Clownfish help.

[Deleted User 3]

I have two juvi clownfish. Got them 2 months ago, they've been in a hyposalinity QT tank for 7 weeks, just for some background.

 

They always hang out together, not usually do I see them not swimming together, or far apart.

 

But they are still fighting. The 'female' (I assume will be), doesn't seem to chase the other all the time, but the other one always has mouth problems. Hers have healed up, his mouth is basically all the way open now, and white from injury/fighting with her. He's also the one that has the strange cracking on his sides, that he had where I got him but had gotten worse.

 

I just put them back in the regular tank yesterday, they were not eating the past 2 days, and were hiding, so something changed they didn't like, so I figured may as well quickly finish acclimation (was going slow to salinity), and put them in the DT.

 

The female is eating, the male is not (his mouth issue?), will his mouth get better, and will they every stop fighting and establish dominance or does the female have to grow larger first? I can try to get a photo, but its a little hard. They definitely like the more swimming room though.

 

Thanks for the help in advance!

 

 

I'll try to get a front view, this side one doesn't nearly show what I see.

[Deleted User 3]

Anyone?

[Deleted User 3]

Hes on the bottom. (They're always together like this almost always)

[Riotjock]

Why didn't you leave them in quarantine?

 

It looks and sounds like one fish has lock-jaw. It requires that you either fix the problem by anesthetizing the fish and physically put it's jaw back in place, or you treat with a broad spectrum antibiotic and hope that it resolves on it's own. Most hobbyists chose the latter.

[Deleted User 3]

Its not open as much as it was showing in the pic, the one side is alright but the other side of the jaw is injured. And because QT time was about over, and the bigger than 8 gal QT for ich might help the issue of them fighting I thought/hoped. Only been two days so. I don't think it's lock-jaw. Its only half the jaw, its almost like ripped in the middle sort of.

[Rollermonkey]

I'm confused why you took them out of QT, too. You were treating for ich, but you weren't waiting for it to be clear of the fish. You were waiting for the maximum life cycle to be exceeded in the tank without a host so that it couldn't re-establish in the tank.

 

With dominance wars like this, you pull the aggressor out. That gives the passive fish the opportunity to heal and learn all the good hiding spots. If you pull the victim and leave the bully, the tank becomes the bully's and she becomes more territorial / possessive.

[Deleted User 3]

I only had like 6 days left or something.. you can put them back in the tank at 6 weeks but its better to wait til 7-8 weeks to make sure the DT has no ich left.. Thats how long I waited.. ? The last 2 weeks basically, for the fish are just so you can up the salinity slowly and reintroduce them to the tank, so i read?

 

I wasn't taking out any fish, I was going to just separate both of them, put one of them in the breeder net still inside the tank, so they're still where they are at but the other one can heal. I wasn't taking anyone out of the tank, that would start this all over again.

[Deleted User 3]

He died They didn't fight at all in the new tank, the other clown was always by him while he was dying It was sad to watch, she wouldn't leave him. She'll get a new buddy today. Just working on how to introduce and such.

[HVani]

Sorry to hear

 

In my experience once their mouth gets stuck open like that they tend to stop eating and don't make it. When you get a new one be sure to get one smaller than your current one. It will cut down a lot on the fighting.

[Deleted User 3]

Thanks

 

I asked patty about how to get a new one, and introductions, so hopefully it goes good. I'll shoot for the smallest one they have, that is submissive. If they dont have any orange occys i'll look at the black ones they had last time. =\ Hopefully I can prevent the fighting now. Going to buy either a breeder net or a box,to put inside if I have to. She's looking for her friend in the tank, swimming all around, going to the top, and stuff. I feel so bad.