Clown Fish Sleeping Habits

[Oliver]

I have just purchased a mated pair of ocellaris clown fish and I just noticed that when I went into my room to look at the tank after lights out, they were swimming like an eel! Is this normal?? Because when I turned the light on, they snapped out of it like they were sleeping.

Your help is grealty appreciated :)

[LonersBlaze]

isnt that how clownfish are supposed to swim?
they dont swim the same way most other fish do

[Oliver]

I found out from my LFS that tey swimm differently at night when they are sleeping. It looks like they are possesed, quite intreging.

[axepilot]

I have a thermometer in the front corner of my tank. My percula clown jams himself face directly up between the thermometer and the side glass when he sleeps.

And the non hobbyists say that they don't have personalities! :)

[ToonPack]

I've got a mated pair, as my first additions to my first ever tank :D 2 weeks ago and they go between my overflow pipe and where I keep my cleaning magnet and just "hover there" - thats if you can hover at the wriggle, at lights out. Mind you they sharp come out of there if there's any other light in the room looking for food (greedy little so and so's)

They are REAL characters, and seem really settled which is cool, after my "first fish" stress.

[corriewf]

They swim funny hence the name clown fish lol.

[flying carpet]

If you have anemone then they will spend the night in it than swimming around. Just like my maroon clown.

[ToonPack]

If you have anemone then they will spend the night in it than swimming around. Just like my maroon clown.

Unfortunately I'm WAY to much of a newbie to attempt an anemone for them :(

[TKOS]

They will form a bond with many things. My brother's clowns use his open brain coral. He had an anemone (which died) but they never liked it. You can try rubber aneonmes as well or little clay flower pots.

[FL Knifemaker]

My Clarkii sleeps totally wrapped up in my humungus Rose/bubble tip anemone. I cold reach in and grab him in my hand if I wanted too. He looks like he's in a comma :rolleyes:

[skippy2]

My pair of clowns sleep in a pair of hairy mushrooms. It is just so much fun to watch them.

[wastememphis]

Mine went from loving an anemone to much to my mushrooms and now they lay in the corner by the mushrooms... but they first must move all my sand around so they can see the bottom glass and then they kidna hover layn' on that all night. :rolleyes: :thud:

[Oliver]

I have now found that my male swimms at the surface, with his top fin out of the water like a shark when he is sleeping, they are so funny! Thanks alot for all your wonderful comments.

[Particleman]

That's exactly what mine does, swims at the very top of the water in a corner wedged between the heater and the tank wall. I do have a mermaids fan plant that he seems to be favoring during the day. They are strange little beasties!

[axepilot]

Another funny clownfish habit - every now and then one of my yellow tail damsels decides to have a showdown with the clownfish. The clownfish faces directly head down and freezes. It confuses the damsel and he just swims away. :)

Clownfish are definitely "personality" fishes.

[Oliver]

yea, they are wicked fish. The other thing that is so cool about them is how the mated pair stick together so passionatly. They are always in a centimeters of eachother and if one gets scared, its straight back to the other one. A funny thing I just noticed is if you put some brine shrimp in the tank with all the powerheads on, and they frantically swimm for them. I normally turn the powerheads of at feeding time but I did this to see what happened, it isn't something that I would suggest to do ofted, may get enoying for the fish.

[JoeJoeJoe]

My Maroon (which is now about 4 years old) will sometimes lay down almost completely horizontal, near his favourite piece of LR. It was a bit of a shock the first I saw him in this position. :)

[axepilot]

When I set up my new tank a few months ago, my fiance wanted a "Nemo". She cracked me up a few days after I introduced my clown saying "But, he's so goofy!" :D

[Oliver]

they do look a bit goofy but I think that is one of the things I love about them.