Clownfish not able to eat

[Pets Shop Boy]

I've encountered some odd behavior in my clownfish. I have two in a 10 gallon tank. All parameters appear to be fine, but one of them just stays in one place near the bottom in a vertical position with its tail nearest to the bottom and its mouth toward the top. when I put food in, he comes near the top, but then seems to miss the food, even if it goes right in front of its face.

 

This is odd because this fish was the more agressive of the pair, usually causing the other to cower in the back until feeding time. Now, the former dominant one stays in its own place while the other roams freely and effortlessly.

 

The fish appears to be fine in other aspects. I notice no change in color or signs of any kind of ich or symptoms that would indicate disease other than what I've already stated.

 

From research, the closest thing I've been able to find that matches the symptoms is blindness. But it still makes an effort to get to the top as soon as it sees my hand moving toward the tank. However, once the food is in, it just hovers near the top but then slowly sinks back to the bottom. I doubt it would react to my movement toward the tank if it were blind, so does anyone have ideas what could be the trouble and how to fix it? I did run across an explanation that sometimes clownfish just go into phases where they do strange things, but I don't know. I'm worried that his apparent inability to eat will eventually lead to worse problems down the road.

[onthefly]

Hey PSB,

 

First off, did you buy a "mated" pair, or just 2 from the tank? If they weren't mated, then you could have a dominance issue. I've always thought 10-15ga/clown if there are not mated.

 

How long have you had them? If you're really worried about it eating, you might try some of the garlic additives to stimulate appeitite.

[Goliath]

also, what are you feeding them?? I know that clowns can be picky eaters. My clown will no eat my freeze dried brine shrimp but does like Tropical flake food, but not all the flakes only certain colors. Picky bastard.

[Masoch]

My clowns'll eat anything -- marine flake, spirulina flake, squid, shrimp, frozen krill ... they'll even make a play for poops (and then spit 'em out), hair algae in the water column, syphon hose, etc. etc..

 

But, as the good folks at WetWebMedia say, there's a reason they're called clowns.