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Normal clown behavior for new intro to tank?


Rufessor

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Ok, so I have no idea what to expect as this is our first clown fish...

 

We purchased a small (1.5 inch maybe) tank raised clown about 5 days ago and have him in our BC29 which has a refugium and a lot of live rock (30 lbs or more) with a number of sponges, zoanthids, crabs, and vibrant copepod and corraline algae, but it is a new tank. We started about 1 month ago and used 25 ish pounds of live rock from an established (4 year old) reef tank, so it never did cycle, no alga blooms, a very very small diatom bloom that the crabs ate and last night I tested and had 0 NH4, 0 nitrite, and less than 20 ppm Nitrate (these strips are useless for real numbers) with pH over 8 and alkalinity at the high end of the test strip. Water has been tested weekly and never has been much different from this. All the rest of the inhabitants seem to love it and are doing extremely well.

 

The Clown is sitting at the water line kinda swimming in the current, he acts like he is "trapped" in the current but will easily move if you bug him and he does move around a bit but only ever at the water line, so we never see him and when we feed (frozen fish and reef cubes, 1/5 of a cube or so) he does not come out from where he is to get food, just waits for it to come bye and then eats what floats past... I was really looking for a "social" fish that would be in the mid water column. The tank has a lot of open space with a lot of rock work creating large caves and plenty of cover to swim into, through, around etc.. So I called the LFS and they said this is normal, but I am wondering... will he eventually move into the tank? Right now I feel like he is a bit "special" and am considering asking them to trade him back. Should I give him time??

 

Its not like the tank is ripping with strong currents, just a singly powerhead (cannot remember size, but a smaller one) pointing left to right across the top, a Y fitting on the output of the BC29 filter system directing 1/2 right at the powerhead and the other 1/2 down behind the rock work... when I stir up the tank flow is good everywhere but nothing excessive, we have a ton of small filter feeding tube worms and none of them are bent over in the current...

 

Thanks

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It's a clown - they do wierd things. She will most likely get accustomed to the tank and be more adventurous. Even in small tanks though they typically have a favorite spot and don't stray far from it.

 

My GSM's hide all day and only come out to feed or breed.

 

My Snowflakes don't stray far from their pot - they have 20g to them selves and only use a quarter of the space unless they are eating.

 

My O's have nems and never leave them - unless to feed.

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Agreed... clowns are just really weird sometimes. The float around sideways in the corner, host power heads, and are just odd in general.

 

I have 2 clowns now. Bought them at different times. I have found since the new clown was added, the original clown is much more social. The original is much larger now thus has become the dominant female. She swims around a lot more, while before she use to stay in the corner all the time and was very shy.

 

If the fish is still young and new, possibly adding another similar sized/age clown could make him more social. But that's just the experience I've had. I haven't had any bullying either but like everyone has mentioned... they're weird and each seems to have it's own personality.

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i just introduced an even smaller clown to a 15 gallon reef tank as well and i am seeing the exact same behavior.. people tell me they will eventually go down in to the tank... but we'll see.. it's been 1.5 weeks for me

and still sitting in the same place..

 

Ok, so I have no idea what to expect as this is our first clown fish...

 

We purchased a small (1.5 inch maybe) tank raised clown about 5 days ago and have him in our BC29 which has a refugium and a lot of live rock (30 lbs or more) with a number of sponges, zoanthids, crabs, and vibrant copepod and corraline algae, but it is a new tank. We started about 1 month ago and used 25 ish pounds of live rock from an established (4 year old) reef tank, so it never did cycle, no alga blooms, a very very small diatom bloom that the crabs ate and last night I tested and had 0 NH4, 0 nitrite, and less than 20 ppm Nitrate (these strips are useless for real numbers) with pH over 8 and alkalinity at the high end of the test strip. Water has been tested weekly and never has been much different from this. All the rest of the inhabitants seem to love it and are doing extremely well.

 

The Clown is sitting at the water line kinda swimming in the current, he acts like he is "trapped" in the current but will easily move if you bug him and he does move around a bit but only ever at the water line, so we never see him and when we feed (frozen fish and reef cubes, 1/5 of a cube or so) he does not come out from where he is to get food, just waits for it to come bye and then eats what floats past... I was really looking for a "social" fish that would be in the mid water column. The tank has a lot of open space with a lot of rock work creating large caves and plenty of cover to swim into, through, around etc.. So I called the LFS and they said this is normal, but I am wondering... will he eventually move into the tank? Right now I feel like he is a bit "special" and am considering asking them to trade him back. Should I give him time??

 

Its not like the tank is ripping with strong currents, just a singly powerhead (cannot remember size, but a smaller one) pointing left to right across the top, a Y fitting on the output of the BC29 filter system directing 1/2 right at the powerhead and the other 1/2 down behind the rock work... when I stir up the tank flow is good everywhere but nothing excessive, we have a ton of small filter feeding tube worms and none of them are bent over in the current...

 

Thanks

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Thanks everyone.

We will consider adding another clown in the future but will probably just let her adapt. Was not planning on adding another fish for another two weeks and will probably go with a different species. Since she is so small it will not be a big deal to wait a few months for a second clown if thats the route we go.

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We are having the same issue with our single young tank raised Ocellaris that we purchased last Saturday. He is the first fish in the tank and he stays at the top of the waterline in the front left or right corner of the tank. I am wondering if it could be because he is so young, has never seen live rock, and is used to being surrounded by siblings. I read a post by someone who was raising them and they described and posted a picture of babies all swarmed into one top corner of the tank.

 

Ours also spits out food. I had pellets but he didn't like them so I went out and got flakes which he seems to be eating better though he will also spit them out. He doesn't seem to like the frozen diet at all. He really liked live tiggerpods and went on a feeding frenzy for them but I think that he has eaten them all. We put in a whole bottle on the advice of the LFS. Not sure if that accomplished anything except providing expensive food for the clown and depositing little pod bodies in the filter pad.

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OClownsandNanos

My tank-bred ocellaris almost never go in the cave rockwork. They seem to like swimming around it only, unlike my former chromis who loved zipping in and out of the caves. I've always had two, so their behavior was a lot more social from the beginning, but it seems like every few months or so they will change their favorite spot in the tank. They have never constantly stayed at the top of the tank, though. They do sometimes at night, but usually hang out at the bottom and swim around every so often during the day. I've noticed most animals - including shrimp - tend to stay in a smaller area in the beginning, then when they feel more comfortable they start venturing out a bit. It usually just takes a bit of time.

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I just put 2 very small clowns in my tank as well about a week ago and they behave mostly the same way. They both will eat anything. I have a bc29 with a hydor Flo on the return and they apparently are hosting around it because they rarely venture far from it. They also sleep upside down at the water line lol

 

My only concern is that the slightly larger one is constantly pestering / ramming the littler fish. When I bought them they seemed to be getting along alone in the LFS' tank. I wouldn't say it is violent bullying.. he isn't headbutting at full speed or biting, just always nudging him especially during feedings. The small fish is having no probs getting food though.

 

Just weird fish I guess!! I'm hoping to get a torch or frogspawn soon for them to maybe host in

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I just put 2 very small clowns in my tank as well about a week ago and they behave mostly the same way. They both will eat anything. I have a bc29 with a hydor Flo on the return and they apparently are hosting around it because they rarely venture far from it. They also sleep upside down at the water line lol

 

My only concern is that the slightly larger one is constantly pestering / ramming the littler fish. When I bought them they seemed to be getting along alone in the LFS' tank. I wouldn't say it is violent bullying.. he isn't headbutting at full speed or biting, just always nudging him especially during feedings. The small fish is having no probs getting food though.

 

Just weird fish I guess!! I'm hoping to get a torch or frogspawn soon for them to maybe host in

 

Mine never hosted the torch in my tank. I think it just stung them (i know that some clowns do host them). It's taking them forever to start hosting my BTA. I see the black marks on their sides from trying though. Hopefully soon.

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