Newly Added Percula Clown Acting Odd.

[PaBucsFan]

On Saturday I purchased a new Percula Clown. It was in with another clown of similar size and was acting odd at the LFS. The owner said it looked like they were fighting (keep in mind this store does not breed their own clowns as they purchase them from another LFS about 1.5 hours from my home). We purchased it anyway as I wouldn't be typing this now.

Sunday afternoon the new clown (2 inches) was acting normal with the smaller clown(1 inch) that I have had for about 2 weeks. The new one even ate the brine shrimp I fed them. She wouldn't eat Saturday evening but the LFS I purchased it from just fed them so I assumed it was full.

Fast forward until now, 1 a.m. Sunday Night/Monday morning. I arrive home from work with my girlfriend and I see the new clown on it's side near the HOBF. I immediately turned on the lights, which I turned off 8 hours earlier as I was leaving for work, to see what was wrong (maybe a rookie mistake?). The new clown starts acting very oddly (hitting the sand, the glass, and the LR and I immediately did a water test as my girlfriend looked up common clown illnesses. The parameters were normal except for pH which was 7.8 and the salinity was pushing 1.30 and the incoming water was near 1.20 to balance it). I did a 50% water change, its a 10 gallon nano and yes I know the water should sit and stabilize but I was worried, and will test the pH in the morning. Now that the lights are out it is in the top corner opposite of the HOBF completely vertical for the most part. I am really worried.

Now for my theories: 1. From what I saw at the LFS and online thanks to my GF's research the clown while at the LFS was doing a mating dance/twitch with the slightly bigger clown rather than fighting, so I am wondering if I upset the clown by separating and placing it in a tank with a much smaller clown that is in my tank. 2. Is pH oddly dropping to 7.8 that is causing this behavior (the smaller clown is acting normal)? 3. Are the two clowns I have not going to get along due to the 1 inch size difference? 4. Could it be that the smaller already marked the tank as it's territory and the bigger is stressed?

I firmly believe it is option 1 that the bigger clown was mating to become male with the other clown at the store and now that it is the bigger of the two in my tank that it is stressed and confused.

 

[-Nemo-]

Twitching is a sign of submissive behavior, I wouldn't be at all worried about separating the clowns, they accept new partners very easily when young.

What I WOULD be worried about is that density of yours.... If your density was 1.030, your LFS's was probably not higher than higher than 1.023 and it was likely lower... how did you acclimate the clown? That is a BIG jump in density if acclimating was done too quickly...

By what you said, it sounds like you did a 50% change with water mixed to 1.020? If so, that's a big no-no. For the same reasons. The change in density is just way too much for the fish to handle at once.


Hope all turns out well.

 

[PaBucsFan]

Okay. Thank you for the info. I figured I was making a rookie mistake but it was late and panicked. I did another water change today about 4 gallons. This time the water sat for about 8 hours and the pH seems better. The bigger clown is acting "normal" as in like it did before the sideways sleeping and vertical position in the corner. My girlfriend feed them while I was at class and she said they both ate. I hope that I just over reacted and that all is well.

 

[PaBucsFan]

Well we lost the new clown this morning. I turned on the lights to find she had disappeared. Sadly found her on the floor and dried up. She was hosting on the HOBF and I think she may had spasmed while resting causing her to launch out of the tank. I will be making some additions on my lid to prevent this from happening again. We went to the LFS and they claimed it does happen, we placed an order for a new one to arrive
Thursday or Friday.