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Clown fish swimming at surface of the water

65K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  Koxybox  
#1 ·
Hey guys i have a new 40g established tank i has finished its cycle a few days ago so i introduced a clown fish to the tank how ever it has been swimming at the surface of the tank since it got here it feeds well and everything but it just swims still at the surface i have two power heads and one spare one , my salinity is 1.025 and my ph is 8.4 before adding the fish i tested my water parameters at my LFS i dont remember what they were but ammonia was 0 and the guy at the store said its safe to add fish , i havent done any water changes cuz frankly i dont know how and my RO system hasnt arrived yet so the only available water is tap water , if you suggest a water change please consider that only tap water is available and that i have no clue how to do it , thanks in advance
 
#2 ·
From the information you provided, sounds like typical clown behavior. They will host anything, a corner, a power head etc... Anywhere they feel comfortable. They are very lazy and don't swim around much. But you also just added him, so could be a little stressed from the move. How did you acclimate him to the new tank? If it's eating that is a good sign. Is it breathing heavy (gills wide open) and rapidly? To make a sure diagnosis, however we will need more specifics on your setup; exact water parameters, how long it's been running, how did you cycle the tank etc...
 
#3 ·
I cant get you water parameters now i cycled the tank typically , i added salt to dechlorinated water and dissolved it until the salinity was 1.025 then i added live rock and live sand and waited for a month then took water samples to my LFS and he said water parameters are good and cycle has finished at that time i bought an API water test kit but it arrived expired i called amazon to tell them about it and i got nothing so i simply threw it out the test kit along with the RODI water system are supposed to arrive next week after some reading people say that there is not enough oxygen in the tank is that the problem if it is then what can i do about it ?
 
#5 ·
I have a hang on weipro skimmer and two hang on filters with sponges and two power heads i dont have a sump yet , im not home now but i didnt notice anything about its breathing i will post to u guys how she's breathing but lets assume she's not breathing normally then what do i do ? Would water changes help ?
 
#8 ·
Before we get to your fish let's talk about your water. Don't use mineral water, use distilled for your top offs and water changes. Although you haven't done a water change (WC) yet you should still be topping off the tank with (Fresh water). When water evaporates in a saltwater aquarium only the fresh water evaporates and the saltsstays behind. So in order to keep the salinity stable you must top off with fresh water (preferably ro/di or distilled). When you do a WC you will mix up your salt water at least a few hours (the more the better) you change it. Waiting gives the water time to fully dissolve the salt and stabalize things like pH. The main reason for doing water changes is to replenish minerals and trace elements that have been used up and to help keep nitrates in check.
Now for the fish. If it is breathing abnormally then it could be an oxygen issue, in which case a fix could be as simple as pointing a power head at the surface. But it could also be that you have not been doing your top ups and the salinity has risen to an uncomfortable level. If the fish seems to be hovering under a filter or power head then its perfectly normal. The clowns feel safer when they have something to host. If this is the case try lowering the power head or since you don't have an anemone yet (would suggest waiting a while) you can place a terracota flower pot placed on the bottom. I would probably do this anyways for a clown if there was nothing else for it to host. PS check your salinity when you get home.
 
#9 ·
Just re read your post, and someone already asked about how did you cycle the tank. From your description you made up the water added rock and sand and waited a month. Did you feed the tank anything during that month?. There was probably some die off from the live rock which would help kick start the bacteria, but after a month I doubt there would be much left to keep the bacteria thriving. The test showed no ammonia because there may not have been any to begin with. So when you added the fish there may have been some bacteria left but probably not enough to sustain a fish.TYou may have started the cycle process over again. This is why it is so important to have test kits on hand. Relying on a LFS for your tests just won't cut it. If I were in your shoes at the moment I'd find someway to get a hold of an ammonia kit at the very least and a bottle of prime. If there is ammonia present the prime will detoxify it temporarily and gives you time to do a water change. If the fish is suffering forget about the tap water rule and use whatever you can. This isn't just a hobby its an adventure. Good luck.
 
#10 ·
I cant thank you enough for taking the time to answer , i do water top offs frequently however i do them using tap water which had been left overnight to remove chlorine , while cycling the tank i added dead shrimp and some fish food , my salinity is actually a bit low , 1.022 ill fill some tap water now and leave it overnight then add salt until its salinity is 1.025 then add it to the tank i did what u advised , raising the power head on the surface and the fish is doing alot better now i could go out and buy distilled water for the tank or maybe if my relative has an RO system , im aware of my need of my test kit , but unfortunately where i live they dont sell those so i have to order it overseas im doing my best to get my hands on it thanks again