View Full Version : clownfish urgent question
i know im probably wiggin out, but to clownfish normally sleep on the bottom? i bought two clowns yesterday evening, and when i turned the light on, one of the clowns was on the bottom, and he was bretheing heavy, but a couple minutes later he was swimming around. is this normal? do clowns sleep like that? all my parameters are good. nitrates is the only thing thats a little high and its at 30. its a 75 gallon tank, with two damsels, 2 pecrula clowns, and a banded shrimp.
thanx
was it laying on it's side or anything? Mine normaly just hoovers in the back of the tank near the bottom at night... But i've never seen him go still or 'lay down'.
JasonA
01-28-2004, 10:52 AM
I guess it depends on the species, but my 2 false perculas will lay both on the bottom and lay on their side in their little "lovers area".... and other places in the tank....
been doing for a long long time and no problems so I'd say OK...
I have 2 clowns, 1 Puff, 2 Puesdo, 1 Damsel, 1 Boxfish and I've seen them all do weird things while sleeping...
he seems to be OK, but hes doesnt swim as ellagant as the other one. and yes he was actually laying on the bottom :shake: if seen freshwater fish do it, so im trying to chill out a little bit. i hope they are gonna be ok :( they just scared me. the other one was actually up really close to the surface, i thought he was belly up, but after the lights were on for a few, he started to zoom all around the tank. maybe they were just stressed from the move? the lfs just got them yesterday morning
thanx
the one that was laying on the bottom didnt make it :(
Sorry about your loss ! I'm no expert but, I always wait at least a week befor I buy a recent arival from the lfs. I try to wander in at least once and see if they are acting normal and so are their friends. If any fish in the tank are I don't buy.
normally i do, but i know the owner, and he is gonna give me a new one when they come in. where i live, lfs only get about 4 clowns in every few weeks, and they are sold within the first few days. :( still not sure what could have happened. i adapted him right to the new conditions. he was fine at first. i hope it wasnt anything i did. :(
I guess that it was probably shipping stress . You wouldn't know if it was wild caught or tank raised would you? I've read that the mortality rate for wild caught clowns is huge.
dunno. supposidly tank raised, but who knows these days.
are clownfish very active swimmers? my pecrula swims with what looks like alot of effort and goes no where :) is this normal? hes small, not even an inch long yet
mogurnda
01-29-2004, 9:53 AM
Clowns are fairly poor swimmers. After years of watching the precision movements of cichlids, I was certain that my clowns were sick when I first watched them. They jostle and shimmy a lot more than seems necessary. But it's all relative. They get worse when ill.
i guess im just freaking out. the other one i knew something was wrong cause he wasnt moving his tail when he was swimming. the one thats still alive just seems like hes swimming in place. he eats a little, but not as much as i would like him to. not sure why, the first day, he gobbled up everything in sight.
mogurnda
01-29-2004, 10:18 AM
It has been a long time, but I seem to recall my clowns being a bit finicky when they were first in the tank. Only ate stuff small enough to easily fit in their mouths. At some point they became the ravenous pigs they are today.
It is really hard to know what's normal with new fish, but if the fish is eating, its belly isn't pinched in, and has decent color, it is probably OK.
Sregnar35
01-29-2004, 10:33 AM
That seems to be one of the toughest parts of this hobby, the only way to know if your inhabitants are truly thriving is to wait about 5 years.
hehe thanx guys. i guess im just a worrier :)
he still doesnt seem to eat very well :( anything you can suggest?