Clown fish behaviour

I can finally start threads!!  Ah well I'm not gonna explain that.. There's only like..4 of you that knows what I mean.. lol

Ok, got two oscellaris clowns -- and its day 2.  The one just started swimming up and down like crazy.. almost like it was tryin to get outta the tank.. while the littler one was doin the same , but would stop only when this first one would... i read that it could mean they are dying?

then the little one just swam to the bottom of the tank, and curled up beside the liverocks crater, and kinda leaned against it and 'stopped swimming'... for almost 5 minutes!  And then just swam away immediately!  er.. whats going on?!

sorry -- i blanked on that.. mah bad. 

10 gallon tank

4 weeks old

12 pounds of live rock

aquaclear 20 - filter floss and thats it

ammonia 0

nitrites - 0

nitrates 5-10

pH ranges from 7.9-8.2

sg: 1.025

Im using tetratest for everything except nitrates -- thats api something.. i believe

thanks in advance

yea i was gonna keep them here for a couple months till i get the 40.. thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wilioli 

yea i was gonna keep them here for a couple months till i get the 40.. thanks

40 gallon.. lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTLDreef 

It depends what type of clowns they are. I have successfully kept a pair of clowns in 10-20G tanks for years. Of course, you really can't put much else in there with them, less maybe a small goby.

 

It sounds like they're just getting used to their environment.

Get better test kits though.

better test kits? like?  they're pricey! lol.. the tetratest is like 35 bucks, the next one up at my lfs (dont remeber the name) is 150 bucks! lol, not sure if thats standard prices tho..  u sayin that i could get a small goby as well? or is that more towards the 20g setup? i need somethin to clean my sand -- the hermit crabs refuse to touch the sand and stay on the rock all day.. lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTLDreef 

 

IMO, Tretratests aren't that great. You'd be better off with a API test kit. If you want to do it right, this is the best option in my opinion:

Nitrate: SeaChem Nitrate/Nitrite combo test kit

Ammonia: SeaChem or API

Phosphate: Salifert

Calcium: Salifert or Elos

Alkalinity (KH, dKH, Carbonate Hardness): Salifert (API seems to be very close as well)

pH: the API test is fine, but I prefer a probe

 

You could do a small goby in that set up. A Greenbanded Goby would be a good option.

 

As for your sand, get some Nassarius snails and Cerith snails, that will help a lot with the cleaning.

wow, hey thanks for that breakdown, ill follow that for sure.. i thougth u meant other brands that weren't api.. i can get api for sure.. and ill look into salifert.. prolly have to order it online...

my pH test is ridiculous.. im pretty sure its 'wrong', and 'off'... but..  meh...

i cant get snails cause my crabs keep killing them... ive lost two -- they dont even take the shells, just MURDER.. lol..  might have to get rid of the snails, and ill do my homework on the greenbanded goby.  thanks again
 

id like to answer this with knowing that I was the one who started this thread and had the same doubts.. lol -- it seems that after  a few days the clowns are fine.. and were perhaps 'hosting' different parts of the tank.  Also, from other things i've read, it could've have been something along the lines of 'new tank syndrome' -- my impression of that is they act like wierdo's till they get used to the tank...  my clowns do that a lot at night also...  but during the day are very graceful and purposeful with their movements.  Another thing as well -- ive been told and have read that clowns should be in pairs?  I know a lot of people have just one clown -- but you have a 55 gallon, i dont think it would hurt if you got another clown that was smaller than the one you have now..? hth

yea i agree -- do not get different kinds of clowns...even getting 3 of the same kind of clown creates problems...   just get the same clown

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTLDreef 

 

I ended up removing all of my hermits from my tank because of this. They've all been banished to refugiums.

IMO, snails and shrimp are far better cleaners than hermit crabs anyways. Besides killing my snails just for sport, by hermits were also knocking over corals and irritating my SPS, that's when I decided it was enough.

I meant remove my snails not crabs.. but  u got that.. anyways -- yea they're GOONS..  I don't have a refugium yet... I might have to give them away!  They really are bullies.. lol.. I didnt think I'd see personalities in crabs at all.. but they're little princess goons!  I agree -- snails and shrimp seem to do a waay better job ..  you've got me hooked on the green goby tho..  my lfs doesnt have it...im just waiting ... lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTLDreef 

 

Before I had a refugium, I'd buy very small hermits, and the minute they got large enough where I knew they'd start hunting down my snails, I traded them back to the LFS for small ones again. This just got tiring after a while and now they can fight amongst themselves in the various refugiums I have.

 

I LOVE the green banded goby. Even with all the stores I have near me, I've never seen it in a store. I'm waiting until I move and then making a big order and this guy is on the list.

oh wow, so u'll be receiving it in the mail....?  whats the life expectancy of livestock like that when they're shipped in a box for more than 24 hours??  is it certain species like goby's that do better?