goofy clown behavior

[mitchelWB]

I've got a some tank raised percs that have been in the tank for right at 2 weeks now. They've been doing great, but Weds, one of them started laying down in the corner of the tank... and when he goes down there, he just lays, pretty motionless. When someone walks in the room, he swims up to see what's going on, but then goes back to his corner.

I did a test of the water, and the only thing odd was my ammonia. It was the first time I've ever gotten a traceable amount of ammonia since cycling the tank. I was just getting ready to do a 10% WC anyway, so I went ahead and did it. Yesterday, he was back up and swimming all over the place.

Today, he's back in his corner. All day long. I did another water test, and nothing wrong. Everything looks good. I'm testing amm, pH, trate, trite, SG, alk, temp and everything looks good. I even took a sample to the LFS and it tested the same there.

But when I put food in the tank, he comes flying to eat. Eats good, then goes back to his corner. No sign of any stress from ANY other critters including stars. My brittle is just as active (and hungry) as ever.

The guy at the LFS and I were talking and wondered if maybe he's just going to a happy place (I don't have an anemone for him) and hanging out in the corner like he would in an anemone. He doesn't look stressed, not gasping. Just looks sleepy or depressed.

I'm pretty much figuring just keep an eye on him and wait it out. I've got more water ready, and can do another WC, was thinking about trying that. Any thoughts?

MitchelWB

[Cosine]

So only one of the clowns is doing this? Notice any aggression between the two clowns?
If he is eating and breathing regularly I would almost not worry... keep an eye on him

Hope someone can offer more help
hope he turns out okay

[mitchelWB]

yup, just one. and just started doing it. I fed them just this evening and as soon as the food hit the water he came screaming up to eat... fast as his little wiggle worm self could get there.

Nobody is picking on him either. They all just leave him alone. My diamond watchman goby has gone back and sifted the CC around in his corner... I don't know if he was trying to fluff it to make it more comfy or what.

MitchelWB

[superwizbang]

Originally Posted by mitchelWB

...I don't know if he was trying to fluff it to make it more comfy or what.

Lol!

[motorslave]

I had a clown that would do that exact same thing, did it several times. Is it the smaller of the two clowns? Does he stay lower in the column than the other clown?

Robert

[rangerfan]

that is preety crazy the only thing special mine does is turned around and move move his rear fin to fan out a hole in the substrate so he can chill there and bully anything that comes by.

[mitchelWB]

I'm glad to hear that other people have had similar experiences. He was up swimming around all day yesterday again, and I never did do that WC. Even saw him trying to cuddle up to an empty snail shell.

As long as he doesn't try to figure out how to host with my green brittle star, I guess he'll be fine.

MitchelWB

[reefBoyDc]

One of my clown lays down on his side on a patch of zoes all the time. However, I think that any detectable level of ammonia can't be good. There must be sometyhing causing it that should be found and erradicated.

[MaylaKae]

Do you have an anemone, or something that a clown would host with?
If not, he may just be hosting with that corner of the tank.

[Spongebobsquarepants]

I have one clown that does the same thing but i now y tho i think lol.When i got my pair of tank raised percs they where in the same tank (little 5 gallon lfs tank)and they where both the same size.Well first few days they where fighting like cats and dogs to point where one clown was showing signs of fighting.So i was going to take one out tank.But turns out now they are like buds now, no fighing all living in peace.But the one clown still sits at top tank near my water column at night i dont have a anemone.The other clown makes his home in a clay pot i got in tank other up top of the tank now at day time the swim around all time and are happy but still got that one clown with that odd behaivor

[efnetoper]

Might be Oxygen Depleation. I had one do that for 4 days and then died. Then the other one a few weeks later started doing it, I cranked open the venturi valve on my Powerheads and he snapped out of it.

[mitchelWB]

Originally Posted by efnetoper

Might be Oxygen Depleation. I had one do that for 4 days and then died. Then the other one a few weeks later started doing it, I cranked open the venturi valve on my Powerheads and he snapped out of it.

I actually kinda wondered about that!!! but I just don't know how my water could get depleted of oxygen with my sump pump flowing across the top of the water to create ripple and flow, and down in the sump is a skimmer with the venturi going, and my sump is constantly trickling water. Seems like I should be getting lots of O2. I even mentioned it to the LFS guy. He didn't tell me I was crazy, but said in the 10 years or so he'd been doing it, he'd never heard of anyone having a problem like that... and when I told him what I had in my system, he said he was sure that couldn't be it.

Incidentally, he was in the corner most of the morning, then we left to go shopping.. came back and he's been up swimming around all day.

maybe I'll stick a powerhead in the thank and open the venturi and just live with the bubbles for a few days and see if that makes a difference anyway.

MitchelWB