Clownfish swimming strange

[s0mthinG]

Just picked up this small misbar ocellaris but he is swimming extremely strange. He's exerting himself a lot and swimming with his face up at the surface and his tail pointing towards the ground. He occasionally swims horizontally but most of the time he's gasping at the surface and swimming almost straight up. He has eaten a little here and ate vigorously at the pet store yesterday before I brought him home.

Any thoughts on what it might be or how to treat it?

 

[Ro Bow]

video? @Jay Hemdal

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Just picked up this small misbar ocellaris but he is swimming extremely strange. He's exerting himself a lot and swimming with his face up at the surface and his tail pointing towards the ground. He occasionally swims horizontally but most of the time he's gasping at the surface and swimming almost straight up. He has eaten a little here and ate vigorously at the pet store yesterday before I brought him home.

Any thoughts on what it might be or how to treat it?

Some video and background information would be needed. Here is a post that outlines some of the info that is helpful:

Some Helpful Hints When Posting or Responding to Threads in the Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Section

Aquarium Fish Disease Problem Solving Determining the best course of action for a problem with your aquarium can be a difficult task. Even advanced aquarists will often need to seek the help of others for complicated or unique issues. Our intent here on Reef 2 Reef is to offer expert advice...

www.reef2reef.com

For the video - take it under white light, and it helps if you host it on You Tube or other service.

Thanks,

Jay

 

[s0mthinG]

Was having a hard time attaching a video last night. Good idea to host on YT. Don't have anything under white light as it was almost time for lights out when I took it and I leave for work 4-6 hours before lights turn on and get back for another 8-10. Hopefully under the blue with due to show the behavior.



Params shouldn't be an issue as all other fish, inverts, and corals are doing very well.
1.025 SG
0 AM
0 NO2
25 NO3
Akl 9.8
Calc 420
Mg 1380

Everything measured with Salifert except the Alk is a Hannah.

Measured the respiratory rate while he is resting right now at ~5 am and it seems to be around 110 / min and he is literally just laying on the bottom of the breeder net sleeping.

 

[Ro Bow]

bump

 

[ilyad]

I bought a clown on Saturday and mine is doing the same exact thing! Tagging along to see if there is a possible diagnosis.

 

[Df1577]

I've seen clowns do this along with very rapid irritated swimming after an ammonia spike or shock due to rapid change in water parameters. They either recovered slowly or in the case of the ammonia spike died within a day.

 

[ilyad]

I've seen clowns do this along with very rapid irritated swimming after an ammonia spike or shock due to rapid change in water parameters. They either recovered slowly or in the case of the ammonia spike died within a day.

In my case, I drip acclimated the clown for 30 min... and I don't think I have an ammonia spike because not much livestock (and another fish doing completely fine).

However, these clowns did arrive from the breeder just the day prior to the LSF, so possible that they didnt acclimate them well enough, and going from tank to tank was just too much for them.

 

[s0mthinG]

In my case, I drip acclimated the clown for 30 min... and I don't think I have an ammonia spike because not much livestock (and another fish doing completely fine).

However, these clowns did arrive from the breeder just the day prior to the LSF, so possible that they didnt acclimate them well enough, and going from tank to tank was just too much for them.

My LFS said they've had this little dude for almost a month as that was how long ago their last ORA order was. No Amonia for me either, the tank I put him in is a healthy 15g with 1 1.5-2" B&W Ocellaris, Sharknose Goby, and Pistol Shrimp / Goby Pair. All other fish and corals / nems are happy and healthy.

And the rack he was in at the LFS had several other clowns all behaving normally, so I feel there wouldn't be an Amonia issue there either. He was the smallest in that set of tanks tho, but I had them feed him for me and he went after it all and got a nice big bulging belly. So I was okay with the weird swimming especially at the price I was getting him. I needed him to be as small as possible too so he wouldn't try to fight w my other clown who all but kicked her old tank mate out for 6mo due to similar size.

He didn't eat nearly as well a day after I brought him home and settled in, that's why I started to worry. If he was swimming funny but eating fine there's a chance he grows out of it, if he stops eating though....

 

[s0mthinG]

I've seen clowns do this along with very rapid irritated swimming after an ammonia spike or shock due to rapid change in water parameters. They either recovered slowly or in the case of the ammonia spike died within a day.

How long did the symptoms persist? I'll work on a 30-40% wc when I get home

 

[Df1577]

How long did the symptoms persist? I'll work on a 30-40% wc when I get home

Only a few days, I'm not really sure this is the same thing though. In my cases there was a definitive cause, such as a large water change at the wrong salinity or stirred up rockwork generating ammonia.

 

[s0mthinG]

Only a few days, I'm not really sure this is the same thing though. In my cases there was a definitive cause, such as a large water change at the wrong salinity or stirred up rockwork generating ammonia.

Well it very possibly could be water quality. He came from their back quarantine as he hasn't always been on sale since they got him a month ago. So I'm guessing he recently got put into the front, and then I also moved him home after that. So I feel like the rapid changes from his original water to the for sale tank water to my tank water could have caused it. I'm fortifying food with garlic and I'm going to see if he takes any tonight after my water change.

His behavior seems roughly the same as it was yesterday but not as active as he was in the shop although he did still have a slight upwards angle to his swimming in the shop.

Time will tell, This does help me not go straight to feeding him Metro + Focus in his food as I was tempted to do. I read that some bacteria and parasites could potentially cause this slightly swim bladder looking issue

 

[s0mthinG]

Update time: he ate very well for dinner tonight just as he did in the shop when I saw him.

His swimming is still a little strained but a lot better than the almost 50% vertical swimming I was getting beforehand. I believe part of what's helping is him swimming against the current from my powerhead as I have removed him from the breeder net once he started to eat.

Respiration still seems a little strained and he's having to work very hard to fight the current using mostly his pectoral fins to swim and not so much his tail. Posting a video soon

Edit: Video is now should be available at this link in ~10 mins