Male Clown Fish Laying on his Side on the bottom of tank...HELP!

cupcakes73 · 07/27/2009, 10:50 AM

Okay. SO! I just got two clown fish probably a month ago and I thought i was doing a good job..until yesterday i get home and see my Male clown fish laying on his side on the bottom of the tank...he just lays there breathing...He swims normal and still swims to the top when i feed them but then goes back to the bottom. What is wrong with him? I got them when they where babies so i know he's not very old...all my levels are good..i just did a water change and checked them again.
So! is there anything I can do to help this poor guy? and Should I do another water change?

romsoccer12 · 07/27/2009, 11:15 AM

ive heard this is normal clown behavior. is the female starting to become more dominant?

cupcakes73 · 07/27/2009, 11:49 AM

Yeah..she is but.. he doesnt move! Will he ever go back to normal? He makes me sad..cause he just lays there...like life is not worth living! poor guy.

Ohiomom · 07/27/2009, 01:02 PM

laying on the bottom not moving is not normal..is there any sign of disease. Also please list parameters..good can mean different things..

WaterKeeper · 07/27/2009, 01:17 PM

Hi Cupcakes.

Quick question-are they hosting in an anemone?

cupcakes73 · 07/27/2009, 04:28 PM

no i dont have an anemone....that was the next thing i was gonna get..until i discovered my poor little clown is laying down! They play by my power head a lot and before he was laying down they would always "host" the corner by my powerhead...

cupcakes73 · 07/27/2009, 04:35 PM

there are No signs of disease as far as i can see... he swims a little more when his lil girlfriend (haha) is by him..but when she swims away he gives up..and just lays there and wiggles maybe a little bit...poor guy.

roblikesfish · 07/27/2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ohiomom
Also please list parameters..good can mean different things..

mattypw · 07/27/2009, 10:37 PM

I'm no expert, but I've heard of this happening before. I wouldn't be worried too much if it is eating. Just keep an eye on it.

wantacookie · 07/28/2009, 01:03 AM

He sounds depressed, drop a prozac in there.

cupcakes73 · 07/28/2009, 10:49 AM

okayy..ill keep an eye on him..accept the fact that i think he went and hid last night...great...now i might have a dead fish hiding in the live rock...or somewhere else...this should be interesting.

cupcakes73 · 07/28/2009, 12:11 PM

A HAH! i found him.. hopefully he survives.

cupcakes73 · 07/28/2009, 11:51 PM

well sadly. he didnt survive..gonna test the water AGAIN. and see if something changed..maybe he got too stressed from my evil yellow tail damsel...a mystery that will get solved.

alaska clowns · 07/29/2009, 12:01 AM

So sorry to hear about your clownfish loss. I have a 26 gallon and I had two clowns, a big one and a small one. I added a blue yellow tail damsel, and he stressed my little clown to the death also. No more damsels for me! Fortunately I was able to catch him and find him a better home - after 2 months though, he's still in the LFS tank.

cacifer · 07/29/2009, 08:49 AM

I also had 2 clown fish, a large and a small, the large died for no apparent reason. He did however develope a red ring around his body shortly after he died. I had 2 yellow tailed damsels as well in the tank. I was told that although the damsels may be responsible more than likely it was the other clown that killed him.

Sugar Magnolia · 07/29/2009, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cupcakes73
maybe he got too stressed from my evil yellow tail damsel.

I'd say that is more than likely the cause. Especially in that size tank. You'd better get rid of that damsel before you try adding another fish in there. Any new additions will be harrased until they either die or jump.

cupcakes73 · 07/29/2009, 12:38 PM

yeahh..i gotta get rid of him..

hes pretty tho! haha...but id rather have living fish...rite now i got on true perc. clown a catalina goby...and my evil yellow tail damsel...sum snails and hermit crabs...ne one got ne other suggestions?

WaterKeeper · 07/29/2009, 01:18 PM

Yup, I do. We never really found out why the clown died. At this point I would suggest waiting for about 2 weeks to see if anything else falls ill. If not, it should be safe to add something else.

cupcakes73 · 07/29/2009, 10:31 PM

yeahh i was planning on waiting for a little while before i add something new....i dont know why he died..he just kinda....faded color and laid on the bottom..for a while....then stopped breathing...thanks.

JLAURIA751 · 07/30/2009, 01:24 AM

I have two clown fish one lays on the bottom on his side at night he looks dead but if I shine a light or tap the glass he wakes up. But I was told it normal sometimes when the lights are on he will hide in the back where I can't see him he must be laying on the sand because if he was moving i would see him. A few times I frantically looked around the aquarium to make sure he didn't jump out. He should be fine especially if he was tank raised.

JLAURIA751 · 07/30/2009, 01:27 AM

Oh and the funny thing is The one that lays on the sand spends most of his waking hours swimming as fast as he can in cirlces around my 24G aquapod. the other one just chills and hangs out around the powerhead at night.

tdp22 · 07/30/2009, 10:31 AM

Those Yellow tail damsels are the devil. Have watched one bully full grown tangs, maroon clowns, wrasses! They are crazy and have no fear. Good fish to get rid of! Good luck

cupcakes73 · 07/30/2009, 10:52 AM

yeahh i will.....before i gett another fish..he LOVES to bug my catalina goby...urg

JLAURIA751 · 07/30/2009, 02:36 PM

good luck catching it

EnglishRebel · 07/30/2009, 03:36 PM

Probably got spurned by the female and died heartbroken. My male lies in the corner occasionally but during the day he's up and around.

07/27/2009, 10:50 AM	#1
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	Male Clown Fish Laying on his Side on the bottom of tank...HELP! Okay. SO! I just got two clown fish probably a month ago and I thought i was doing a good job..until yesterday i get home and see my Male clown fish laying on his side on the bottom of the tank...he just lays there breathing...He swims normal and still swims to the top when i feed them but then goes back to the bottom. What is wrong with him? I got them when they where babies so i know he's not very old...all my levels are good..i just did a water change and checked them again. So! is there anything I can do to help this poor guy? and Should I do another water change?

07/27/2009, 11:15 AM	#2
romsoccer12 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: ohio Posts: 2,625	ive heard this is normal clown behavior. is the female starting to become more dominant? __________________ Colin R Current Tank Info: 3rd tank working fine!(29gal oceanic biocube) 5-6months old

07/27/2009, 01:02 PM	#4
Ohiomom Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,586	laying on the bottom not moving is not normal..is there any sign of disease. Also please list parameters..good can mean different things.. __________________ .....Sandra “Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Current Tank Info: 75 galllon reef, T5HO love em!

07/27/2009, 01:17 PM	#5
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Hi Cupcakes. Quick question-are they hosting in an anemone? __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

07/28/2009, 01:03 AM	#10
wantacookie Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 219	He sounds depressed, drop a prozac in there. __________________ Current Tank Description 40b w/ DIY stand and DIY 29g sump/fuge

07/27/2009, 11:49 AM	#3
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	Yeah..she is but.. he doesnt move! Will he ever go back to normal? He makes me sad..cause he just lays there...like life is not worth living! poor guy.

07/27/2009, 04:28 PM	#6
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	no i dont have an anemone....that was the next thing i was gonna get..until i discovered my poor little clown is laying down! They play by my power head a lot and before he was laying down they would always "host" the corner by my powerhead...

07/27/2009, 04:35 PM	#7
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	there are No signs of disease as far as i can see... he swims a little more when his lil girlfriend (haha) is by him..but when she swims away he gives up..and just lays there and wiggles maybe a little bit...poor guy.

07/27/2009, 10:37 PM	#9
mattypw Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 184	I'm no expert, but I've heard of this happening before. I wouldn't be worried too much if it is eating. Just keep an eye on it.

07/28/2009, 10:49 AM	#11
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	okayy..ill keep an eye on him..accept the fact that i think he went and hid last night...great...now i might have a dead fish hiding in the live rock...or somewhere else...this should be interesting.

07/28/2009, 12:11 PM	#12
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	A HAH! i found him.. hopefully he survives.

07/28/2009, 11:51 PM	#13
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	well sadly. he didnt survive..gonna test the water AGAIN. and see if something changed..maybe he got too stressed from my evil yellow tail damsel...a mystery that will get solved.

07/29/2009, 12:01 AM	#14
alaska clowns Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Not so far north Posts: 564	So sorry to hear about your clownfish loss. I have a 26 gallon and I had two clowns, a big one and a small one. I added a blue yellow tail damsel, and he stressed my little clown to the death also. No more damsels for me! Fortunately I was able to catch him and find him a better home - after 2 months though, he's still in the LFS tank.

07/29/2009, 08:49 AM	#15
cacifer Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: St Aug. FL Posts: 22	I also had 2 clown fish, a large and a small, the large died for no apparent reason. He did however develope a red ring around his body shortly after he died. I had 2 yellow tailed damsels as well in the tank. I was told that although the damsels may be responsible more than likely it was the other clown that killed him. __________________ It's not that I want you to get hurt; I just hope I'm there when you do.

07/29/2009, 12:38 PM	#17
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	yeahh..i gotta get rid of him.. hes pretty tho! haha...but id rather have living fish...rite now i got on true perc. clown a catalina goby...and my evil yellow tail damsel...sum snails and hermit crabs...ne one got ne other suggestions?

07/29/2009, 01:18 PM	#18
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Yup, I do. We never really found out why the clown died. At this point I would suggest waiting for about 2 weeks to see if anything else falls ill. If not, it should be safe to add something else. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

07/29/2009, 10:31 PM	#19
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	yeahh i was planning on waiting for a little while before i add something new....i dont know why he died..he just kinda....faded color and laid on the bottom..for a while....then stopped breathing...thanks.

07/30/2009, 01:24 AM	#20
JLAURIA751 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 517	I have two clown fish one lays on the bottom on his side at night he looks dead but if I shine a light or tap the glass he wakes up. But I was told it normal sometimes when the lights are on he will hide in the back where I can't see him he must be laying on the sand because if he was moving i would see him. A few times I frantically looked around the aquarium to make sure he didn't jump out. He should be fine especially if he was tank raised.

07/30/2009, 01:27 AM	#21
JLAURIA751 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 517	Oh and the funny thing is The one that lays on the sand spends most of his waking hours swimming as fast as he can in cirlces around my 24G aquapod. the other one just chills and hangs out around the powerhead at night.

07/30/2009, 10:31 AM	#22
tdp22 Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 524	Those Yellow tail damsels are the devil. Have watched one bully full grown tangs, maroon clowns, wrasses! They are crazy and have no fear. Good fish to get rid of! Good luck

07/30/2009, 10:52 AM	#23
cupcakes73 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 19	yeahh i will.....before i gett another fish..he LOVES to bug my catalina goby...urg

07/30/2009, 02:36 PM	#24
JLAURIA751 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 517	good luck catching it

07/30/2009, 03:36 PM	#25
EnglishRebel Retired Rebel Reefer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Triad NC Posts: 1,902	Probably got spurned by the female and died heartbroken. My male lies in the corner occasionally but during the day he's up and around. __________________ Alan "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. " Sir Winston Churchill praising those young RAF pilots. August 20th 1940 Click on my name for drop down list and select "Visit EnglishRebels Home Page" for my build thread. Current Tank Info: 60x30x24 200G AO custom glass tank, basement equipment room, 30G and 55G Fuges, LifeReef sump & 30" skimmer.