Male Clown is struggling

[dreamscape]

The tank was running just fine for a week and half with the fish, mated ocelaris clowns (4-5 years old) and a Yellow Tang (7 years old). Today we did a water change at 3PM and everybody seemed happy. Fed the fish frozen mysis shrimp at 8PM. Woke early (4AM) and found the male clownfish on the surface - turned on the room lights and he woke up and struggled to swim back to his corner. He doesn't seem to breathing hard - it is like he can't control his swim bladder.
Also - hopefully unrelated, the tang has a large bruise looking spot on his stomach. Could the the two of them, tank mates for years, been fighting, bad food, bad water? Nothing makes sense - the female clownfish is fine.
Checked the salinity with Hydrometer....it was high 1.028. Added buffered RO/DI to bring it down 1.023 - we are buying a refractometer soon. Checked Water:
Amo: 0
Nitrate (Bad test kit) will test with LFS later today: Akways reads 50 PPM
PH: 8.0
Alk: 11.5
Any thoughts?

 

[nw2salt08]

I would definitely check that Nit at the LFS. Also have them do a complete test. Just to make sure. Does the male swim normally during the day? If so, then I would rule out the swim bladder being an issue. Did everyone eat well when you fed them? If the clowns are in a new tank, then the establishment of territory can start all over again. The female clown may be beating up the tang but I'm not certain that that's the cause. I'm not too familiar with tangs. You may post about your tang in the disease forum and make sure that he's not coming down with something. Have you seen him rubbing up against the rocks or anything?

 

[dreamscape]

Originally Posted by Nw2Salt08
http:///forum/post/3131023
I would definitely check that Nit at the LFS. Also have them do a complete test. Just to make sure. Does the male swim normally during the day? If so, then I would rule out the swim bladder being an issue. Did everyone eat well when you fed them? If the clowns are in a new tank, then the establishment of territory can start all over again. The female clown may be beating up the tang but I'm not certain that that's the cause. I'm not too familiar with tangs. You may post about your tang in the disease forum and make sure that he's not coming down with something. Have you seen him rubbing up against the rocks or anything?
He is not rubbing on anything. Still has an appetite. Also when the daybreak T5's called it sunrise - he started swimming all through his territory. All the residents seem to enjoy their new retirement home. I will continue to monitor him. He seems to really sleep hard...

 

[nw2salt08]

Sounds like the clown is fine. He just sleeps funny. Most clowns sleep in weird positions and spots. lol Mine used to sleep under the HOB filtration system. It sounds like the tang is doing fine other than the spot.... I would watch him and make sure that it heals. If it looks like it's getting worse or he becomes lethargic and stops eating then ask someone in the disease forum area. He might've gotten an injury that you didn't notice during the move. That happens too. As long as your water params are good and he's still acting normal then it should heal.