Psycho clown

lizjane01

lizjane01

Member
I'm new to hobby.
I just setup a 29g. My friend, Rykna is helping me with the tank.
Tank Occupants:
1 blue devil damsel(very laid back)
1 decorator crab
snails
hermit crabs
Tank has been running for two weeks. I just added a occelaris clown. This clown has not eaten in 48 hours and is extremely aggitated. The clown is more aggresive toward the damsel and continues to race about the tank. Both the Damsel and clownfish are about 3/4".
Any ideas to help him calm down?
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Welcome to the forums.
Your tank sounds very new. Please post your water parameters....
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Salinity
Temp
What kind of water movement? Substrate? Rock?
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
http:///forum/post/2766827
Welcome to the forums LIZjane01.
Your tank sounds very new. Please post your water parameters....
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Salinity
Temp
What kind of water movement? Substrate? Rock?
I helped Beth set up her tank, she lives right next door.
29g
Aquaclear 50
Aquaclear 30
12lbs LR
3lbs DR
Agro LS 40lbs
5-10lbs cycled LS from my tank
Temp: 74=78
We had her water levels checked yesterday at the LFS, I don't know the exact levels, but everything checked out fine.
I was over earlier today checking on the clown. "Nemo" isn't breathing hard, just on overdrive. Nemo keeps doing laps all over the tank. He hasn't eaten since she brought him home yesterday. I helped to acclimate Nemo, and he and the blue devil damsel stick by each other. No fin flaring or nipping. I'm wondering if her tank doesn't have enough hiding places. Other than that the little guy looks great to me, but being her first tank I can understand her anxiety.

~Rykna
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Hey Ryk.
provided water parameters are ok (I'd get a test kit and verify...)
*Remove the boat. Unless it is specifically made to be in the SW environment it could leech something into the tank.
My next guess, besides hiding places which I agree could be an issue, is stray current. Get a grounding probe and see if that helps.
How was the Clownfish acting at the pet store?
 
sly

sly

Active Member
It sounds like your fish needs to acclimate to the tank. It is probably disoriented and can't find a safe hiding spot to rest. Since you are new to the hobby, you are probably spending a lot of time watching him swim which is making matters worse.
Minimize the distractions. Make sure he has places to hide. Don't go checking on him every 5 minutes either. Fish are very susceptible to stress. It makes them quit eating, get sick and eventually die. Stress can be caused by not giving them adequate hiding spots, putting them in with other fish that pick on them, not feeding them properly, not acclimating them properly and by having too many distractions coming from outside the tank. Give him time to rest... When it gets dark a fish "feels" better hidden. They don't feel the need to hide as much when it's dark at night as opposed to when the bright light is revealing their location during the day.
I would turn out the lights on the tank for a day or so and put a towel over it (just don't let it get too hot). Then slowly start adding light to the tank. Give him a few hours of light (with the towel still on). After he starts to look more calm, then start taking the towel off. When you feed him, feed him lightly. When fish run low on food, their metabolism slows down. This is good... because that means that they don't get sick as quickly. This buys them more time to fight off infections that can develop because of stress. Hopefully you can get him adjusted to the new tank... Also, watch for any other fish in the tank which may be picking on him. You may have incompatible personalities afloat...
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
http:///forum/post/2767141
Hey Ryk.
provided water parameters are ok (I'd get a test kit and verify...)
*Remove the boat. Unless it is specifically made to be in the SW environment it could leech something into the tank.
My next guess, besides hiding places which I agree could be an issue, is stray current. Get a grounding probe and see if that helps.
How was the Clownfish acting at the pet store?
I was digging in the LR when she picked it out, but Beth said this little guy swam right up to check out the action, and was one of the most spunkiest in the tank.
I checked the ship out. Talked to my friend at the fish store. One of the bigger ships from the same company stated for fresh and salt water use. The model I gave to Beth didn't state anything about for fresh or salt. I originally bought it for my sf eel tank. I can't imagine that I wouldn't have checked out if it was salt safe. My friend(at the fish store) has salt tanks too, and what he could tell from the info on the box, you could actually eat the ship. It talked about the ship's sails and rigging being a great place for algae and coraline to grow.
I told her to soak the brine shrimp in some garlic juice and see if that temps his appetite.
I've experienced stray voltage in my seahorse tank, and didn't feel anything when I stuck my hand in. I had wondered both about the stray voltage and to much flow in the 29, so we turned every thing off. After 30 minutes no changes.
Both damsel and the clown are the same size. Both fish were swimming and breathing fine. With the exception that Nemo was on over drive. Looked like a little kid in a candy store.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by Rykna
http:///forum/post/2767526
I was digging in the LR when she picked it out, but Beth said this little guy swam right up to check out the action, and was one of the most spunkiest in the tank. ...
Get her to define "spunkiest". It could very well be the fish was acting oddly at the LFS... I'd never describe a healthy Clown as "spunky".
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
http:///forum/post/2767743
Get her to define "spunkiest". It could very well be the fish was acting oddly at the LFS... I'd never describe a healthy Clown as "spunky".
The little guy came over like my fish do when it's dinner time(Kinda like when you open a can of tuna fish for your kitty!). He appeared healthy and curious...Beth said the rest of the school was very calm compared to the one she bought.
Beth was over this afternoon and said the clown had slowed down a little. And the damsel and the clown go every where together. No fin flaring, rapid breathing, or nipping she said. He did eat a little today too.
He seems like a typical clown to me. That's the way mine was, always curious, zipping here and there so not to miss anything happening. The tank he was in at the LFS was 45g. Maybe the 29g has him disoriented. I think it's just "new fish syndrome", he'll settle in in a few days.
 
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