Clown fish are looking pale and hiding from light

[DanLev]

I’ve got a 15ish gallon reef tank that I recently got (2 months ago) I got 2 clown fish around a months ago and kept them in my tank with no coral and seemed to look healthy and happy although one seemed to look like it was loosing its color but sense I’m new I thought it was normal and now my other clown fish is starting to look a little pale and hides from the light unless it’s being fed, the one that’s been pale for a while now seems to be happy and healthy, I added coral to my tank recently also and those also don’t seem like there doing to good. I’ve got a torch that doesn’t open up all the way, a hammer head that doesn’t open up all the way, I also have zoas but they seem to look like there doing really good and opens up all the way. (High range ph 8.0 - ammonia .25ppm - nitrate 0ppm - nitrate 0ppm)

 

[Ta2oodfreak]

Well from what is described and your tests it certainly points to an ammonia issue IMO.

 

[DanLev]

Well from what is described and your tests it certainly points to an ammonia issue IMO.

That little ammonia can affect my the color of the clowns and causing the coral not to open up all the way

 

[Ta2oodfreak]

Yes, even smaller trace amounts can have the same effect (as low as .02ppm).

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Ammonia is your problem friend. It should be 0. It burns the gills of fish like us trying to breathe in a firestorm. Likely your tank isn’t cycled yet. Get some ammonia reducer. Zoa can basically live in anything so no worries there but the hammer and the torch coral aren’t gonna like being in that ammonia. Once you get that ammonia under control I’m sure very thibg will be just fine.

 

[Dom]

FYI: If you test using API test kits, API ammonia kits tend to show the presence of ammonia when there is not.

I would get a backup test at a local fish store to confirm the presence of ammonia. If confirmed, then yes, I would agree that ammonia is an issue.

Did you quarantine your fish?

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

.25 Ammonia is enough to seriously stress out the fish; and if you don't hurry up and get it down it could be deadly. Get over to your LFS this AM and get some ammonia detoxifier such as Amquel, and treat the tank.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

FYI: If you test using API test kits, API ammonia kits tend to show the presence of ammonia when there is not.

I would get a backup test at a local fish store to confirm the presence of ammonia. If confirmed, then yes, I would agree that ammonia is an issue.

Did you quarantine your fish?

I’ve had good luck with api kits so far. Mine consistently read 0 or the same as my Red Sea kit when there is actually ammonia

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is it looking pale or does it have a hazy milky appearance to it?

 

[Reef.]

What test kits are you using?

your parameters don’t seem correct, as ammonia should be 0 and I would expect to see at least some nitrate in a new tank.

 

[Dom]

I’ve had good luck with api kits so far. Mine consistently read 0 or the same as my Red Sea kit when there is actually ammonia

It is widely accepted in the hobby that API ammonia test kits yield false positives. But if you are backing up your API test with something like Red Sea, then I would be satisfied with the presence of ammonia results you're getting.

But hiding from light indicates other things. Based on the picture, I am having a difficult time telling if it is actual loss of color or "dusting" that has developed on the fish.

Again: Do you quarantine?

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

So, did you treat with ammonia detox yet, @DanLev ?