Is my clown fish dieing

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

I recently added some things to my aquarium it was already established I got 2 clowns a couple hermits a few snails a couple small frags I put them in last Sunday every other thing I added looks to be in great shape everything is eating and moving around being active accept this clown I was worried when he wasn't eating much but he was still active but now it's not really eating at all and he's just kind of sitting on the rock panting I don't know what I would do to fix the issue I don't have a hospital ot quarantine tank and I've looked every where but can't find my ammonia test all my other parameters are good maybe I picked a bad fish IDK all my other live stock is doing good this frustrating I've had trouble with this tank in the past and i thought I had something good going this time grrrrrrrr

threebuoys · Jan 27, 2024

Please provide pics under white light, a close up, and a short video to help diagnosis.

MnFish1 · Jan 27, 2024

Hard to tell anything with the blue light - can you take a closer bigger foto? Any other sick fish? Any breathing problems?

Edit - didn't mean to repeat, @threebuoys and I posted together

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

I'll see if I can get better pictures is a 20 cube so it's just another clown he is very active and and eats good the rest is cuc

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

Tank looks like crap I've added emerald crabs and snails for the algae it's a work in progress long story of a neglected tank being restored to former glory and go figure he's camera shy all the sudden I'm still trying for better pics

Uncle99 · Jan 27, 2024

Cant be ammonia or the other clown would act same.
Could they both be females?
Then maybe it’s an aggression thing.
Sometimes pairing different ones can be more challenging.

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

Uncle99 said:
Cant be ammonia or the other clown would act same.
Could they both be females?
Then maybe it’s an aggression thing.
Sometimes pairing different ones can be more challenging.

The other clown is actually very nice he doesn't push it around or get snippy when I feed and they practically sleep together they wiggle right next to each other all night now that I've turned the white light on it magically seems more active I put a little food in he actually looked interested he ate but spit it back now that I've turned the light on and add some food he's more active I turned all the pumps off

threebuoys · Jan 27, 2024

How is the breathing for each clown?
Do you see any mucus on the skin?
What food are you feeding that's being ignored?
Given the age of the tank, and the live anemone, I do not suspect ammonia.

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

Uncle99 said:
Cant be ammonia or the other clown would act same.
Could they both be females?
Then maybe it’s an aggression thing.
Sometimes pairing different ones can be more challenging.

Is it possible he's still on fish store time 11-7 or maybe I have more flow than he is used to

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

threebuoys said:
How is the breathing for each clown?
Do you see any mucus on the skin?
What food are you feeding that's being ignored?
Given the age of the tank, and the live anemone, I do not suspect ammonia.

No nem I have a toadstool and some GSP and candy cane frag they look to be breathing similar the dark one seems more labored but didn't look crazy different no mucus that I can see pellets and mysis flake mostly ignored frozen mysis kind of ignored rods food seems to be preferred maybe I'm freaking about a slightly stressed fish but I know they aren't supposed to list to their side it was petty much laying down on the rock at one point

threebuoys · Jan 27, 2024

While they are mostly water, I'm surprised he doesn't go after the frozen cubes more aggressively.

Uncle99 · Jan 27, 2024

smarcuscofer said:
Is it possible he's still on fish store time 11-7 or maybe I have more flow than he is used to

I hate to say not possible, stranger things I’ve seen.
But he looks lathargic lying on his side a bit. I can’t see the vid.
Doesn’t behave as you might expect a clown would.
Three things come to mind.
1- being bullied, and thus stressed and tired. If this is the case it is either being rejected as mate, or both are females.
2-a parasite is at play.
3-he’s very new and just stressed out.

If you can’t remove him or separate him (or the aggressor if found) not much else you can do that I can see.

In any event, he must continue to eat.

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

threebuoys said:
While they are mostly water, I'm surprised he doesn't go after the frozen cubes more aggressively.

The other feeds pretty aggressively when I do frozen mysis the Darwin just doesn't seem that interested he looks at then bite and spit it back

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

Uncle99 said:
I hate to say not possible, stranger things I’ve seen.
But he looks lathargic lying on his side a bit. I can’t see the vid.
Doesn’t behave as you might expect a clown would.
Three things come to mind.
1- being bullied, and thus stressed and tired. If this is the case it is either being rejected as mate, or both are females.
2-a parasite is at play.
3-he’s very new and just stressed out.

If you can’t remove him or separate him (or the aggressor if found) not much else you can do that I can see.

In any event, he must continue to eat.

No there isn't much I can do but hope it finds an appetite they don't seem aggressive with one another they are the only 2 fish I have I was just looking for information I don't think a water change would help that's about the only tool I have probably stress it more

Uncle99 · Jan 27, 2024

smarcuscofer said:
No there isn't much I can do but hope it finds an appetite they don't seem aggressive with one another they are the only 2 fish I have I was just looking for information I don't think a water change would help that's about the only tool I have probably stress it more

Stability in the system is best.
Which two clowns are they?
What size?
How did they behave when first introduced?
How long after did the one start looking not right?

smarcuscofer · Jan 27, 2024

Uncle99 said:
Stability in the system is best.
Which two clowns are they?
What size?
How did they behave when first introduced?
How long after did the one start looking not right?

They are a Darwin, black and a snowflake. The snowflake is smaller. The Darwin slightly bigger but both less than an inch and a half I would I guess The snowflake immediately acted like a clownfish should swimming around active feeding. The Darwin at first seemed pretty active but I noticed some spending more and more time close to the rocks and not swimming in the water column didn't think much about it At first because I had a clown fish for 3 years that was perfectly content to wiggle in the top corner of the aquarium all day I just thought it was stressed. 3 hour car ride home from the fish store I got them last Saturday and I think around maybe Wednesday or Thursday. I noticed he wasn't being as active today is the most lethargic I haven't seen the snowflake bully or push or nip, especially at feeding times. They've slept together since day one. I thought they were trying to pair

vetteguy53081 · Jan 27, 2024

smarcuscofer said:
I recently added some things to my aquarium it was already established I got 2 clowns a couple hermits a few snails a couple small frags I put them in last Sunday every other thing I added looks to be in great shape everything is eating and moving around being active accept this clown I was worried when he wasn't eating much but he was still active but now it's not really eating at all and he's just kind of sitting on the rock panting I don't know what I would do to fix the issue I don't have a hospital ot quarantine tank and I've looked every where but can't find my ammonia test all my other parameters are good maybe I picked a bad fish IDK all my other live stock is doing good this frustrating I've had trouble with this tank in the past and i thought I had something good going this time grrrrrrrr

Fish looks thin and moribund.
Is there sign of shallow breathing?
Eating at all?
can stem from aggression as well as injury

MnFish1 · Jan 27, 2024

smarcuscofer said:
They are a Darwin, black and a snowflake. The snowflake is smaller. The Darwin slightly bigger but both less than an inch and a half I would I guess The snowflake immediately acted like a clownfish should swimming around active feeding. The Darwin at first seemed pretty active but I noticed some spending more and more time close to the rocks and not swimming in the water column didn't think much about it At first because I had a clown fish for 3 years that was perfectly content to wiggle in the top corner of the aquarium all day I just thought it was stressed. 3 hour car ride home from the fish store I got them last Saturday and I think around maybe Wednesday or Thursday. I noticed he wasn't being as active today is the most lethargic I haven't seen the snowflake bully or push or nip, especially at feeding times. They've slept together since day one. I thought they were trying to pair

So just to reiterate - you did not QT the fish, etc - just put in the tank. The inverts, etc in the tank look great in the pictures - which suggest either not a toxin (that's toxic to corals) or a disease - or a weird clown - that may have had an acclimation issue (salinity lower in bag than tank), or some other problem.

Can you think of anything that may have related to the problems?