I have a 20 gallon long tank, with the EcoSystems 40 refugium for filtration. My lighting is 50/50, 136 watts. All my parameters are perfect, and all other specimens (rose tip anemone, bubble tip anemone, ricordia, polyps, leathers, mushrooms, snails, yellow watchman goby, mimic blenny, 2 peppermint shrimp, scarlet skunk shrimp, and sea star) are all thriving. I have 2 pink skunk clown fish(Mahatma and Indira), and they have taken to the anemones quite well. Indira is perfectly pink, happy, and healthy. About two weeks ago, though, Mahatma, who lives in the rose anemone, started fading in color. He will also lay on his side for two or three days at a time in the anemone panting and not moving a whole lot. But after that third day, for a day or two, he is up and about, moving around as if he's the perfect specimen of health. Then, he goes and does the three day 'lay in my anemone and pant for three days thing'. There are no markings, or signs of ill health anywhere on his body, the only thing that is different about him is that his color has faded dramatically. Can anyone tell what this is a sign of and how I may cure it? I have not added anything (additives or live specimens) into the tank since their arrival except for that Mark Weiss stuff that makes the coralline algae proliferate. Help!!
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Pink Clown Fish is sick...Please advise!!!
- Thread starter sandrewo
- Start date
Does he eat? I am curious if you can lure him out of one of his "spells" with his favorite food?
Often I will find one of my clownfish laying still in the anemone, I think he is being submissive to the female, it doesn't make his color fade though. Clownfish in pairs can have some odd and perplexing behaviors.
Often I will find one of my clownfish laying still in the anemone, I think he is being submissive to the female, it doesn't make his color fade though. Clownfish in pairs can have some odd and perplexing behaviors.
Yes, he eats, but not with as much gusto as my other pink clown(Indira). You mentioned being submissive, but up until his 'spells' started, he was the dominant one, in that he would mozy over to the other clown's anemone and dive right in, whether she liked it or not, and she'd just leave, and wait for him to go back to his own house so she could get back in. All the stores here in the area have no clue as to what to do, or what is wrong. I do weekly 10% water changes and everythings clean....
I don't know of any diseases that manifest like that, not to say of course that they don't exist, I just haven't heard of them!
Andy is right, the bigger one is the female. I think the best course of action is to wait and see. Clownfish really do act very strange sometimes.
It sounds like you have a very nice tank.
Andy is right, the bigger one is the female. I think the best course of action is to wait and see. Clownfish really do act very strange sometimes.
It sounds like you have a very nice tank.
How is the air exchange done at your setup? You mentioned you are using eco mud. Then I suppose you do not use skimmer. Is water surface somewhat turbulent? Do you have a lot of macro algae already?
I know it may not be O2 depletion at night and pH swing, because the symptom you mentioned lasted a good 2-3 days. But just trying to rule out a few possible causes.
I know it may not be O2 depletion at night and pH swing, because the symptom you mentioned lasted a good 2-3 days. But just trying to rule out a few possible causes.
Thanks, Laura, I think its nice, I just can't seem to get the coralline to start up. The tank will be a year old in April.
Danmhippo - Still being a newbie at this, I have a general idea of what the oxygen exchange rate is but no idea of how to measure it or tell you with certain knowledge if it is good or bad. I don't have a skimmer, as the Ecosystems 40 said I would not need one. In the big chamber where are the macroalgae and plants are seems to be collecting the stuff a protein skimmer would very nicely. I can't say that the surface of the water is crystal clear, but the tank is (appears) healthy, and the macroalgae on the intake box, output spout, and behind some of the rocks in the main aquarium is growing nicely, and being pruned back by the mimic blenny.
As for the water surface, I have kept it somewhat calm, with the output directed downward a bit to facilitate the BTA's and corals. Before I had the BTA's, I had it pointed upward to agitate the surface. Which do you think is better?
MarioB- I have had the two pink skunks for about a month and a half, two months. They were not a mated pair, I got them one day apart. They were ORA (is that the right acronym) tank raised. I alternate feeding the spirulina enriched frozen brine (every other day, once, one cube), and I mixed the Formula One vegetarian flakes with the Formula One pink (meat) flakes and feed them a pinch of that twice a day, every other day.
This raises another question, I've heard a lot of people only feed their fish about 3 times a week. Am I feeding too much? "Marine Fishes" by Scott W. Michael says that my pink skunks need to be fed twice daily. So I comprimised and feed the flakes twice daily every other day, and one cube of the brine once every other day.
Danmhippo - Still being a newbie at this, I have a general idea of what the oxygen exchange rate is but no idea of how to measure it or tell you with certain knowledge if it is good or bad. I don't have a skimmer, as the Ecosystems 40 said I would not need one. In the big chamber where are the macroalgae and plants are seems to be collecting the stuff a protein skimmer would very nicely. I can't say that the surface of the water is crystal clear, but the tank is (appears) healthy, and the macroalgae on the intake box, output spout, and behind some of the rocks in the main aquarium is growing nicely, and being pruned back by the mimic blenny.
As for the water surface, I have kept it somewhat calm, with the output directed downward a bit to facilitate the BTA's and corals. Before I had the BTA's, I had it pointed upward to agitate the surface. Which do you think is better?
MarioB- I have had the two pink skunks for about a month and a half, two months. They were not a mated pair, I got them one day apart. They were ORA (is that the right acronym) tank raised. I alternate feeding the spirulina enriched frozen brine (every other day, once, one cube), and I mixed the Formula One vegetarian flakes with the Formula One pink (meat) flakes and feed them a pinch of that twice a day, every other day.
This raises another question, I've heard a lot of people only feed their fish about 3 times a week. Am I feeding too much? "Marine Fishes" by Scott W. Michael says that my pink skunks need to be fed twice daily. So I comprimised and feed the flakes twice daily every other day, and one cube of the brine once every other day.
sandrewo":4jy4usda said:MarioB- I have had the two pink skunks for about a month and a half, two months. They were not a mated pair, I got them one day apart. They were ORA (is that the right acronym) tank raised. I alternate feeding the spirulina enriched frozen brine (every other day, once, one cube), and I mixed the Formula One vegetarian flakes with the Formula One pink (meat) flakes and feed them a pinch of that twice a day, every other day.
This raises another question, I've heard a lot of people only feed their fish about 3 times a week. Am I feeding too much? "Marine Fishes" by Scott W. Michael says that my pink skunks need to be fed twice daily. So I comprimised and feed the flakes twice daily every other day, and one cube of the brine once every other day.
I believe they should be fed at least twice a day as much food as they can consume in about 3 minutes.
I'd suggest a wider variety of meaty foods such as shreds of shrimp, squid, mussels, etc. soaked in a supplement such as Selcon. A pinch of Spirulina flake once a day is also good.
I think you'll find coloration should improve.
mario
IME, pink skunks are more sensitive to O2 levels than other clowns,, a bit more surface agitation might help. Your feeding regimen seems fine to me.
Sounds like the skunk is stressed over something,,,, could he be getting picked-on when you're not around? 20g isn't much space for 4 fish,, even relatively small ones.
Sounds like the skunk is stressed over something,,,, could he be getting picked-on when you're not around? 20g isn't much space for 4 fish,, even relatively small ones.
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