Dead clown

timmyus · 04/24/2006, 11:31 PM

I bought a pair of clowns about 4 days ago both seemed very happy and getting along with one another, they were fairly the same size too. This morning I found one of them DEAD :-( everyday I checked up on them and there no signs of desease but yesterday I got home saw that the ones fins started looking torn, but he was still swimming about and dancing infront of the tank when ever i got near it. he was eating fine, actually he was eating like a pig. do you guys think that it could have been murder by the other clown? I am worried if it might have been some desease. the other fish still looks fine to me they still swimming happily in the tank and they dont have torn fins. they look perfectly healthy. any suggestions

nctommy · 04/25/2006, 01:02 AM

I am sorry to hear about your loss. I could be a few things that could cause it. First, besides the clowns what else is in the tank? Secondly, you said they were getting along. How were they getting along? What seemed to be them getting along could have been a battle. Clowns are territorial. Just recently my male clown, in a mated pair, started to bite me if I stick my hand in near their home. It appears to you that he is swimming by playfully till he bites me.

timmyus · 04/25/2006, 05:02 AM

they alwasy swam together never leaving eachothers side. all the time I watched them there was never agression involved. I the inhabitants are:
2 turbo snails
1 dwarfed hermit crab
1 blue velvet damsel
1 brisstle work
and now only 1 clown
I am gonna do a water change tomorrow just incase too. but water paramters seem to be fine when I checked

timmyus · 04/25/2006, 05:04 AM

sorry i meant brissle star

bjonesjr1 · 04/25/2006, 05:41 AM

That sucks to hear about the ClownFish, but if they didn't look like they were fighting, and it seemed to you like they were happy with each other then maybe its. your water parameters... Maybe the tank is to new... Didn't you say the tank has been up only for about 2 months... To many things to soon can cause a Bio over load

timmyus · 04/25/2006, 06:00 AM

I checked my parameters and they are fine
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 0
nitrites 0
calcium 450ppm
salinity 1.023

nothing else seems to be affected the other fish are healthy and doing well. How does one tell whether a fish has fin rot or iif its been nipped from other fish cos like said he find looked torn and it was like chunks of it that was gone as if eaten. Do you think it could also be the damsel as they are known to be aggressive and territorial he was the first fish I put in the tank and has been the only one in it for about a month.

bjonesjr1 · 04/25/2006, 06:04 AM

Well if your water parameters are good, which they are... The only thing that I would tweak would maybe be your salinty... I keep mine at 1.026, thats is more like the natural ocean so thats where I try to keep mine.

Ummm I do know that damsels are aggressive, but not sure if they would go after a Clown. Is the damsel bigger than the clown? and does the damsel kinnda have its area that, lets say if the clown did go near or around would cause the damsel to be defending it their? That is most likely what could of happened. Because I think that you said you bought the clowns from your LFS together before they were introduced to the LFS tank right? So They are proably going to get along fine, it was probably the damsel...

timmyus · 04/25/2006, 06:18 AM

He does seem to have his little spot that he always prefer being but I have never caught him in the act of chasing the clown away but then again I never actually noticed the clown going anywhere near that part of the tank they always prefered the other side. the damsel is about the same size of the clown. If it is him I hope that would not go for the other clown. I think I will just keep monitoring the other fish I have left to see how they behave or to see if they pick up any deseases for a couple of weeks before I get mate for the clown again. I wanna get more clean up crews tho. I only have the 2 turbo's which seem to do well for algea and the brittle star I dont know he only comes out at night or when the room is dark to feed but as soon as I put on the lights he seems to just go into hiding again. But I am told that is normal behaviour as they are nocturnal.

bjonesjr1 · 04/25/2006, 06:41 AM

I would get rid of the Damsel, I did before I put my Clown into my tank... That way your other clown will be fine... IMO

as for your clean up crew: That is right about your brittle star, I have a Black spiny sea urchin that only comes out at night other than he is in the darkest spot he can find...

My Clean up crew for my 55 gallon tank:

(10) Blue legged hermit crabs
(2) Mexican Turbo Snails
(3) Sand sifting snails
(7) Astrea turbo snails
(3) peppermint Shrimp

they do very well for my tank, untell I get more LR I don't want to add any more to the tank,

timmyus · 04/25/2006, 06:55 AM

I was tolfd be my LFS that I must be careful with hermits as they tend to damage corals. Thats why I am afraid of buying them. He actually had a nice Orange legged hermit which was quite a nice big one but when he told me about them not being quite reef safe I did not tank it. He said I would have better luck with a dwarf hermit which I got instead.

bjonesjr1 · 04/25/2006, 06:59 AM

My hermits seem to do fine all over my rock work, they don't seem to bother my xenia, or mushrooms, so thats a plus, but they got plenty to eat all over so maybe if their well feed then their fine...

amazingbobby · 04/25/2006, 09:48 AM

I had a clown die for an unknown reason, The other one is fine and everything else in my aquarium is thriving. I have good water parameters. These things happen sometimes, may have been an unhealthy fish to begin with. I worried about what killed mine, but realized I will never know.

rjwilson37 · 04/25/2006, 10:57 AM

Blue Velvet Damsels are very mean, it may be he didn't like somethnig about the Clown, was there ever any aggression from the damsel towards the clowns?

timmyus · 04/28/2006, 12:06 AM

Well I have not caught him in the act but now my other clown died as well and no sign of desease on him either. He was swimming all over the place and eating too. I just dont understand it. I still suspect the damsel but I dont have enough evidence to convict him. I did a major water change yesterday about 30% I am gonna check parameters today when I get home from work. I know one thing... I aint adding anything to the tank for the next month or 2 exept for more cleanup crew and live rock.

04/24/2006, 11:31 PM	#1
timmyus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cape Town South Africa Posts: 109	Dead clown I bought a pair of clowns about 4 days ago both seemed very happy and getting along with one another, they were fairly the same size too. This morning I found one of them DEAD :-( everyday I checked up on them and there no signs of desease but yesterday I got home saw that the ones fins started looking torn, but he was still swimming about and dancing infront of the tank when ever i got near it. he was eating fine, actually he was eating like a pig. do you guys think that it could have been murder by the other clown? I am worried if it might have been some desease. the other fish still looks fine to me they still swimming happily in the tank and they dont have torn fins. they look perfectly healthy. any suggestions

04/25/2006, 05:41 AM	#5
bjonesjr1 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 1,258	That sucks to hear about the ClownFish, but if they didn't look like they were fighting, and it seemed to you like they were happy with each other then maybe its. your water parameters... Maybe the tank is to new... Didn't you say the tank has been up only for about 2 months... To many things to soon can cause a Bio over load __________________ Bobby Current Tank Info: 75gal, LifeReef CLF1 Sump & SVS2-24 Skimmer

04/25/2006, 06:04 AM	#7
bjonesjr1 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 1,258	Well if your water parameters are good, which they are... The only thing that I would tweak would maybe be your salinty... I keep mine at 1.026, thats is more like the natural ocean so thats where I try to keep mine. Ummm I do know that damsels are aggressive, but not sure if they would go after a Clown. Is the damsel bigger than the clown? and does the damsel kinnda have its area that, lets say if the clown did go near or around would cause the damsel to be defending it their? That is most likely what could of happened. Because I think that you said you bought the clowns from your LFS together before they were introduced to the LFS tank right? So They are proably going to get along fine, it was probably the damsel... __________________ Bobby Current Tank Info: 75gal, LifeReef CLF1 Sump & SVS2-24 Skimmer

04/25/2006, 06:41 AM	#9
bjonesjr1 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 1,258	I would get rid of the Damsel, I did before I put my Clown into my tank... That way your other clown will be fine... IMO as for your clean up crew: That is right about your brittle star, I have a Black spiny sea urchin that only comes out at night other than he is in the darkest spot he can find... My Clean up crew for my 55 gallon tank: (10) Blue legged hermit crabs (2) Mexican Turbo Snails (3) Sand sifting snails (7) Astrea turbo snails (3) peppermint Shrimp they do very well for my tank, untell I get more LR I don't want to add any more to the tank, __________________ Bobby Current Tank Info: 75gal, LifeReef CLF1 Sump & SVS2-24 Skimmer

04/25/2006, 06:59 AM	#11
bjonesjr1 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 1,258	My hermits seem to do fine all over my rock work, they don't seem to bother my xenia, or mushrooms, so thats a plus, but they got plenty to eat all over so maybe if their well feed then their fine... __________________ Bobby Current Tank Info: 75gal, LifeReef CLF1 Sump & SVS2-24 Skimmer

04/25/2006, 01:02 AM	#2
nctommy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 181	I am sorry to hear about your loss. I could be a few things that could cause it. First, besides the clowns what else is in the tank? Secondly, you said they were getting along. How were they getting along? What seemed to be them getting along could have been a battle. Clowns are territorial. Just recently my male clown, in a mated pair, started to bite me if I stick my hand in near their home. It appears to you that he is swimming by playfully till he bites me.

04/25/2006, 05:02 AM	#3
timmyus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cape Town South Africa Posts: 109	they alwasy swam together never leaving eachothers side. all the time I watched them there was never agression involved. I the inhabitants are: 2 turbo snails 1 dwarfed hermit crab 1 blue velvet damsel 1 brisstle work and now only 1 clown I am gonna do a water change tomorrow just incase too. but water paramters seem to be fine when I checked

04/25/2006, 05:04 AM	#4
timmyus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cape Town South Africa Posts: 109	sorry i meant brissle star

04/25/2006, 06:00 AM	#6
timmyus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cape Town South Africa Posts: 109	I checked my parameters and they are fine Ammonia 0 Nitrates 0 nitrites 0 calcium 450ppm salinity 1.023 nothing else seems to be affected the other fish are healthy and doing well. How does one tell whether a fish has fin rot or iif its been nipped from other fish cos like said he find looked torn and it was like chunks of it that was gone as if eaten. Do you think it could also be the damsel as they are known to be aggressive and territorial he was the first fish I put in the tank and has been the only one in it for about a month.

04/25/2006, 06:18 AM	#8
timmyus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cape Town South Africa Posts: 109	He does seem to have his little spot that he always prefer being but I have never caught him in the act of chasing the clown away but then again I never actually noticed the clown going anywhere near that part of the tank they always prefered the other side. the damsel is about the same size of the clown. If it is him I hope that would not go for the other clown. I think I will just keep monitoring the other fish I have left to see how they behave or to see if they pick up any deseases for a couple of weeks before I get mate for the clown again. I wanna get more clean up crews tho. I only have the 2 turbo's which seem to do well for algea and the brittle star I dont know he only comes out at night or when the room is dark to feed but as soon as I put on the lights he seems to just go into hiding again. But I am told that is normal behaviour as they are nocturnal.

04/25/2006, 06:55 AM	#10
timmyus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cape Town South Africa Posts: 109	I was tolfd be my LFS that I must be careful with hermits as they tend to damage corals. Thats why I am afraid of buying them. He actually had a nice Orange legged hermit which was quite a nice big one but when he told me about them not being quite reef safe I did not tank it. He said I would have better luck with a dwarf hermit which I got instead.

04/25/2006, 09:48 AM	#12
amazingbobby Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: N.California Posts: 227	I had a clown die for an unknown reason, The other one is fine and everything else in my aquarium is thriving. I have good water parameters. These things happen sometimes, may have been an unhealthy fish to begin with. I worried about what killed mine, but realized I will never know. __________________ Control for smilers can't be bought Current Tank Info: 29 gal Reef, 30"Coralife Deluxe Aqualight, Aqua C Remora Skimmer, 24 gal Cube w/ 150w Sunpod. LPS, softies, bristleworms x 7.34 million, and other weird creatures.

04/25/2006, 10:57 AM	#13
rjwilson37 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: West Michigan Posts: 7,104	Blue Velvet Damsels are very mean, it may be he didn't like somethnig about the Clown, was there ever any aggression from the damsel towards the clowns? __________________ Isn't life just wonderful. 29g Biocube Standard Pump Standard 72w PC Lighting Current Tank Info: 29g Biocube Reef Tank

04/28/2006, 12:06 AM	#14
timmyus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cape Town South Africa Posts: 109	Well I have not caught him in the act but now my other clown died as well and no sign of desease on him either. He was swimming all over the place and eating too. I just dont understand it. I still suspect the damsel but I dont have enough evidence to convict him. I did a major water change yesterday about 30% I am gonna check parameters today when I get home from work. I know one thing... I aint adding anything to the tank for the next month or 2 exept for more cleanup crew and live rock.