Need Advice.....

[mrdarieus]

Hello everyone, can anyone tell me what is going on with my 2 marroon and yellow stripe clowns? I just got them today, put them in my 55 gal around 5:00. i thought they would love their new home. I am worried about them, they are not as active as I thought they would be. One is staying under the filter and the other is staying above one of my pumps. Is my current to strong? At the pet store they were in the same tank, now they seem to fight when they are near each other. they are not exploring the tank, can anyone assit me please!!!
55 gal tank
45#s' lr
40#'s aragonite sand CaribSea
80 degrees temp
All water parameters are good
2 power heads

[mojo]

It's not related to flow...

A few questions:
What exactly are your water parameters?
How long has the tank been setup?
What else is in the tank?
How did you acclimate the fish?
What's your salinity level?

[mrdarieus]

Thanks for the quick reply Chris
my parameters are
Specific gravity 1.024
nitrate 0-20
nitrite 0
alkalinity between 180-300
saltwater between 7.8-8.0
ammonia 0
It's been up and running for 1 1/2mos
got saltwater from lfs
45#'s lr 40#'s ls (caribSea) aragonite
Cycled with a raw unprocessed jumbo sheimp for a month, when i removed what was left of the shrimp I also removed alot of unwanted bristleworms
I put them in the tank in their two separeate bags for about 20 mins, then I poured them into a empty 10 gal and added about 6 16oz cups of my water and let them sit for about 10 more mins before adding them to the tank they seemed to be doing fine in the 10 gal, but as soon as I added them to the 55 gal they started to fight each other!
About 10 mins ago when i went to check my parameters for you, one had wedged himself between the pump and glass and the other had settled in a rock looking like it was hosted with an anemone!
Thanks
darieus

[mrdarieus]

i also have hermit crabs and snails

[mojo]

Hmm- your pH looks a little low at 7.8-8.0; you might want to get a buffer to boost that back up (mix some baking soda with tank water in a separate bucket and add it to the tank over a couple hrs). Other than that, everything else that would affect the fish seem fine.

Your acclimation procedure sounds like it could have been extended. Usually people take (or should!) about 1-2 hrs to acclimate their fish and corals - adding a little bit of your tank water to the bag at a time, and throwing the same amount out every time. After you've exchanged 1-2x the amount in the bag over the hour or two, then add to your tank. Keeping the temperature close to your own tank is a good idea as well. You might have shocked them when they were put in your tank with little acclimation.

Other than that, it sounds like they're just a little stressed and are acting mostly normal, given the situation. Don't try overfeeding them in the first day or so -they may not take food. Just be patient and give them time to adjust. Keep us posted with their progress.

[mrdarieus]

thanks that's a relief,, as far as them fighting will they stop? my wife has named them neman and nemah. she is excited about them mating! i only plan on adding no more than 2 more fish a true beauty angel and haven't decided on the other! Any advice?
my lighting is
2 x 65 Watt Compact Fluorescent Fixture
Includes 2 - SmartPaq Lamps (10,000K Day and 460nm Actinic)
2 Lunar Light LEDs
Cooling Vent
48.25" x 5.25" x 2.5
what other livestock will be a good addition? (fish, invertabrate, coral etc....) i would like to do everything right
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

[GeorgeW]

Based on my discussions with more knowledgable people, when the pH drops too low, the fish tend to gravitate to high flow areas (thus around your pump) for relief.

The fighting may be because of the pH-induced close quarters. Meaning, they might do the same thing if you dropped them both in a 4 cup measuring cup with perfect water. My mated banded coral shrimp are not above swatting at each other occasionally. Especially if there's food involved.

Are they male and female? That'll be neat if they mate. Are mated pairs hard to come by?

[mojo]

Originally Posted by mrdarieus

thanks that's a relief,, as far as them fighting will they stop? my wife has named them neman and nemah. she is excited about them mating! i only plan on adding no more than 2 more fish a true beauty angel and haven't decided on the other! Any advice?
my lighting is
2 x 65 Watt Compact Fluorescent Fixture
Includes 2 - SmartPaq Lamps (10,000K Day and 460nm Actinic)
2 Lunar Light LEDs
Cooling Vent
48.25" x 5.25" x 2.5
what other livestock will be a good addition? (fish, invertabrate, coral etc....) i would like to do everything right
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

I wouldn't let her get too excited on the prospect of the clowns mating. Many others have done it, so it's certainly possible, but doesn't always happen easily.

You might want to double your lighting at some point (and add two more 65w CF lights), but will be fine for the time being. You really can't have too much light or too much flow...

I'd advise against any angel (even a dwarf angel) if you think you may ever add corals - they tend to pick at corals. There are plenty of other fish that you could easily add to a 55g, though. And you could probably add more than just two more if you wanted.

As far as other things you may want to consider:

zooanthids - get a frag from someone in the club; I routinely give away small colonies of bright green ones

xenia - people have this coral growing out their ears - just ask

leather corals, sinularia, colt, mushrooms and ricordea - you can find these at most any store. They're relatively cheap, hardy, and colorful

If you're looking to try your hand at corals, soft corals are visually appealing, and pretty tolerant of a less-than-perfect tank. Just post if you have any specific questions.

[tedman920]

When I first got my mated oscellaris pair they really duked it out. I was also worried so I called Capp Bay and they told me often when mated pairs are introduced into a new environment the female shows dominance to the male. This was definatly my case. The female (larger) would grab the male and drag him across the aquarium. He told me if they didn't stop fighting in about 3-4 days maybe that wasn't the issue.

they stopped fighting the next day. So maybe this is your case? is the female picking on the male?

[Ms. K]

I owuld recommend a skunk cleaner shrimp or two. They're very bold but docile. You'll have to be very particular about acclimating them, however. Shrimp (as well as sea stars) are very sensitive and require extended (up to 3-4 hours) acclimation time.