Clown in Trouble

[whodini6]

OK so here is the story. I just received my fish on friday from SWF and my clown seemed to be doing good during acclimation but all of a sudden yesterday morning i looked ta him and he was laying on the bottom of the tank breathing heavy. i was not to sure what to do so i did a 10 gallon water change and come later in the afternoon he seemed to be doing great, swimming around and being active. So then last night after the lights were shut off i noticed he was back at the same spot, breathing heavy again. i am not to sure what to think so any advise would be awesome.
Tank 75 gallon
Ammonia- 0
Nitrate- 0
Nitrite- 0
PH- 8.4
Salinity- 1.023

 

[pagoona]

I had a clown that did the exact same thing. Every night he would go back to the same spot and lay on the sand. He also had a really strange swimming pattern, like he continuously bobbed up and down.
When I first set up my tank I was using a cheap floating hydrometer, so in an effort to find out if there was anything wrong with the conditions, I bought a more expensive needle hydrometer. What the floating hydrometer said was 1.021, the the needle hydrometer said it was over 1.030! I assumed that's why the clownfish was acting so strange so I lowered the salinity. He didn't stop, but he only lived 2 months. I now have 2 clownfish and they thrive at 1.024.

 

[whodini6]

I use a refractometer to test salinity and the 1.023 is what i have been reading since day one.

 

[bigarn]

what's the temp? the 1.023 is specific gravity not salinity. a temp of 82 and a specific gravity of about 1.025 should give you a salinity of about 35ppt which is perfect if this is a reef system.

 

[whodini6]

I had an issue with the temp changing but that was before i added the fish. my temp did a 78.4 to 81.5 and then back to 79.6 and is been holding the 79.6 since i added my fish. I am not going to go all out right away with the reef systems just a few coral and what not but i know what people say that once i get into it i will want more.

 

[whodini6]

Anyone?

 

[lexluethar]

The fish could just be aclimatin to the new environment. I've heard of people's clowns acting really weird when first purchased and a few weeks after - bobing up and down and swiming erratically at times. If he is fine in the morning / day and just acts weird at night maybe that is how it sleeps...?
I know lame reasons - just food for thought.

 

[spanko]

Is it tank raised or wild?
If wild I had two of them die on me until I finally went with tank raised and they have been fine.
Something to think about. Stress on wild cauget is sometimes more than they can handle.

 

[whodini6]

They are tank raised which i figured would be more hardy then wild ones. I am hoping that its just stressed or that thats how it rests. also could the amount of flow have anything to do with the amount of stress that he may be dealing with. when i look at the tanks and my fish swimming it looks like they work hard but then again it could just be me worrying

 

[spanko]

Hmmmm.... My tank raised took right off eating and clowning around. Did you do a good job of acclimating it? Otherwise maybe he just needs a little time to get use to his new home. Is he eating well?
Hope his is okay they are great little fish.

 

[whodini6]

thats the thing he is eating and everything. its just very strange that one day he is crazy swimming around and then in the morning he looks no good. i am hoping he is just getting used to his new home. i will find out more when i get home from work today. i hope he is still alive.