New clown acting strange. One is a little translucent

[Antaguana]

Got 2 clowns 30 hours ago. They are in 33L quarantine tank. And acting strange. Swimming pointing face up at the corners of the tank and near the top.

It is night here, so lights were off I've turned them on to check on them.

Salinity 34ppt
Ammonia badge says 0.05 (waiting for Hanna test)
pH is 8.6

They both ate some pellets enthusiastically about 3 hours ago.

Have a shark adv 400 filter in there. It was on setting 1 hour air, this makes the tank quite bubbly as in it spreads very small bubbles allover the volume of the tank. Would this be an issue? Am I better just putting it at the top on pump only so it just ripples the water surface for air exchange?

See attached photos / videos

 

[Antaguana]

More videos attached

 

[Sharkbait19]

That tank is pretty bare - I’d try adding dome hiding spots (pvc pipes, plastic plants, etc.) and see if that helps.

 

[Antaguana]

That tank is pretty bare - I’d try adding dome hiding spots (pvc pipes, plastic plants, etc.) and see if that helps.

Ok, you think it might be stress from nowhere to hide?

 

[Antaguana]

The Hanna checker says ammonia is 0.34ppm NH3 (that little alert badge is pretty accurate).

 

[Sharkbait19]

Ok, you think it might be stress from nowhere to hide?

That would be my first guess.
Elevated ammonia can also be a problem.
How was the qt cycled?

 

[Antaguana]

How was the qt cycled?

I have been cycling a main tank for quite a while with seed (aquavitro brand bottle bacteria)

The QT tank has a shark adv 400 internal filter. I took the 2 foams out of that and put them in the sump of the main tank for a week, then took one foam and a handful of matrix from the main tank and put them in the filter for the QT tank and ran it for a week.

I have added 3 small pots for hides (rocks are took keep them done, I will take those out before adding copper) will get some PVC in the morning.

 

[Antaguana]

Also I had a glass lid on this with about 4mm (1/4 inch) gap all the way around. Is it possible not enough air was getting in? I've put a mesh top on now

 

[Sharkbait19]

It’s always possible, but you should be good with enough aeration.
When adding copper, it only matters that calcium based rock and sand are out. Plastic won’t absorb copper.

 

[Antaguana]

It’s always possible, but you should be good with enough aeration.
When adding copper, it only matters that calcium based rock and sand are out. Plastic won’t absorb copper.

Yeah the pots are plastic, I done know if those little pebbles calcium based or not.


Is it possible to have too much air. The whole volume of the tank was covered in tiny bubbles evwrywhere. I have the Venturi air intake on the filter closed now. I think I will get a small air pump and stone for it tomorrow

 

[Antaguana]

Just in case someone comes across this in the future.

The clowns are fine, almost certain it was stress.
I am amazed at how quickly they and other fish change colour and behaviour when stressed. You don't often see people talking about this online.

I just got a foxface rabbit fish and it went camo brown and lay flat on the bottom of the bag on the counter at the LFS. They said, "they do that when they are stressed it will be fine." Sure enough by the time it got home, it was yellow again. let him out of the bag and he went straight into a hide turned brown in about 2 seconds and floated flat to the top of the hide this time. 5 minutes later, out and swimming about bright yellow.