mated clown fish parting ways?

[9g]

my mated clown fish are about 4 years old(i think). i happen to have 2 sides where pulsing xenia are stationed.

the male separated from the female and went to another Xenia group and took shelter.

the female stayed on their original Xenia group but i thought i should bring them back together so i gently move the female to where the male is and they stayed there for like a week.

now, the male went back to their original home and left the famale alone. again. this happened when the lights were on. i thought maybe on the first one, it was just dark so one of them got lost.

now the question is should i still try to get them together or its time for them to call it quits. hey, maybe they are also affected by this rough economy. hehe

 

[9g]

tried to get them together again but they dont want to go next to each other anymore. i have a feeling one of them is about to die.

 

[FastFly67]

aw, can't you get them into fishy counseling or something?

 

[austinsdad]

One thing I do believe is that no matter what you do, they'll determine their own fate. I'll bet you can't convince them to do anything. Usually when one is sick, the healthy one picks on the sick one. Won't let it eat some times too.

 

[Tank2379]

Mines has been beating on the smaller clown for like three weeks but they end up sleeping in the same Anemone every morning I wake up..... They have an up and down relationship.... Hope that makes you feel better...

 

[9g]

my tank is so sad right now, i only have the mated clown fish and a hippo tang.

none of them wants to eat.

maybe it was the hippo tang that was the third party that caused all of this.

anyways, the male just went under and hid away under the rocks. i think it might be his last days.



but maybe there's a happy ending.

 

[austinsdad]

Everybody is unhappy and not eating? maybe there's another reason. Check the water readings.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Everybody is unhappy and not eating? maybe there's another reason. Check the water readings.

Agree 100%

Any other specifics about the tank would be welcome as well

 

[nanoluvr]

Everybody is unhappy and not eating? maybe there's another reason. Check the water readings.

Yeah, I agree too. You need to look at the water. Fast. Don't assume they aren't hungry because they're having relationship issues, lol. They may not be hungry because the water quality is making then sick.

 

[9g]

yeah i thought that too but water is ok. i do partial water change every 2 weeks.

ill do another change this week.

they now have their own territories now except the hippo tang that circle around them from side to side.

 

[austinsdad]

I'm still wondering what "OK" is. I can't tell you how many folks have said that in the past, only to find out later there was only "a small bit of nitrites", or salinity was 1.019, or nitrates were "only 40 ppm".

 

[CaptainAhab]

HEY! Easy on the nitrate cracks! On a good month I'd die for 40's

Do you test your water? If so, we're looking for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate(grrr), SG, PH, calc and alk in general.

 

[9g]

i only test for nitrite and nitrate.

nitrite = 0
nitrate =20-30

salinity is 1.027

although i think what it may be.

i just realized hot the water was. the temp was set at 70 but its has to be atleast 80+ in there. i took out the heater for now.

i know its probably bad but how bad is this?

 

[austinsdad]

Not too bad. I prefer the salinity at between 1.022 and 1.025. Try to get the nitrates to 20 or below. Otherwise, I see no fatal issues. Ph?

 

[CaptainAhab]

70? really?

 

[9g]

unfortunately i dont have a test kit for the ph levels. well i do but i dont remember where i put it in.

update, the clowns has reunited again.

im gonna go ahead and do another water change and hopefully this would cheer them up a bit.

thanks for the advice peeps!

 

[9g]

aww.. the female still follows the male but the male just keeps running away.

 

[Sadielynn]

Sounds like there are deeper issues . Since no one has said it it may well be the tang .. He is going to get too big for a 9 gallon and they carry ich like a magnet .. and while you may not see the spots it wont be long before they show if they become stressed .. 3 fish in a 9 gallon with one being a tang is way over maxed out ..
It sounds like you are not ready for fish as well .
You should be testing for :
Ammonia
NitrIte
NitrAtes : These should be less than 20 with corals
Ph , will change a bit with lights on and off .. It will be higher with lights on than off ..
and your trace minerals since you have corals .
SPG 1.024-1.026 with 1.027 being on the high end of acceptable ..
You should also have a temp probe in your tank to coincide with the heater ..I run my tank with fans and an open top (with egg crate) at 77*-78* with a one degree variance, + - controlled with the RK2 ...
I run 2 diffrent thermometers in my tank .. 1 is on the RK2 and the other is a digital thermometer .. I also have a meat thermometer (digital) to do a calibration with if I suspect something is up .
If your top is closed you may be having oxygen issues as well .
Doing the water changes is good but there are other things needed ..
Clowns are funny ... My 2 that I have paired so to speak but not fully , they will go for a week as buddies then seperate . Just watch because one may be come over dominate and kill the other after all they are damsels HTH GL

 

[9g]

9 gallons? i should be tortured if i put 3 fishes in a 9 gallon tank.

I have a 72 bow front with 3 fish and a fire shrimp.

either way, they are now happy in their own set of Zenia and ill just let them be.

 

[Sadielynn]

Then I owe you an apology .
I took from your name the tank size .
I apologize