Something's Wrong!

[scottghs]

This morning when I was checking up on my two clowns, I noticed one of them was laying on its side at the bottom of the tank.

I walked over and as soon as I got near the tank it swam back up to the top (to bed fed, they think that I'm always bringing food). Every once in a while it swims back to the bottom and lays on its stomach and leans against the glass. The otherone swims right down next to it, but doesn't touch the bottom.
I am running some tests now, and I'm going to do a partial water change in the mean time. But....what do I do?
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

 

[kat74]

I'm no expert, but I am sure that once you get the following information posted, someone will be able to help you.
How long have you had the clowns?
How did you acclimate them?
Parameters? Temp, Ammonia, PH, Nitrite, Nitrate, Salinity
That should get you some help!

 

[nietzsche]

do you think its some type of normal behavior? when i had two ocellaris clownfish the male would lay in a colony of zoanthids and just hang out there and move around when he needed something
i have to baby onyx clownfish that swam upside down when they slept at the top and would wake up and swim to the bottom and acted fine

 

[scottghs]

I don't know, they appear physically to be OK, but I do not really know.
I just finished the water change on the tank, so the parameters on the test would be off. But I did a check on the Amonia and Nitrate/Nitrite and they were both within the acceptable range (I'm using one of those kits that you compare the colors).
I have had the fish since November 30th, 2007. Got them from SWF.com.
I used the Drip Acclimation process as shown here on SWF.com
The salinity was 1.021 before the water change, and is still near that level now. Temperature is currently at 78.8F (I'm shooting for 80, as "Clownfishes" says that's an optimal temperature).
Right now I have to go to school for a couple of hours, I can only pray they will be OK when I get back.

 

[scottghs]

I just got back from school and they're both doing fine still. Maybe she (I'm assuming this is the girl because she's relatively bigger than the other one) was doing something special with that one spot, as it was the same spot she rested on the three times that I saw her do it.

 

[gmann1139]

Originally Posted by ScottGHS
I have had the fish since November 30th, 2007. Got them from SWF.com.
They're future fish? I'm guessing the time travel isn't too good for them.
Also, you said "within the acceptable range." Is that what the test tells you, or what is considered acceptable on here?

 

[scottghs]

Originally Posted by gmann1139
They're future fish? I'm guessing the time travel isn't too good for them.
Also, you said "within the acceptable range." Is that what the test tells you, or what is considered acceptable on here?
Lol, sorry. I meant to say October. As I said, I am using one of the testing kits that uses colors for comparisons. All the colors from the tests I did were near the 0 end of the spectrum.
Anyway, I came in just now and the same fish was in the same exact spot laying down. The other fish was hovering practically on top of it. I think they're just being goofy.

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by ScottGHS
Lol, sorry. I meant to say October. As I said, I am using one of the testing kits that uses colors for comparisons. All the colors from the tests I did were near the 0 end of the spectrum.
Anyway, I came in just now and the same fish was in the same exact spot laying down. The other fish was hovering practically on top of it. I think they're just being goofy.
They aren't named "clown" fish for nothing. They're the only fish that swim in the wavey wiggle motion. My pair liked to sleep in all sorts of odd positions and places. Do your clowns host an anemone? If so you might need to start knitting fry booties. My male like to sleep sideways floating, and the female slept upright in her feathery gonipora host.
Do you notice and signs of parasites? Or just normal behavior? As long as they're eating regularily I wouldn't worry to much.
The other thing you should check is you PH, my clown came down with what looked like a hang over. He couldn't swim straight, and kept rolling over. Some one on here suggested to check my PH. It was extremely low!! as soon as I brought it back up to 8.3 my clown was swimming fine.

 

[mie]

They're future fish? I'm guessing the time travel isn't too good for them
That is freakin hillarious... Don't get to concerned yet, clowns are well known for there strange behavior. Just watch them. If they are eating and swimming fine and your peramiters are all in check i would'nt be to concerned.

 

[shrimpi]

its normal.
sometimes they do that.