Clown fish behaviour

wilioli

wilioli

Member
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?!
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
I know nothing about your tank, so before I or anyone else makes any comments about what is going on, can you post some info about your tank,
how old is it?
water parameters?
filtration?
etc
 
kender

kender

Member
Grats on finally getting your access back. Took you long enough... slacker.
On a serious note, like btld says, more info plz!
 
wilioli

wilioli

Member
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
 
levinjac

levinjac

Active Member
it seems ok but the clowns will eventualy out grow a 10 gallon tank my clowns did the same thing for 3 days then stopped?
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by levinjac http:///forum/thread/381502/clown-fish-behaviour#post_3323746
it seems ok but the clowns will eventualy out grow a 10 gallon tank my clowns did the same thing for 3 days then stopped?
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.
 
wilioli

wilioli

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/381502/clown-fish-behaviour#post_3323751
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
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilioli http:///forum/thread/381502/clown-fish-behaviour#post_3323755
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
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.
 
wilioli

wilioli

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/381502/clown-fish-behaviour#post_3323767
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
 
mind83

mind83

New Member
Hi all. This is my first time posting so I'm not real sure if I am doing this correctly. I am also fairly new to the whole saltwater fish tank thing. However I have the same issues as the original poster. My differences is I only have one clown fish and a 55 gallon tank. My water is good, I take it to my local fish store to get it checked. Like the original poster my Clown would just swim straight at the corner and now I've seen it laying on top of the live rock. Any suggestion would be great thanks. Also if I messed anything up with posting let me know that too.
 
wilioli

wilioli

Member
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
 
mind83

mind83

New Member
Thanks so much I will update you if something changes. I have heard the same thing about pairs of clown fish. I will probably end up getting another clown to help out. Does anyone know if I have to get the same kind of Clown? The store that I bought it from not only has the same kind but also from the same mother. They do have the other kind of Clown fish too that I would like to get. I was thinking about getting a Fire Clown. Do you think that they would be OK together and get the same effect from pairing? Thanks so much.
 
scott t

scott t

Active Member
No you can not get a different kind of clown they will fight with each other and maybe even kill each other.. You have to get the same kind of clown that you currently have.. You should never mix different clowns...
 
wilioli

wilioli

Member
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
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilioli http:///forum/thread/381502/clown-fish-behaviour#post_3323804
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
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.
 
wilioli

wilioli

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/381502/clown-fish-behaviour#post_3324221
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
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilioli http:///forum/thread/381502/clown-fish-behaviour#post_3324241
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
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.
 
wilioli

wilioli

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/381502/clown-fish-behaviour#post_3324392
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?
 
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