Clownfish Question

[Gauge]

Maybe this should go in the "Sick" forum, but I don't really think my fish is sick... I am just curious if his activity is normal.

I just bought a clownfish (to replace a chromis, for those who follow my biological rollercoaster of a tank... not adding to the load at the moment), and it's not moving around in the tank. It just stays in the same corner all the time and doesn't really move around. He isn't completely stationary, but in the last 12 hours or so he hasn't bothered to explore the tank. He isn't breathing fast or showing signs of disease or stress. He reacts to stimuli like normal, it seems.

Is this just normal activity for a clownfish? I've never noticed them being terribly mobile while in stores (even when they don't have an anemone). I'm concerned by the fact that he isn't moving around much, but he really looks fine.

[reefrunner69]

Is this just normal activity for a clownfish? I've never noticed them being terribly mobile while in stores (even when they don't have an anemone). I'm concerned by the fact that he isn't moving around much, but he really looks fine.

This would be considered normal behavior for any new fish or a fish that is beginning to suffer from parasitic infestation, hard to tell. This fish was placed in quarantine....right?

It can be very normal for clowns to do this. Even once acclimated to the tank and they are "settled", they will rarely stray far from the territory they end up claiming.

Keep tabs on it's general behavour and color to be sure. Has it been eating?

How are the numbers looking?

Cheers
Steve

[Gauge]

This fish was placed in quarantine....right?

No, but for two very good reasons... first of all, I don't have a QT tank at the moment, and secondly there's only one other fish in the tank right now and he's coming out today. Not much there to infect for now. If there was something at risk, I would certainly do that.

they will rarely stray far from the territory they end up claiming.

He's hanging out up at the front of the tank away from the live rock. Does this seem normal? I would figure he'd pick a spot with cover. Or, are clownfish just not the hiding type? At the store they're never in tanks with rocks, that I've seen, so I wouldn't know.

Keep tabs on it's general behavour and color to be sure.

No problem there. I watch my tank like it's the best movie ever pretty much every day.

Has it been eating?

I haven't fed him yet. I just got him last night, and per everyone's advice I make sure not to feed more than every other day so I can keep my nitrites down. I'll either feed him at lunch time today or when I get home tonight.

[reefrunner69]

No, but for two very good reasons... first of all, I don't have a QT tank at the moment, and secondly there's only one other fish in the tank right now and he's coming out today. Not much there to infect for now.

Well, this tank has yet to be fishless for the recommended 4-6 weeks necessary to erradicate the parasites that have plagued your tank from start up. There is the clown fish to infect, plus the other fish that is being removed. Unless you leave the tank fishless and begin to quarantine your new fish, you will always have a parasite problem.

[stycki]

are u saying it is recommended to leave your fish tank fishless for 4 -6 weeks...sorry for repeating...but can u explain more????

[Gauge]

He's read some of my other posts. I had ich in my tank, and it is recommended that when you have ich you remove the fish from your tank for 4-6 weeks to allow the ich to go one full life cycle without any hosts, and thus die off.

[PrettyFishies]

you can setup a QT for under $30 --- a 10 gal, sponge filter, PVC pipe and an air pump...

I learned my lesson that its best to QT new fish... cause you always seem to have problems..

[HoopsGuru]

No, but for two very good reasons... first of all, I don't have a QT tank at the moment.

I just wanted to reaffirm was has pretty much been said already. Not having a Q-tank is just not a good reason. They are so simple to setup as PF explained that it should be a no-brainer on everyone's list of startup items needed to get into this hobby.

Less than $30 to set one up i'm sure is less than what you have lost in livestock already, or in the future.

[Gauge]

Well, all that aside... (hehe, you guys remind me of the birds in Finding Nemo, except instead of all saying "Mine" you're all saying "QT tank" at the same time, rofl)... I went home for lunch, and the clownfish is doing just fine. He's swimming around like normal, and he ate very well. I think he's gonna be alright, even if it is just luck on my part.

[mansiz]

Hi Gauge, i bought three clown fish two days ago, they were like what you had said, stay at a corner, not moving around the tank, but they did swim a little around the corner, how do you make your clown fish became active? They were very active at the LFS.

[Gauge]

Well, I tried scaring mine away from the corner with the net, but there were two problems... First, it didn't work. He just swam in circles avoiding me and making me look like an idiot. Second, it was kind of stressing him out a bit, and since he was just put in the tank, that's probably not a good idea.

The next day he was swimming around like normal. Are your fish just hanging out in a general area a lot, or have they never left that area? Because mine did not leave his corner at all for the first 12 hours or so. He didn't even give the tank a quick exploring, he just stayed there.

[BillyZ]

Well, I tried scaring mine away from the corner with the net... it was kind of stressing him out a bit, and since he was just put in the tank, that's probably not a good idea.

8O

i think not a good idea is perhaps an understatement. New fish often act this way because they are already stressed. Chasing them with your net or other means to "Scare" them into moving around is the absolute last thing you want to do. Doing so causes more stress. For any fish, something trying to "Catch" them means simply it's trying to EAT them and this is not a happy feeling for anyone or anything! You simply have to be patient and let him calm down on his own. As you stated, after a day or two he was just fine.

[mansiz]

Or was it because there is no hiding places for them, so they feel stress? The live rocks are out of stock, the LFS owner told me to buy the fish first and add in the live rocks later. The whole tank just consist of two tube worms, three clowns and a cleaner wrass. Before the fishes are place in, the water have been cycle for quite some time.

Originally Posted by mansiz

the LFS owner told me to buy the fish first and add in the live rocks later.

How old is the tank?

If purchasing LR and adding after the fish, you should re-cure it in a plastic bin/bucket prior to placing in the tank to avoid any spikes in your water quality. After about a week if there are no NH4 or NO2 readings, you should be good to go providing it was purchased as cured rock.

I would not suggest pruchasing uncured LR at this point unless you have a place for it to cure for a few weeks at least.

You can read this >>arcticle<< for better info.

Cheers
Steve

[two11devan]

I have had LR in my tank since i got my clowns. Neither of them have explored the rocks, they stay in the middle or at the top of the tank. They swim back and forth and all that, but they just don't seem to care about checking out any hiding places, and they are the only 2 fish in there....is this normal? iv'e had them for a couple of weeks, they are eating normal and look fine, i just thought that clowns liked to stake out a hiding spot!

[sokhamik]

clowns do that.. mines have their SECURE spots and that's where they stay just to hang out after they eat... all of my fishes from damsels to cowfish have a spot where they go after they get full... both of my clownfish when first introduce stayed at a corner.. i think it is normal.. i think a lot of people experience that with clowns..

Clowns are not what you would consider "explorers" as such. Very common for them to stick to one general area of the tank.

Once they begin showing mating behavour, they will claim a certain area of the tank where they will aggressively defend the territory. Which could be anything from a hole in the sand to the equipment in the tank itself. 8O

Cheers
Steve