Help! Got a pair of clownfish, one is stuck at the top of the tank and is always sideways. Not sure what to do.

[Soey]

Hello. I got a pair of clownfish for a 13.5 gallon tank yesterday, and one of them has been acting strange since I got him. One of my clownfish is really active and loves swimming around the tank, and eats his food. The other is always sideways and is just opening and closing his mouth. He is also not eating any food. Does anyone know what it could be? Im thinking it could be Swim Bladder Disorder, but I'm not sure.

I attached a video.
Thank you!

 

[blaxsun]

#fishmedic

 

[Sharkbait19]

Welcome to the forum! Sorry it’s under such circumstances.

Video doesn’t play on my end (iPhone), could you try posting pictures or linking it as a YouTube video?
Sounds to me like clown aggression and one is being pinned at the top.

 

[WirelessMike]

Are there any other symptoms of illness or disease? Is it horizontal or vertical?

 

[WirelessMike]

Welcome to the forum! Sorry it’s under such circumstances.

Video doesn’t play on my end (iPhone), could you try posting pictures or linking it as a YouTube video?
Sounds to me like clown aggression and one is being pinned at the top.

I was thinking the same thing. The female may be asserting herself.

 

[threebuoys]

I viewed the video and not a lot to see. Since the fish have been in the tank less that a day, they could just be showing stress. Do you have any other fish in the tank, or places for the fish in question to hide? You may want to reduce the amount of light and give the fish a little time to adjust.

 

[Soey]

Welcome to the forum! Sorry it’s under such circumstances.

Video doesn’t play on my end (iPhone), could you try posting pictures or linking it as a YouTube video?
Sounds to me like clown aggression and one is being pinned at the top.

Sure. The link is https://youtube.com/shorts/1TsdZdD8Y3Y

 

[Soey]

Are there any other symptoms of illness or disease? Is it horizontal or vertical?

The fish seems to be ok, aside from the symptoms highlighted in the original post. The fish is floating horizontally.

 

[Sharkbait19]

To me, it looks like it’s being pinned in the corner. Usually a sign of aggression.

 

[Soey]

I viewed the video and not a lot to see. Since the fish have been in the tank less that a day, they could just be showing stress. Do you have any other fish in the tank, or places for the fish in question to hide? You may want to reduce the amount of light and give the fish a little time to adjust.

I have a rock with a lot of hiding spaces, but the fish don't really like to go down there yet. I dont have any other fish in the tank. It could also just be stress, but one is being a normal fish and is active while the other is not, which is why I am concerned. Thanks for the tips.

 

[Soey]

To me, it looks like it’s being pinned in the corner. Usually a sign of aggression.

They aren't always like this. Sometimes the pinned fish will go to the bottom of the tank, but then it just returns to the top and does what its doing in the video. Should i try to separate them? The fish store i got them from already had them as a pair in their own tank.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Does anything look off on the fish? Does one ever attack the other?
Separating could work to see if it helps.

 

[bxclent]

They aren't always like this. Sometimes the pinned fish will go to the bottom of the tank, but then it just returns to the top and does what its doing in the video. Should i try to separate them? The fish store i got them from already had them as a pair in their own tank.

It truly could be stressed out. Give it a couple days. I know it's painful to watch and you feel helpless. You could even try trying off your lights for 24 hours. That will give everyone (including you)a chance to unwind and chill out. Good luck !

 

[vetteguy53081]

Breathing rate seems normal. Hard to tell if anything foreign with amount of micro bubbles. Im guessing it may be a hierarchy thing as the other clown seems larger and likely the female. So what is Hierarchy? Female clownfish are much more dominant than their male counterparts. They greedily try to eat most of the food that gets into the tank (which is one reason the males don't grow as large).
You can try to isolate the other and see if the one in the corner comes out.
Does it come out when you feed?
The other is to set your phone on video mode for about 45 mins, feed and walk away (YOU MUST WALK AWAY)
Come back and view video and see if the other clown is showing aggression.

 

[WirelessMike]

It truly could be stressed out. Give it a couple days. I know it's painful to watch and you feel helpless. You could even try trying off your lights for 24 hours. That will give everyone (including you)a chance to unwind and chill out. Good luck !

I agree with this one. If you don’t have any coral growing in there it’s not going to hurt to turn the lights out for a bit. Once they have been in the dark for a bit they will at least chill. Mine have done all kinds of weird things like that. Sometimes a clown is just being a clown.

 

[WirelessMike]

Breathing rate seems normal. Hard to tell if anything foreign with amount of micro bubbles. Im guessing it may be a hierarchy thing as the other clown seems larger and likely the female. So what is Hierarchy? Female clownfish are much more dominant than their male counterparts. They greedily try to eat most of the food that gets into the tank (which is one reason the males don't grow as large).
You can try to isolate the other and see if the one in the corner comes out.
Does it come out when you feed?
The other is to set your phone on video mode for about 45 mins, feed and walk away (YOU MUST WALK AWAY)
Come back and view video and see if the other clown is showing aggression.

“YOU MUST WALK AWAY” (quietly peeks around the corner)

 

[melonheadorion]

if there is aggression, you will know. tattered fins, being chased, and things of that sort is what you will see if there is bullying. if you dont see any tattered fins, i wouldnt do anythign with it quite yet.
my clownfish, when they hang out in the corner, sit in wierd positions, such as sideways or vertical up/down

 

[Soey]

Breathing rate seems normal. Hard to tell if anything foreign with amount of micro bubbles. Im guessing it may be a hierarchy thing as the other clown seems larger and likely the female. So what is Hierarchy? Female clownfish are much more dominant than their male counterparts. They greedily try to eat most of the food that gets into the tank (which is one reason the males don't grow as large).
You can try to isolate the other and see if the one in the corner comes out.
Does it come out when you feed?
The other is to set your phone on video mode for about 45 mins, feed and walk away (YOU MUST WALK AWAY)
Come back and view video and see if the other clown is showing aggression.

Hello. Thanks for the reply. When i feed them, even though food is readily available to him, and even if i take the other fish away, he still does not eat. He doesn't have any tattered fins or anything that signals they are fighting. i set my phone to se what they do when I feed, and they just kind of hang out. the big one eats the food, while the smaller one just looks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello. Thanks for the reply. When i feed them, even though food is readily available to him, and even if i take the other fish away, he still does not eat. He doesn't have any tattered fins or anything that signals they are fighting. i set my phone to se what they do when I feed, and they just kind of hang out. the big one eats the food, while the smaller one just looks.

Sounds like hierarchy and will take a couple of days once separated.
That fish- is its poop normal or white?

 

[Soey]

Sounds like hierarchy and will take a couple of days once separated.
That fish- is its poop normal or white?

Im not sure, i can take a look when i get home.