I think my clown fish is dying!

Squishie89

Glub Glub
View Badges
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
3,079
Reaction score
236
Location
Rockville, MD
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think you may be able to reintroduce him, but I would maybe mess with the rock work a bit so it doesn't seem like quite the same tank he is returning to.
 

Eienna

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 9, 2013
Messages
5,758
Reaction score
549
Location
Eddyville, KY, USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
From what I'm hearing, most damsels are more trouble than they're worth. Unless you're really attached to this one, it may be best to let it go.
 

Mike J.

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
3,636
Reaction score
65
Location
Nicholasville, KY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What you should do is get a plan. If fish is most important, choose the fish you want, then research their care and compatibility. Put the least aggressive ones in first so they'll have a chance to settle then most aggressive last. Spread it out so your bacteria can keep up.
 

sucker_fish

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 20, 2009
Messages
75
Reaction score
1
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I woldnt mess with the damsel, they can be quite aggressive with other fish. As said before clowns are generally pretty hardy, under proper conditions. I would get yor tank parameters in check and learn how to maintain them. Read, ask questions, get educated about the fish you want to keep and start to form the good habits now, such as water changes and maintenance duties. If you make them habits now they wont seem like chores later on.
 

oceangirl2009

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Messages
180
Reaction score
6
Location
Sanford, ME
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My clowns were doing something similar when I had stray voltage in my tank, it may not be an issue, but worth checking out.
 
OP
OP
M

mepling

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2013
Messages
111
Reaction score
0
Location
Bryan, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks guys, very good advice. I have been putting together a plan. Since I bought the damsel that is. That was a mistake. I have been researching like crazy. You all helped me save my clownfish and the rest of my tank as well. I cant thank you enough for that.
 

gmoney243

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
4,400
Reaction score
107
Location
Lavergne
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Also dont buy a sixline wrasse or a fourline wrasses. Both can act the same way especially the sixline wrasse they are just as mean to new fish as damsels. Its to bad really cause i used to enjoy my sixline and everyone ive ever know thats had one of those has gotten it out.
 

JasonPG

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
291
Reaction score
2
Location
Delaware
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Also dont buy a sixline wrasse or a fourline wrasses. Both can act the same way especially the sixline wrasse they are just as mean to new fish as damsels. Its to bad really cause i used to enjoy my sixline and everyone ive ever know thats had one of those has gotten it out.

Sixline wrasses are a perfectly reef safe, community fish. Worse case scenario, he goes up to another wrasse or dragonette and flashes his fins a little. I've never heard of a sixline harming anything and I've owned about 3 or 4 over the years.
 

JasonPG

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
291
Reaction score
2
Location
Delaware
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I got the ammonia to 0 now. Thanks I will monitor this more carefully and see what happens. :)

Just curious how you got the ammonia to zero 44 minutes after you posted that you were going to look into getting it down?

As stated before hydrometers are bad. The problem is that after a few uses trace elements and salt have bonded to the plastic floating arm which weighs it down and completely throws off the calibrated reading. You'll be reading 1.022-1.024 when in reality the salinity is closer to 1.032-1.034.

The clown looks like he was just in shock. I'm glad to hear that he is doing better. Keep up on those water changes, I have a feeling there still might be some residual traces of ammonia in the system.
 

gmoney243

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
4,400
Reaction score
107
Location
Lavergne
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sixline wrasses are a perfectly reef safe, community fish. Worse case scenario, he goes up to another wrasse or dragonette and flashes his fins a little. I've never heard of a sixline harming anything and I've owned about 3 or 4 over the years.

Come tell that to all the people in my reef club and youll get a bunch saying the same thing. Just do a search man they are very agressive to new fish unless its a big fish. Ive owned a cpl over the years as well and had them kill or hardcore attack every small fish ive added after them. And same thing happens to 90% of the people i personally know that has owned the fish.
 

LisaD

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 18, 2012
Messages
274
Reaction score
1
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ok ive seen this problem many times. Hydrometers are way off and if you check with a refractometer your going to find your salinity is probably more like 1.030 trust me man ive tested local members tanks to many times who use hydrometers and its always reading very low. You need to ge it tested with a calibrated refractometer and youll see for sure

So true, I just got my own refractive tee and was amazed at how off the hydrometer was.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
 

ReEfErAdDiCt

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 24, 2012
Messages
200
Reaction score
2
Location
Santee CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sixline wrasses are a perfectly reef safe, community fish. Worse case scenario, he goes up to another wrasse or dragonette and flashes his fins a little. I've never heard of a sixline harming anything and I've owned about 3 or 4 over the years.

+1 six lines are excellent fish to keep and they get along with everything but other wrasses sometimes
 

gmoney243

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
4,400
Reaction score
107
Location
Lavergne
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I wish i had ur luck with them. Like i said i know many people who agree with me lol. Maybe its just a luck of the draw but ive had them attack all small fish entering my tank same with a lot i know also. Great looking fish love how they swim around the rocks. Ive owned 3 before all with same results.
 
OP
OP
M

mepling

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2013
Messages
111
Reaction score
0
Location
Bryan, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I got the ammonia down by putting ammonia treatment pellets in the tank. I know it isn't the best way but everything was stressed and I felt I had to use them. All is MUCH better now. In the future I do not intend to use the pellets. I will focus now on better filtration and more frequent water changes. Thank you all for advice. Its much appreciated. And ...a side note... All you guys with this website on your phones... you have a sickness! lol A sickness to be proud of, that's funny.
 

Mike J.

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
3,636
Reaction score
65
Location
Nicholasville, KY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
First, I'm definitely not trying to insult your intelligence. I think you need to concentrate on your nitrogen cycle first. Ammonia is processed into nitrites, the nitrites is processed into nitrates. Okay, live fish should not be introduced into a tank that has any detectable ammonia or nitrites - both are harmful to fish. When your nitrites are 0 after being elevated means you have sufficient denitrifying bacteria to handle the ammonia that is being produced. These denitrifying bacteria live on any substate, sand, glass, everything. Then you need to start stocking fish one at a time and allow sufficient bacteria to grow to handle your increased bio-load. This is why it's so stressed in this hobby to go slow. Feel free to ask any questions.
 
Back
Top