Clownfish Sleeping Habits

[dsorge]

45 Gallon SWO
5 Damsels
1 Tiger Tail Cuke
3 Crabs
Ph 8.1
Ammonia 0
NitrIte 0
NitrAte 0
Tank has been up for about a month.
Just bought two Ocellaris clowns already paired about three days ago. Very healthy looking devils and they swim and chase the others all day. One night I decided to sneak up on them and see were they sleep. You know, just to see if everything is OK. To my bewilderment, they were "sleeping" on the surface of the tank instead of down with the rocks. Is this normal or OK? When the lights are on, they're back to their healthy behavior. Never had clowns before and I haven't seen this question posed. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[bigarn]

As long as they are eating and appear healthy I wouldn't worry. Clowns do many things that seem strange to us, but they're perfectly content .

 

[thegrog]

Mine have always slept at the surface under/behind the return from my Whisper3 filter up in the corner of the tank.
Clownfish are named so for a reason....they do funny things!
If they are eating, look healthy and swimming fine durring the day, no worries.
Hope this helps!
GO ILLINI!!!!:cheer:

 

[dsorge]

Thanks, that's a big relief. It's kind of funny. I couldn't sit around a wait for an answer so I sat there at 4:00AM this morning and watched them floating around on the surface till 6:30. I started getting worried so I fired up the lights to see if they were OK. Turns out they were OK, now they're just pissed at me. They'll get over it when I feed them tonight.

 

[snailheave]

one of my onyx sleeps on its side on the sand bed as if it's dead.
the other one likes to sleep by the teeth of the overflow as if it's stuck there.

 

[thegrog]

Originally posted by snailheave
one of my onyx sleeps on its side on the sand bed as if it's dead.
the other one likes to sleep by the teeth of the overflow as if it's stuck there.
Careful with the overflow. I had a perc that liked to do that....until I found him inside the overflow with his head sucked into the pump.

 

[cowfishrule]

Originally posted by TheGrog
Mine have always slept at the surface under/behind the return from my Whisper3 filter up in the corner of the tank.

mine too

 

[neoreef]

mine too. they are hosted by my colt coral, but they return every night the the filter's overflow. I want to remove the filter, but it gives them a place to sleep, so I don't....

 

[phils1107]

my clown also sleeps in my colt and hangs out there all day. he never did untl his green carpet died. Now he just protective to the colt and my flowerpot goneraporia. (excuse my spelling)

 

[lori faust]

My True Perc's have an assortment of corals...and anemones...but prefer to sleep up under my power head just below the surface (which I turn off at night) But during the day they are like lil puppies happily playing in everything...

 

[spankey]

as stated above.. Every morning I wake up to find ours in the condi on its side.. Looks dead as a rock.. Then when the lights come on, whammo... Back to his normal self.... Nutty as ever.. Its really cool to watch... Imagine being a pet store to come in and have a tank full of these and find them all lying on the bottom....If you didn't know thier habbits, that would be a funny site to see.. The look on a novice's face at the store... LOL...
Too funny
Spankey

 

[thegrog]

These stories are proof why they are called CLOWNfish!!!
On top of weird sleeping habits, my two percs take turns teasing my yellowtail damsel by going near his rock. One goes in from one side, lets him chase him out while the other goes in from the opposite side. Poor little damsel swims from side to side trying to defend his rock!! Funny to watch!