Maroon Clown

[nightdust]

i got myself a paired maroon clown yesterday.. till today both have been hiding behind my tank .. i mean behind a big long rock that i placed to create a swim thru from one end to another at the back of my tank.. they dun even come out when theres food so i had to manual feed them.. can someone tell me why are they behaving this way and is there any way to encourage them to come out?

Secondly i go this problem with my tank.. so far i bought 3 cleaner shrimps and they all died within a day or two. I tested my water and its ammonia nitrite nitrate free

i intro the shrimp like how i did for my fish

get them accustomed to my tank temp and slowly adding my tank water into the bag for bout half an hour before putting it in with my hand..

all 3 K-Oed within a day or two and thats like $24

anyone can tell me why like dat huh

thanks~!

[ong2ah]

Check yr temp & salinity..... These are impt parameters also..

temp should be kept between a range of 26 to 30 degree celsius max..

salinity abt 1.021 to 1.026.. depending u keeping corals or not..

And is yr alkalinity of yr water ok... low kH will easily result in low pH ..

IMO, at least get a kH test kit (salifert would be a very gd brand)... And the brand of salt u use for yr tank is impt also... i believe in using reputable brands of salt.. will save u a lot of problem..

my experience with cleaner shrimp is that they are very hardy.. & maroon clownfishes should be active ... They must be stressed that they hide & dnt eat...

[cci[RR]us]

My maroon clowns never hide. I have kept quite a few batches of maroon clowns (due to my mishandling when I was still a n00b) and everytime when they enter my tank, they never hide. They just swim around and explore the new tank as if they are curious.

I have bigger fishes and I guess being maroon clowns mean that they are bold and fierce. They don't give face to the bigger fish and will show them who is the boss if they swim too near to them.

Your clowns don't sound too healthy to me. I suspect that your water has problems...

[nightdust]

my maroon clowns are out but the bigger one is not feeding and has this strange behaviour of swimming facing the water surface in a alomost vertical position..

can someone explain what it means?

[ong2ah]

my maroon clowns are out but the bigger one is not feeding and has this strange behaviour of swimming facing the water surface in a alomost vertical position..

can someone explain what it means?

Bro, i think u should give more info abt yr tank parameters... I think i saw a chromis in the picture.... If yr maroon clown is an isolated case of not doing well... and all yr other fishes is doing fine..swimming and eating normally... then i guess u have not much to worry abt.... sometimes it juz happen that we get a not so gd specimen from LFS... Thats all.

[nightdust]

Bro, i think u should give more info abt yr tank parameters... I think i saw a chromis in the picture.... If yr maroon clown is an isolated case of not doing well... and all yr other fishes is doing fine..swimming and eating normally... then i guess u have not much to worry abt.... sometimes it juz happen that we get a not so gd specimen from LFS... Thats all.

hmm.. i hosting a 1 feet nanocube

i have 2 maroon clown(pair got yest from LCK)

1 chromis

1 cardinal

1 firefish

all other fishes are doing fine.. eating well with brine shrimps that i soaked with garlic.. only the bigger clown is not eating... i dun know how to coax it to eat ..HELP!!!

[ong2ah]

hmm.. i hosting a 1 feet nanocube

i have 2 maroon clown(pair got yest from LCK)

1 chromis

1 cardinal

1 firefish

all other fishes are doing fine.. eating well with brine shrimps that i soaked with garlic.. only the bigger clown is not eating... i dun know how to coax it to eat ..HELP!!!

I suspect that there may not be enough oxygen in yr small tank... 5 fishes in a small 1 feet is a bit too many...and maroon clownfish not exactly a small fish... the picture u post do seem to confirm my suspiction... What type of skimmer u using? or u not using any skimmer? Cos a macro or air bubble skimmer will help to draw in oxygen to the tank

[nightdust]

i am not using any skimmers ... i was told its ok cos i having nanocube and oxygen is drawn from the filtration (sump) behind

i also dunno much as i am new...

[ong2ah]

i am not using any skimmers ... i was told its ok cos i having nanocube and oxygen is drawn from the filtration (sump) behind

i also dunno much as i am new...

IMO, deficiency of oxygen is certainly very possible in yr tank...as the tank is small... there can only be that much of oxygen that dissolve in yr tank from atmosphere.... Skimmer not only help to remove the organic waste... it also help to draw in air to yr tank.... And my 2 cents worth of thinking, is that u should not keep 5 fishes in a small 1 feet tank...the system is simply inadequate for that number of fishes.... Strongly recommend u to get a small air-bubble skimmer for yr tank.. and yah, frequent water change is also necessary...

FYI, i am keeping ten fishes in a 2 feet tank with 1.5 feet sump system... i got to keep changing water weekly to keep my n03 down for my corals and anthias be happy... the fishes and corals .... i ... but what to do ... can't resist getting fishes... and keeping cynarina which is very suspectible to high n03..

[cci[RR]us]

I would rule out oxygen deficiency here.

The clown appears vertically doesn't mean it is trying to suck air from the surface of the water. It is just not feeling well. I have sick clowns before and they would appear to be swimming in odd positions. Vertical position is just one of them. When they get more sick and nearing death, they'll go upside down, roll around as they are pushed by the currents, and struggle to stay upright.

Sick fishes will appear to be gasping for air. There is no reason for just the bigger clown to be suffocating while the rest of the tankmates are not. In other words, if the water is not oxygenated enough, then all will be coming to the surface, poking their mouth out of the water surface and gasp for air.

As long as there is water movement, the water should be sufficently oxygenated.

[ong2ah]

us,Apr 18 2006, 08:35 PM] I would rule out oxygen deficiency here.

The clown appears vertically doesn't mean it is trying to suck air from the surface of the water. It is just not feeling well. I have sick clowns before and they would appear to be swimming in odd positions. Vertical position is just one of them. When they get more sick and nearing death, they'll go upside down, roll around as they are pushed by the currents, and struggle to stay upright.

Sick fishes will appear to be gasping for air. There is no reason for just the bigger clown to be suffocating while the rest of the tankmates are not. In other words, if the water is not oxygenated enough, then all will be coming to the surface, poking their mouth out of the water surface and gasp for air.

As long as there is water movement, the water should be sufficently oxygenated.

Bro...u could be right with yr point... but i do think that u no need to see all fishes come up to surface to conclude its oxygen deficiency... however i do advise against keeping 5 fishes in a small 1 feet tank w/o skimmer... juz my 2 cents worth of opinion.

However i do not agree that "As long as there is water movement, the water should be sufficently oxygenated." Yr statement indirectly means that its feasible to keep 20 fishes in a small tank w/o fearing of insufficient oxygen juz as long as there is water movement....

[nightdust]

well guys its definately not due to oxygen cos all fishes are doing well and only the bigger is acting wierdly.. and FYI

that clown up th e lorry this morning liao

i gave away my fav maroon clown for this pair and this fella made me regret my first decision... sigh

i chage my water weekly to ensure i bring down nitrate level.. an di tested my water recently and everything appear 0.

moreever that clown wasnt eating while the smaller ate as per normal.

but now i got another problem...

my smaller clown keeps hiding behind my tank.. wun even come out for food now ever since the bigger clown died.. could it be due to being stressted that it's pair just died?...

now i also very stressed cos i always wanted a pair of clowns..

i am considering getting two juvenile true percula clowns and pair them through the grow out method...

of course i would have to give away this baby maroon but e problem is it would not eat and i worry that it would starve to death...

[cci[RR]us]

However i do not agree that "As long as there is water movement, the water should be sufficently oxygenated."  Yr statement indirectly means that its feasible to keep 20 fishes in a small tank w/o fearing of insufficient oxygen juz as long as there is water movement.... 

My statement does not mean that.

Do you have any experience in tanks that is not sufficiently oxygenated? I haven't heard of any. Having 20 fishes is bad not because of the lack of oxygen, but rather due to the stress of squeezing so many fish in a small space, or the high variability in water chemistry.

Likewise, squeezing 100 fishes in a 1ft tank most likely will get them killed but I seriously don't think it would be due to suffocation; but rather the stress of being confined and the sudden changes in chemistry due to the low volume of water and high amount of biological waste.

Although I am not an expert in marine aquaria, I have yet to hear any issues with fish suffocation. On the other hand, I have heard that as long as there is water movement, there will be enough oxygen.

Do enlighten us if you happen to have any literature on such suffocation issues. Otherwise I shall stand by my "idea" of "as long as there is water movement, there will be sufficient oxygen for the fishes".

[nightdust]

TENSION ALERT TENSION ALERT

actually its true that i have not heard of issues regarding lack of oxygen for the fishes (provided there's the basic thing of water movement)

but anyway e 2 clownfish i got.. i believe they are sick when i first got them... the small one K-Oed last night...

and i believe its a isolated case cos my other fishes are doing well

guess shit happens