clownfish behavior

[futbalstud42]

I have a 29 gal Fowlr with 20lb live rock and 40+ lbs of crushed coral and live aragonite substrate. the tank was set up and ran with ls/lr for 3 weeks. after nitrites and nitrates settled to 0 I added two tank raised Ocellaris clowns which had been together. the LPS owner said they were about 6 mo old.

both fish were eating swimming and seemed to be settling in. they were being fed a diet of frozen foods including: marine cuisine, squid, seaweed/vege mix and occasional brine shrimp. they are fed in the morning and at night.

the lights are now on a timer but were not at the begining

On day 7 of being in the tank I went out of town early in the morning for a funeral. i forgot to feed them, and to turn on the light. the only light they had was the little bit of ambient light that shows in my living room during the day. I came home that night to find the larger of the two fish floating nearly sideways in the tank. fin movement and resperation apeared to be normal. but she/he was having difficulty swimming upright and swimming lower into the water column. I turned the lights on for a few hours and fed them. both fish ate normally. After being in the light and eating she resumed normal swimming patterns.

The next morning she was again near the top looking sluggish and swimming sideways. Again she ate and began swimming normally after the lights were on for a while. This pattern has continued for 4 days with her being near the top in the morning when the lights come on and then resuming "normal" swimming patterns after the lights are on for about an hour. I have increased the photo period from 12 to 13 hours since this is when she seems to do well.

testing results:
steady since tank was started
specific gravity 1.022
pH 8.0
temp 76
steady since fish were added
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0

Does anyone have anything that can help me? What is going on with this fish?

[frefal13]

My clowns sleep in a very similar way to what you are describing. Despite everything in my tank they refuse to host any sort or coral or even rock so they decided to host the upper back right corner of my tank..lol When they are sleeping they look very awkward, they are sideways and look like they are struggling but in reality they are just staying still. Unless I missed something it sounds like sleeping to me.

[Surfdog]

Mine rest in a nem that is on two sides of a rock, clown on each side. They rest sideways, strait up and down, it varies. IMO, I think your feeding them too much, once a day should be plenty, three minutes worth. A big thumbs up on the variety your giving them. I keep my salt at 1.024 - 1.026...

xclwnnite.jpg

I took this photo just now at 2:40am, light has been off since 10pm...

[labnjab]

All 3 of our clowns sleep on their sides in what their hosting. Our 2 Ocellaris clowns sleep in their bubble tip anemones and our Darwin clown sleeps in his colt coral

[sheamurai]

Before mine picked a coral as a host, they also slept at the top corner of the tank...and when they stay still they look awkward swimming.

I second the opinion that they are just sleeping. Nothing to worry about.

[futbalstud42]

well i bought a jar of spectrum pellets as a staple diet this weekend. I am going to feed them a few pellets each in the morning and a bit of the frozen food at night.


Thanks for all the replies