Worried about clown fish!

Nwest · 09/11/2010, 05:08 PM

I recently got a pair of baby percs on wed. They have been in the tank since then and have been eating very little. I have tried baby pallets and now trying rod frozen food. From my reading clowns are pigs and these two are barley even eating anything. I'm hoping its just cause they are new and still trying to get everything figured out. whats everyones thoughts?

VacavilleFC3S · 09/11/2010, 06:40 PM

possibly internal parasite worms. i had the same problem with mine recently, go buy some prazipro.

julie180 · 09/11/2010, 07:17 PM

How small are they? Tank raised?

It maybe that they just don't need that much food. If they are eating some, than it should be ok.

Nwest · 09/11/2010, 08:11 PM

They are about 1/2 inch maybe. Yes they are tank breed Percs.

TripleT · 09/11/2010, 08:14 PM

What are all of your water parameters?

Are they in QT now, or in a tank with other fish?

What were they eating at your LFS? Did you witness them eat before you bought them?

I'd also try frozen cyclops.

Palting · 09/11/2010, 08:54 PM

AFAIK, clowns indeed are pigs and will eat anything. A little more info on your tank and the clowns environs may help us help you.

VacavilleFC3S · 09/11/2010, 08:56 PM

doesn't really matter if there tank-raised, the LFS i used to work for got all it's clowns from ORA and they came with worms.

Nwest · 09/11/2010, 09:37 PM

The environment they are in is a freshly cycled 90 gal tank. Cycle finished last week sometime and went monday and water double checked by the fish store and they said they were good. Its a 90 gal tank with 90lbs of LR. Nothing else in the tank but 30 crabs. Dont remeber what the the parameters are of the tank Im not at home right now.

Nwest · 09/12/2010, 05:46 PM

Well my fears were true. Came home today from running around and found one of them in my filter sock dead

I am not sure if he got sucked in or if he was dead then went in. Not sure and kinda discouraging being my first 2 fish.....

TripleT · 09/12/2010, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nwest

The environment they are in is a freshly cycled 90 gal tank. Cycle finished last week sometime and went monday and water double checked by the fish store and they said they were good. Its a 90 gal tank with 90lbs of LR. Nothing else in the tank but 30 crabs. Dont remeber what the the parameters are of the tank Im not at home right now.

How long has the tank been running?

When was your ammonia spike?

What are your parameters now?

Nwest · 09/13/2010, 04:32 PM

Ammonia spike was over a week ago.Parameters right now are as followed

Nirtate-0
Nitrite-0
Ammonia-0
PH-8.2
Temp. 79
Salinaty-about 1.027(havnt added top off yet)

julie180 · 09/13/2010, 04:37 PM

Sorry to hear you lost one. I hope the other makes it Unless you have crazy high flow into your sump, the fish was probably dead before it took the trip.

If you are concerned about the other one going through the overflow, take the filter sock out and if it should go down, it will just swim around in your sump.

Just curious, what are you using for test kits?

Palting · 09/13/2010, 05:10 PM

Can't really say what happened here. Percs are pretty hardy. But, unless your second one starts eating, he's going to be a gonner, too. If your tank parameters are all good, and they appear to be, then I would have to say you got sick fish for your first two fish.

TripleT · 09/14/2010, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nwest

Ammonia spike was over a week ago

This doesn't sound like a tank that has been running very long at all.

I'd wait another month before adding any more fish.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nwest

Salinaty-about 1.027(havnt added top off yet)

I'd bring it down to at least 1.025.

Topping your tank off wouldn't normally have that great of an impact. So remove some saltwater, and add freshwater. If you can do this over the course of a day or two, that would be even better.

SMT6h · 09/14/2010, 03:43 PM

couple of things:
1- food options--give live brine shrimp a shot if needed....if the one left won't eat that...there is a problem
2- Lower that salinty.
3- How long did you acclimate? While we all do 1.024-1.026 for SG in our tanks, the shop you got him from is probably much, much lower. They do that to minimaze the free swimming stage virulence of parasites. Keeping a lower salinty keeps ick out of their tanks mostly....the most visible parasitic disease. Sneak in a SGM at some point and spot check thier tank....you will find almost all fish only systems are low. Most of the invert systems they will keep higher though....but check those also.

-Shawn

reefworldly · 09/14/2010, 05:01 PM

i have trouble with my clownfish too, they currently have ick so they in quarantine tank at the moment... hopefully i can beat this ick,. my first experience with sw fish and ick...

09/11/2010, 05:08 PM	#1
Nwest Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Palm Harbor Posts: 2,596	Worried about clown fish! I recently got a pair of baby percs on wed. They have been in the tank since then and have been eating very little. I have tried baby pallets and now trying rod frozen food. From my reading clowns are pigs and these two are barley even eating anything. I'm hoping its just cause they are new and still trying to get everything figured out. whats everyones thoughts?

09/11/2010, 08:54 PM	#6
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	AFAIK, clowns indeed are pigs and will eat anything. A little more info on your tank and the clowns environs may help us help you. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

09/13/2010, 05:10 PM	#13
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	Can't really say what happened here. Percs are pretty hardy. But, unless your second one starts eating, he's going to be a gonner, too. If your tank parameters are all good, and they appear to be, then I would have to say you got sick fish for your first two fish. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

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09/11/2010, 06:40 PM	#2
VacavilleFC3S Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Vacaville California Posts: 2,613	possibly internal parasite worms. i had the same problem with mine recently, go buy some prazipro.

09/11/2010, 07:17 PM	#3
julie180 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Raymore, MO Posts: 2,556	How small are they? Tank raised? It maybe that they just don't need that much food. If they are eating some, than it should be ok.

09/11/2010, 08:11 PM	#4
Nwest Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Palm Harbor Posts: 2,596	They are about 1/2 inch maybe. Yes they are tank breed Percs.

09/11/2010, 08:14 PM	#5
TripleT Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 1,092	What are all of your water parameters? Are they in QT now, or in a tank with other fish? What were they eating at your LFS? Did you witness them eat before you bought them? I'd also try frozen cyclops.

09/11/2010, 08:56 PM	#7
VacavilleFC3S Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Vacaville California Posts: 2,613	doesn't really matter if there tank-raised, the LFS i used to work for got all it's clowns from ORA and they came with worms.

09/11/2010, 09:37 PM	#8
Nwest Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Palm Harbor Posts: 2,596	The environment they are in is a freshly cycled 90 gal tank. Cycle finished last week sometime and went monday and water double checked by the fish store and they said they were good. Its a 90 gal tank with 90lbs of LR. Nothing else in the tank but 30 crabs. Dont remeber what the the parameters are of the tank Im not at home right now.

09/12/2010, 05:46 PM	#9
Nwest Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Palm Harbor Posts: 2,596	Well my fears were true. Came home today from running around and found one of them in my filter sock dead I am not sure if he got sucked in or if he was dead then went in. Not sure and kinda discouraging being my first 2 fish.....

09/13/2010, 04:32 PM	#11
Nwest Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Palm Harbor Posts: 2,596	Ammonia spike was over a week ago.Parameters right now are as followed Nirtate-0 Nitrite-0 Ammonia-0 PH-8.2 Temp. 79 Salinaty-about 1.027(havnt added top off yet)

09/13/2010, 04:37 PM	#12
julie180 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Raymore, MO Posts: 2,556	Sorry to hear you lost one. I hope the other makes it Unless you have crazy high flow into your sump, the fish was probably dead before it took the trip. If you are concerned about the other one going through the overflow, take the filter sock out and if it should go down, it will just swim around in your sump. Just curious, what are you using for test kits?

09/14/2010, 03:43 PM	#15
SMT6h Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Virginia Posts: 150	couple of things: 1- food options--give live brine shrimp a shot if needed....if the one left won't eat that...there is a problem 2- Lower that salinty. 3- How long did you acclimate? While we all do 1.024-1.026 for SG in our tanks, the shop you got him from is probably much, much lower. They do that to minimaze the free swimming stage virulence of parasites. Keeping a lower salinty keeps ick out of their tanks mostly....the most visible parasitic disease. Sneak in a SGM at some point and spot check thier tank....you will find almost all fish only systems are low. Most of the invert systems they will keep higher though....but check those also. -Shawn

09/14/2010, 05:01 PM	#16
reefworldly Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 122	i have trouble with my clownfish too, they currently have ick so they in quarantine tank at the moment... hopefully i can beat this ick,. my first experience with sw fish and ick...