Clownfish swimming at the top of tank.

[Lisa Cain]

My male clownfish is swimming near the top corner of the tank and acting like he does not want to move from that spot. He is eating and looks healthy has anyone observed this before?

 

[Big G]

Oh yes! They tend to find a top corner that they really, really like and will frequently park themselves there. They are so weird. LOL

 

[Lisa Cain]

Thank you for your response!

 

[Jim Heenan]

My two clowns do the same thing. Only time the venture out is when its feeding time. I wish they would present themselves more often. We all love our clowns.

 

[Gareth elliott]

You can attempt to give them a new sleeping spot, but can be hit or miss.
Some will go to an anemone, right away; some will ignore it.
Some have luck with artificial homes like ceramic flower pots(unused) or other cave.

Only worry them being near the top is they can be jumpy when lights come on. Only anecdotal data to back this next statement but think most clown jumping losses is during that time.
A lid(i use eggcrate) is a good plan whenever you have fish that like the top of a tank imo.

 

[Lisa Cain]

You can attempt to give them a new sleeping spot, but can be hit or miss.
Some will go to an anemone, right away; some will ignore it.
Some have luck with artificial homes like ceramic flower pots(unused) or other cave.

Only worry them being near the top is they can be jumpy when lights come on. Only anecdotal data to back this next statement but think most clown jumping losses is during that time.
A lid(i use eggcrate) is a good plan whenever you have fish that like the top of a tank imo.

Thank you for your advice!

 

[bdejong1112o]

Yup, welcome to the odd clown behavior club. Mine will do the same . Float around in corners by the top of the tank. Come down and swim around for food then go back to being a clown. Then play in the power head stream, then float in a corner. I have two overflows and they move from one overflow corner to the other.

 

[Lisa Cain]

Thank You!

 

[Lisa Cain]

ThanYou!

 

[4FordFamily]

Agree, clowns are just very strange fish...

 

[MombasaLionfish]

i have had two maroon clown fish for about a month and then the female stopped eating and started swimming with her head in the air but the male seems fine
is this normal?

 

[Big G]

Welcome to R2R!
Have the fish been given a freshwater dip to check for flukes? Darn flukes can interfere with the fish's ability to breathe.

 

[davocean]

Clowns tend to nest in one area, normally in some kind of host, and if no host then they will often just pick a spot.

If you had something like frogspawn or hammer they would probably go to that.

 

[Aqua Jim]

i have had two maroon clown fish for about a month and then the female stopped eating and started swimming with her head in the air but the male seems fine
is this normal?

I also have 2 Maroon clowns and they rarely ever leave the top? they play up there and eat there as well? seem to be healthy. All water parameters check out ? Might try to lower temp and see if this makes a difference?

 

[MombasaLionfish]

I also have 2 Maroon clowns and they rarely ever leave the top? they play up there and eat there as well? seem to be healthy. All water parameters check out ? Might try to lower temp and see if this makes a difference?

Yeah it turned out she had velvit/ich she did not make it and the rest of my tank got infected but the other clown made it out. This is an old thread but thanks for you concern though.

 

[R33f40]

Welcome to R2R!
Have the fish been given a freshwater dip to check for flukes? Darn flukes can interfere with the fish's ability to breathe.

how do we dip them
and how do we know if they have flukes?

 

[R33f40]

how do we dip them
and how do we know if they have flukes?

 

[R33f40]

and how do u safely dip them?

 

[MombasaLionfish]

and how do u safely dip them?

Hey R33f40 I see your new here I would recommend you QT your fish no matter what just to be safe before you put them in your tank.

Here is the ten basic equipment you will need for your quarantine system:

1. Quarantine tank: A cheap 10 gallon (40L) glass aquarium is sufficient for most small and medium sized fish. For larger fish (> 4″/15cm), consider a 20 or 29 gallon aquarium.
2. Heater: Any small, reliable submersible heater will suffice.
3. Thermometer: A cheap mercury-in-glass thermometer will do.
4. Filtration: Quarantine systems do not require complicated filtrations. In fact, you do not want to run advanced filtration that may interfere with potential treatments. All you need is a simple sponge filter driven by a cheap air pump. If you have a canister filter or hang-on power filter laying around, feel free to use it (without activated carbon).
5. Refractometer: I know many hobbyists still rely on swing-arm hydrometers to measure specific gravity. Do yourself a favor and purchase a refractometer. You will get far more accurate salinity measurements (required for some treatments).
6. Test kits: The two basic test kits you will need during the quarantine process are ammonia and copper. I would also recommend Seachem Ammonia Alert to provide addition warning of ammonia spikes. Ammonia poisoning is a very real threat to fish in small/new QT tanks and can kill quickly.
7. Medications: There are many medications available for treatment. I would consider the following three medications “the essentials”: Prazipro, Cupramine*, and Maracyn Two. These three medications are gentle, effectively combat most diseases, and work well together. I will explain more on their usage later in the article.
8. Decorations (for shelter): A variety of PVC pipes/fittings is all you need. Since you will treat your tank with medication, do not use live rock.
9. Light: No need for anything fancy. Even a desk lamp (preferably on a timer) will work as long as it does not overheat the water.
10. Salt mix and good (e.g. RO/DI) freshwater. Premix 5 to 10 gallons to have on hand for emergency water changes.
11. 
    
12. 
    
13. 
    
14. Place your sponge filter in your main tank or sump so that it cultivates nitrifying bacteria for a minimum of 2 weeks (the longer the better). There is no need to run the air pump during this “seeding” time.
15. When you’re ready to purchase a new fish, first prepare your QT tank. Fill the QT tank with saltwater to match the salinity of your display tank. This water can be partially or fully comprised of water from your main tank. Move the sponge filter from your display tank to your QT tank. Run the air pump at this time. Install the heater and thermometer; Match the temperature to your main tank. Add the decorations.
16. Drip-acclimate your new fish with water from your QT tank.
17. Add your new fish to your QT tank. Let your fish rest for a day. You can attempt very light feeding several hours after introduction.
18. On day two, medicate with Prazipro. Follow the manufacturer’s directions. Prazipro is pre-solubilized praziquental, a proven gentle medication that will cure fish of flukes and worms.
19. On day seven, perform a 50% water change with new saltwater only. Make sure the new water is the same salinity and temperature as your QT tank.
20. Begin your Cupramine medication after the water change. Cupramine is the gentlest copper-based medication on the market and will cure fish of ich, marine velvet, external parasites, and a number of other diseases. Again, follow the manufacturer’s directions. This is particularly important for Cupramine because overdosing copper is deadly to fish. Test for copper levels to make sure you have dosed the right amount.
21. You can also re-dose Prazipro at this time. A single dose of praziquental may not kill some fluke species or flukes incubating in eggs. This is one of the few times you can safely break the manufacturer’s directions (another will be cited next). Seachem discourages the use of other medications when administering Cupramine because they do not want to be liable for any adverse interactions with all the medications available. However praziquental has been proven safe to use in conjunction with Cupramine (and chloroquine**). Some aquarists rely on Cupramine to take care of stubborn “leftover” flukes, but I recommend a second dose of Prazipro since praziquental is safe to use with Cupramine. ** Note: While praziquental is safe with choloroquine, choloroquine has been shown to reduce the bio-availability of praziquental, so a second dose of praziquental during choloroquine treatment may prove ineffective.
22. Observe your fish over the next two weeks while the two medications are doing their job. If you see any signs of bacterial infection such as fin rot or cloudy eyes, administer Maracyn Two. Maracyn Two is a broad spectrum antibiotic that is safe to use with the other medications.
23. 21 days after you first introduced your new fish to the QT tank, if the fish appears healthy and feeding, congratulations! Your fish is now ready for its new home in your display tank. Net your fish into a specimen container. Drip-acclimate from your display tank to the specimen container, then add your new fish to your display tank. Do not add water from your QT tank to your display tank.

Important additional notes: During the entire quarantine process, make sure you are testing for ammonia and measuring specific gravity daily. Top off the water as needed and perform water changes if ammonia levels begin to rise to dangerous levels. Never add neutralizers like Amquel or Seachem Prime to detoxify ammonia because they can greatly increase the toxicity of Cupramine. You will have to administer more Cupramine whenever you perform water changes; Add Cupramine in gradual increments and test copper levels so you don’t overdose.

 

[MombasaLionfish]

I also recommend you go here https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/meet-greet-forum.129/ start a new thread, introduce yourself and get more help because this is an old thread not as many people will see your post.

 

[MileHighSeaLevel]

My Picasso clown is a weirdo. During the day, he'll snuggle up in the BTA, and swim around the tank normally. As soon as the lights go out, he heads up to his corner of the tank and basically just "floats."