Clown Fish Always On Surface?

tamz273

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Jul 13, 2008

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Aug 3, 2008

• #1

Hey guys,
I've been pesting you guys with questions, but this hopefully will be the last one..
Well, my tank finished cycling and i added my first clownfish yesterday! The only thing is that the clownfish is always swimming on the surface of the water... and keeps peeking up... it kinda looks like its trying to "breath"..

any ideas?

 

Andrew225

A little bit of everything

Jun 26, 2007

166

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Colorado

Aug 3, 2008

• #2

Amonia poisoning, possibly.
My first clownfish was doing that right before she died...monitor closely.

My other clownfish, my new one, does that (Bobbing up and down when i come near the tank) because she knows food is on the way...

 

lucy42083

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Jan 20, 2008

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Wappingers Falls, NY

Aug 3, 2008

• #3

Usually that's a sign of ammonia poisoning or other bad water parameters -- what are your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels reading with a good liquid test kit??

 

park83

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Dec 2, 2006

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central PA

Aug 3, 2008

• #4

Mine do that too sometimes. Little orange sharks, they are. I think its just in anticipation of food...

 

Amphiprion

Contain the Excitement...

Feb 14, 2007

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Mobile, Alabama

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Andrew

Aug 3, 2008

• #5

It is hard to say. Clownfish, especially captive raised ones, can become quite tame. Above and beyond that, they are odd in their behaviors--including "peeking" upward. Maybe if you can post some parameters, that would help a bit. Also, doing a water change in the meantime won't hurt, either.

 

tamz273

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Jul 13, 2008

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Aug 3, 2008

• #6

my ammonia is 0.2-0.3, which i also mentioned on another post because it was 0 yesterday (at the end of the cycle) and i put in the clownfish n the ammonia rose up a little bit..
my nitrite is .3ppm
nitrate is <20...

 

Gangstafish

gangstafish

Dec 10, 2006

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long IslandNY

Aug 3, 2008

• #7

How warm is your tank? Fish gasp for air when the water is too warm also.

 

Amphiprion

Contain the Excitement...

Feb 14, 2007

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Mobile, Alabama

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Andrew

Aug 3, 2008

• #8

tamz273 said:

my ammonia is 0.2-0.3, which i also mentioned on another post because it was 0 yesterday (at the end of the cycle) and i put in the clownfish n the ammonia rose up a little bit..
my nitrite is .3ppm
nitrate is <20...

Click to expand...

Get your bucket, pump, tubing and/or python ready. You need to keep those levels down and a water change is the best way to do it at this point.

 

BToast

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Jan 6, 2008

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Orange County,CA

Aug 3, 2008

• #9

Water temp?

 

tamz273

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Aug 4, 2008

• #10

im doing a water change right after this post... my water temp is 26.4C, not sure how much that is exactly in F...