lights off, clowns hanging at surface of water

[EMUReef]

Like the title says, when the lights go off, my 2 occy's hang out right under the surface of the water.

the other 3 fish i have, a flame angel and 2 purple firefish are at the bottom and seem comfy.

Is this normal because i did read that at night oxygen levels can drop causing fish to chill under the surface of the water but i didn't think that was my problem as the other 3 are at the bottom and doing good.

[DarthAWM]

Like the title says, when the lights go off, my 2 occy's hang out right under the surface of the water.

the other 3 fish i have, a flame angel and 2 purple firefish are at the bottom and seem comfy.

Is this normal because i did read that at night oxygen levels can drop causing fish to chill under the surface of the water but i didn't think that was my problem as the other 3 are at the bottom and doing good.


If your clowns are not currently hosting an anemone it doesn't sound odd at all, my two do this all the time also.

[EMUReef]

If your clowns are not currently hosting an anemone it doesn't sound odd at all, my two do this all the time also.

:cool: just wanted to make sure. thanks!

[BonsaiNut]

Like the title says, when the lights go off, my 2 occy's hang out right under the surface of the water.



It's because you have captive-raised clownfish. This is not a behavior you will ever see in wild caught clowns. Regardless, it is not cause for alarm.

[Jersey Bounce]

I agree that it's pretty 'normal' for captive raised clowns to do this. IME it seems that occellaris and percula are most likely to exhibit such behavior (esp. if they are relatively new to a tank). That said, I do have some WC perideraion (pink skunks) that did it for about 2-3 weeks after receiving them.

Is this normal because i did read that at night oxygen levels can drop causing fish to chill under the surface of the water but i didn't think that was my problem as the other 3 are at the bottom and doing good.

If fish are suffering from insufficient oxygen levels, they're more likely to hover just beneath the surface at an angle that keeps their mouths as close to the surface as possible. While doing so, they tend to remain rather motionless and prefer an 'open' area of the tank as opposed to a specific corner. Usually when I see clowns near the surface they're tail-up in a corner, which isn't really behavior consistent with insufficient oxygen levels. ...All just my opinion/experience, of course. ;)

[tufacody]

Yep, its normal. Get them a nem and that activity will likely disappear.

[velvetelvis]

I have a pair of CB ocellaris and they used to do the same thing at night, especially before they began to pair off. Now after lights-out they mostly hang out together mid-water, hugging the back wall. The male also nips at the surface of the water while the female hovers nearby, but again only at night. I assume it's some kind of courtship/pair-bonding thing. Clownfish have all kinds of odd quirks and behaviors--especially percs and ocellaris, it seems. :p