Percula clown won't come down?

[Guest]

I decided to add a percula to round out my tank. True perc from Vanuatu. Really great color and about 2-3 inches. After the acclimation from hell where I dropped him in the sink and dumped him on his head into another container, he is doing okay. Only problem is that he hangs out at the top corner behind a power head. Will he come down eventually and settle in? I don't see nipped fins so I don't think it is an aggression issue from another fish.

75 gallon with 100lbs of rock all levels are great.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

For some reason clownfish seem to like to hang out at the top for a while. All the clownfish I have had have done this for a day or two and they slowly start coming down and swimming aroung the whole tank.

 

[zenn]

i think it's a matter of flow and current in the tank. Clowns like it where the water isn't moving much. But the don't like to hang out in the rocks much either. So maybe on top of and behind a powerhead is a place where the water movement isn't much and he likes that.

I dont' know this to be a fact....but IME, this seems to be the case.

 

[Guest]

Hmmm, I do have a lot of water movement in the tank. I just want to make sure he is not to stressed out. Flame Hawk gives him a hard time every now and then but he has swam around the tank and had a bite of garlic soaked frozen food.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I have found that my clownfish love to play in the current not avoid it.

 

[Fluff]

After the trama of acclimation, it could be just shock. I'd just give it some time.

 

[Jermz79]

Give him some time ... He'll come down! Mine did this for about a week and now he surfs the currents between the two powerheads!

 

[HoopsGuru]

This is one of the great reasons for QT. Fish get acclimated to "tank life" on their own terms without the stress of enountering unknown fish, etc. The clowns i added when I first started in the hobby stayed at the powerheads for weeks...the clowns I have QT'ed and released into the display have immediately sought out territory amongst the rock/corals/etc.

 

[Guest]

Well it's day 2 and he still prefers the powerhead but will venture around the tank without too much animosity from the other fish. He is still clean and I don't see any signs of disease. Wierd little fish. I have been in the hobby for 15 years and never kept a percula.

 

[HoopsGuru]

What was your first tank....and what method of filtration did you use? Do you feel the changes in filtration now (liverock, etc.) are easier than before (I ask because there is a cool thread on RC of a 20 year old tank that still uses very old methods).