Clown fish behaviour

[shon982]

well the story is i bought a true percula clown fish yesturday and since its my first saltwater tank i didnt know what to expect.

the question is, is it normal for it to be in the corner or top of the tank pretty much most of the time swimming against the current in the up and down motion.

i put in one pellet today but it didnt eat it, other than that its colours seems fine, no breathing problems.

I'm not sure if it may be lonely?

Maybe shy? because i havent seen it searching for food, just mainly swimming at the top of the tank.

 

let me know if you need any other information...

thanks

[seabass]

It's common for a new fish not to eat. Also, clownfish sometimes refuse to swim around their tank and pick spots that they are more comfortable in. True Percula clownfish are not as hardy as Ocellaris clownfish and might feel more comfortable in an anemone (although I'm not telling you to get an anemone). I've also noticed that clownfish are very social, it might swim more if she had a mate. What size tank is it?

[shon982]

true, because the LFS did say it was wild caught.

 

The tank is 80 litres = 21 gallons i believe

 

2 foot long, 1.5 foot tall, 1 foot wide.

 

Well my stocking idea was - 1 clown fish, 1 goby of some sort and 1 fire fish

[shon982]

so nothing to be worried about?

[Dooderino]

Nope give it time.

[shon982]

thanks

[Muggz]

No, don't worry. Just watch for any signs of infection, and breathing difficulties like you've already mentioned.

 

You may want to try feeding frozen foods if it continues not to eat... such as mysis. Brine shrimp might be okay to entice eating, but shouldn't be used all the time because of the low nutrient content. Clowns usually go nuts over brine shrimp - it's like candy to them.

 

Also, clowns will usually host the strangest things (especially when an anenome isn't present) such as powerheads, the corner of a tank, or anenome-like corals such as frogspawn or hammer corals - this is normal.

[illuminano]

well the story is i bought a true percula clown fish yesturday and since its my first saltwater tank i didnt know what to expect.

the question is, is it normal for it to be in the corner or top of the tank pretty much most of the time swimming against the current in the up and down motion.

i put in one pellet today but it didnt eat it, other than that its colours seems fine, no breathing problems.

I'm not sure if it may be lonely?

Maybe shy? because i havent seen it searching for food, just mainly swimming at the top of the tank.

 

let me know if you need any other information...

thanks

 

Totally normal, although with clowns every one is different. Mines mortified of my fingers, but hell peck at my palm. So strange... Always turn the pumps off before feeding BTW

[shon982]

i see...

ill try brine shrimp tonight and see what happens.

Still no white spot, breathing problems or anything that doesnt look right.

 

But it seems its catching things that are in the current like pods.

It was picking at a few pods on the glass this morning so i think it'll be fine.

 

It's just not venturing down near the bottom of the tank or searching through the live rock but i assume its just easier for it to find the food when its coming right at it.

 

It might feel better with another fish in there.

[Helfrichs Chick]

A wild caught clownfish??? Huh havent seen that in a LONGGGG time. Didnt think there would be a demand for them since CB ones are much hardier.

[subielover]

A wild caught clownfish??? Huh havent seen that in a LONGGGG time.

Seriously? I have tank raised onyx clowns but most lfs' around me only stock wild caught clowns. It really is retarded but to say you haven't seen that in a long time seems a bit dramatic.

[shon982]

A wild caught clownfish??? Huh havent seen that in a LONGGGG time. Didnt think there would be a demand for them since CB ones are much hardier.

 

hmm, well they had various species of clowns - ocellaris, skunk etc. but i chose this on because of its colours.

The cost was a fair bit more but it was worth it for the fluorescent orange.

The week before i was there browsing around and that is when it was delivered in a box with other fish, straight from the airport (wherever they get their stock from).

 

Or maybe because i live in australia, that has something to do with it?

they would just get it from the great barrier reef.

Edited July 25, 2009 by shon982

[shon982]

Well, good news...

 

it took food today! i was so happy

 

frozen brine shrimp didnt work though, maybe because its old food? i had it left over from when i had a FW tank, nearly 3 months ago

Edited July 26, 2009 by shon982

[jeremyp]

Or maybe because i live in australia, that has something to do with it?

they would just get it from the great barrier reef.

 

Well maybe - I just bought a pair of Ocellaris clowns in Sydney, tank raised. I'm sure they are easy to find here.

[shon982]

Well maybe - I just bought a pair of Ocellaris clowns in Sydney, tank raised. I'm sure they are easy to find here.

 

 

oh yeah, the LFS had that kind

but the Percula clown i bought had a orange colour which looked very good

[todd141]

well the story is i bought a true percula clown fish yesturday and since its my first saltwater tank i didnt know what to expect.

the question is, is it normal for it to be in the corner or top of the tank pretty much most of the time swimming against the current in the up and down motion.

i put in one pellet today but it didnt eat it, other than that its colours seems fine, no breathing problems.

I'm not sure if it may be lonely?

Maybe shy? because i havent seen it searching for food, just mainly swimming at the top of the tank.

 

let me know if you need any other information...

thanks

 

 

My new perc does the exact same thing in my BC14. Swims up and down in the top left corner of the tank. He's eating though - feeding cyclop-eeze/mysis/brine (alternating days, not all 3 at once.) I just figured he was so small and young - and it's a new tank that he would begin to venture out sooner or later.

 

I have 2 false percs in my 75 gallon tank - they're about a year old - and they seem to hang out in the front left corner of the tank. I added a BTA about 3 or 4 months ago and they're afraid of it. The BTA just split this week, so hopefully they'll become interested in one of the smaller ones now.

[shon982]

My new perc does the exact same thing in my BC14. Swims up and down in the top left corner of the tank. He's eating though - feeding cyclop-eeze/mysis/brine (alternating days, not all 3 at once.) I just figured he was so small and young - and it's a new tank that he would begin to venture out sooner or later.

 

I have 2 false percs in my 75 gallon tank - they're about a year old - and they seem to hang out in the front left corner of the tank. I added a BTA about 3 or 4 months ago and they're afraid of it. The BTA just split this week, so hopefully they'll become interested in one of the smaller ones now.

 

 

ah must be just a thing that clown fish do

awesome

[Jeradmccarty]

Clownfish are weird, they do very weird things. My two true Percs sleep swimming upside down in the top corner of the tank, they also will go down the sand bed and take Big gulps of sand and then spit it out and I also have two nems in my tank a gbta and a sebae and they won't have anything to do with the bta and will only nip at the tentacles of the sebae but won't go in it, so in other words they are very weird and funny fish to watch. They all do do funny different things.

[Jorgieee]

I bought a Picasso for my tank after it cycled and he does the same thing I started to worry but I guess it's normal I plan on buying another one hopefully he starts to move I would hate to have such a pretty fish hang out at the top where you can barely see him.

[mrkotabear]

"Clown"fish. They're weird, lets put it that way. But sounds like a cool tank. Best of luck!

[ABC]

Agreed clown fish do weird things. The first one I had slept on his side at the top off the water and would just float around. The pair I have now sleep on their sides at the bottom of the tank, they may wedge theirselves in while sleeping.

[mrkotabear]

My two black O, that i paired would sleep around the tank. During the night there colors would fade to almost an orange everywhere around and they'd just float around the tank. it was weird.

[BoxKing]

New Clowns will often stay secluded to a certain area of the tank, possibly wont eat for a handful of days due to stress of getting fully acclimated to their new environment. Give it time.. they will eat sooner then they will make moves to new locations; which, could take weeks, as it took my Grade A Picasso's weeks to start exploring. It was frustrating but worth the wait.

[mrkotabear]

Frozen Mysis shrimp. They love it. Get like 1/4th a cube, put it in a glass of tank water let it set and pour it in.

[BoxKing]

^^ Far too much food ^^ 1-3 Pellets, or frozen mysis a day is more than enough.

 

1 Cube lasts me over a week with daily feedings. Dont go nuts on feeding, or buying every food under the sun. You will soon find that the clown will eat anything you put in the tank once it settles.