Clownfish sick or just paired behavior?

[hbubley]

Hey guys,

so I’ve been reading a lot of posts and it’s hard to put together all the symptoms I’m seeing and determine what’s going on definitively from them. I’m gonna try to get a video in the morning, but in the meantime:

My clown fish pair seem to be nipping at each other and quiver/shaking and chasing eachother often. They sleep together when the lights go off and are not “damaging” each others fins- just seeing a lot of what I would call aggression?

I’m also noticing occasional rubbing on rocks or hitting the sand bed. They’re also pulling some algae off rocks occasionally maybe looking for food? They’re eating super well very food motivated. They don’t seem stressed or to be breathing heavy. I’ve been noticing this behavior for at least a week now probably much longer. Thanks in advance.

 

[stE26wy14]

Maybe drunk
Clownfish ate algae eaters, they aren’t beneficial enough to make a change, they do eat algae though. They are probably determine which is the strongest or something, I am not an expert, so. Don’t trust that as much as u should with the experts advic

 

[Tahoe61]

Completely normal behavior.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Appears normal from intimidation and clowns are not algae eaters but rather carnivorous

 

[hbubley]

Sorry I should have clarified the algae part- mysis shrimp (frozen/thawed) get stuck in the rock. So I’m curious if they’re pulling at the algae to get at mysis shrimp that might be hidden in that area?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hey guys,

so I’ve been reading a lot of posts and it’s hard to put together all the symptoms I’m seeing and determine what’s going on definitively from them. I’m gonna try to get a video in the morning, but in the meantime:

My clown fish pair seem to be nipping at each other and quiver/shaking and chasing eachother often. They sleep together when the lights go off and are not “damaging” each others fins- just seeing a lot of what I would call aggression?

I’m also noticing occasional rubbing on rocks or hitting the sand bed. They’re also pulling some algae off rocks occasionally maybe looking for food? They’re eating super well very food motivated. They don’t seem stressed or to be breathing heavy. I’ve been noticing this behavior for at least a week now probably much longer. Thanks in advance.

A pair of clowns will pick at rocks to "clean" them in preparation to laying eggs.

 

[MnFish1]

Hey guys,

so I’ve been reading a lot of posts and it’s hard to put together all the symptoms I’m seeing and determine what’s going on definitively from them. I’m gonna try to get a video in the morning, but in the meantime:

My clown fish pair seem to be nipping at each other and quiver/shaking and chasing eachother often. They sleep together when the lights go off and are not “damaging” each others fins- just seeing a lot of what I would call aggression?

I’m also noticing occasional rubbing on rocks or hitting the sand bed. They’re also pulling some algae off rocks occasionally maybe looking for food? They’re eating super well very food motivated. They don’t seem stressed or to be breathing heavy. I’ve been noticing this behavior for at least a week now probably much longer. Thanks in advance.

It sounds like pairing behavior. Assuming there are no other symptoms, breathing problems or thickened mucus etc