lay in there. Also it seems like they're digging a deeper cave with the sand. This morning one of them were laying sideways, when I got up close to take a look they switched spots and the other one started laying on its side at the very inside of the little nook. It's been two days now and I don't think they have done a full lap around the tank. Should I be worried? Thanks for your time.
New clown shy or sick?
- Thread starter Al.Ilgaz
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obscurereef
Aquarium Advice Addict
They are probably just stressed, but what are you parameters?
Ph is at 8.2 everything else is zero. I had 3 damsels that I brought back to the LFS and picked up the clowns. After I cycled the tank, just to make sure, I treated the tank with nite-out for two weeks. It's a three month old tank.
TommyP
Aquarium Advice Addict
my clowns acted a little strange after acclimation. after a week went by they were all over the tank but seemed to make their territory to the right side. I hope all is well and they end up coming out and swim around for you.
TheTodd
Aquarium Advice Addict
The breathing could be stress. I saw you have some older posts asking about cycling and one even mentions a long nose butterfly. Are you sure the tank is cycled and how is that butterfly acting? How are the clowns today? Adding three fish in a month is pushing it, IMO.
I brought back the butterfly to the LFS because I was worried. I'm new to the hobby, a couple days after I got him I detected a small amount of nitrites, I panicked and took him back because I don't have a qt. So I waited another month with just the damsels in the tank and instead of taking chances I got the nite-out stuff and used it for a couple weeks. I took the damsels back and got two baby clowns, the parameters look too good to be true no nitrites either. I took the water to the store as well to get it tested and they check out with what I'm getting.
Today they seem slightly a little more active, but they keep going back to that spot and sticking their noses as deep into that cave as they can. They're only eating what passes by that little cave. I don't know if I should keep the lights on or off, I don't know what to do to de-stress them.
If I had to do this all over again I would never do a fish-in cycle! Hope a beginner sees this and thinks twice, what a pain in the neck. You get so excited and just want to put fish in. Just be patient and do a fish less cycle, it's a lot easier to do and in the end you get to put the species you actually want a heck of a lot quicker.
TheTodd
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you had damsels in for over a month, then odds are it is cycled. A couple of small clowns probably won't hurt.
Eating is usually a good sign. Them being a little more adventurous is a good sign too. It's been years since I've had clowns, so I'm not sure about the behavior. They might just be looking for a place that they feel safe in. Are there places for them to hide in your tank ? maybe they are trying to create their own safe spot?
Eating is usually a good sign. Them being a little more adventurous is a good sign too. It's been years since I've had clowns, so I'm not sure about the behavior. They might just be looking for a place that they feel safe in. Are there places for them to hide in your tank ? maybe they are trying to create their own safe spot?
Yea there are a good amount of places they can hide in. They actually probably picked the least safe spot in the tank.
Reeffanman
Aquarium Advice Freak
The diatoms also lead me to believe its has somewhat cycled. Keep checking levels and pwc's
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