clownfish odd behavior?

dsbdude

dsbdude

Member
This is a 150G tank. My occelaris clownfish was my second fish added right after my chromis. I then added a sixline wrasse a couple weeks later. During these times with these three fish the clownfish, although smaller than the wrasse, seemed to be the boss of the tank. It would swim around the tank all day and even sometimes at night. Last week, I added a Blue Hippo Tang. All tank mates seemed to get along fine and everything was good. My clownfish is now acting different as of a few days ago. It now stays by its favorite rock all day and seems scared of the Blue Hippo(biggest fish now), especially when i throw in mysis shrimp for feeding. I mean it basically stays in an imaginary 4 inch cubicle space. Could this be a change of "bosses" in the tank(i.e. the blue hippo replacing the clown as boss?). The clownfish may be stressed because he isn't used to being "not the boss"? My clownfish just doesn't seem like its old self.

BTW Here is the length i have had all of my fish...tank is about 3 months old as in it has been cycled for 3 months
Chromis 5 weeks
Clownfish 4 weeks
Sixline 3 weeks
Blue Hippo 1 week
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Just setting up a pecking order. As long as it is getting food and eating it should be no problem here.
 
dsbdude

dsbdude

Member
when i feed the tank, it doesnt move from its spot...it'll eat maybe 2 bites but that is it...it is breathing a little faster then normal
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Well if you had some bully keeping you in an area you couldn't move from chances are you would be breathing pretty hard too. Try feeding the rest of the fish in an area on the other end of the tank from where the clown resides. When they go to eat target some food down to the clown. Use a new turkey baster for this. Gotta make sure it is getting its nutrients until this jostling for territory settles down.
 
dsbdude

dsbdude

Member
Ok, now my clownfish is hiding/wedging himself under a rock....he looks like he is dying. Swimbladder looks out of wack now...two false percs have died in my tank, this will be the third. These are the only deaths in my tank.
 
dsbdude

dsbdude

Member
yeah, i think the clown was just too stressed out when the big hippo came in...he was pretty small (1 inch) and hippo was 3 inches. Hippo could easily out compete him for food, clown was somewhat slow due to his size/swimming motion.
 
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