Question about ocellaris

[tallguy64]

So i just picked up two ocellaris for my fish tank. the next morning i cam down stairs for check how they were doing and i found them both floating on the surface of the tank. had a mild (ok large) freek out. i was like omg nooo, so i quickly tested everything and tested it all again. All my numbers are non existen... salt is at the perfect level temp was down to about 76.8 i keep it between 77 and 80 so not to far out of range. It came time to head to work. at this point there was nothing i could do but hope... came home that evening and they were fine, raceing around the tank bugging each other, float out in the middle down on the sand, basicly just fine. so i shruged it off. came down again this morning and they were doing the same thing. no mind you they arent gulping air or anything they just kinda float on their side really close to the surface. I have seen finsh sleep on thier side in holes and on the bottom of tanks but never the surface. Any ideas?

they havent really started eating yet, but i know it can take a few days before they will really start eating.

I guess my two questions are have you ever seen fish act like this? Or is there something that is happening at night that could be causeing this?

 

[Velamondry]

possible Ph shock from over the night when the PH drops? I also know some house plants will release spores at night, may want to check for stuff like that.

 

[tallguy64]

hmmm only a couple house plants and none downstairs where the tank is... but i didnt think about the ph changeing that much at night.... hmmm ill have to check that one out.

Any one else? =)

 

[returnofsid]

Do they seem to be floating in the same spot each morning? Does this spot happen to coincide with any of your equipment or corals? Clowns tend to sleep laying on their sides. It's common for them to use powerheads as hosts. Could be that they've adopted a piece of your equipment as a host.

 

[tallguy64]

one does sit near a power head, the other kinda all over the place. i thought about that. because ye my ph doesnt change from what can tell. if id does its just a minute amount. i had my test from this morning still (4am) and i took one about about 5pm and they looked identical.

I guess i wolnt worrie to much about it, ill just keep any eye on them. They are the only two fish in the tank right now so they are kinda all over the place all day long, they really dont host on anything but at night the one hosts ( i guess you can call it that) on my powerhead/ magnet cleaner. Ill see about staying put late this weekend and watching them to see if it is kinda jsut a gradual thing. i jsut find it odd that they sit so close to the surface on their side...

 

[leebca]

So, they are alive as they float. Tell me the gill rate (how fast are they breathing). I want to know the number of 'swallows' per minute. (Count the number in 15 secs and multiply by four -- repeat this about 3 times or until you get results that are close). Report each of the three rates.

When they float, are they on their sides? Are they on the same side up? Which side?

Is there any fin movement at all when you see them floating?

Are they wild caught or tank raised or tank bred? What other marine life is in your tank? How old is the tank? When did it cycle? What is the size of the system they are in? (Too bad they weren't quarantined).

 

[Scooterman]

Mine sleeps on its side but is always in motion, usually it will eventually slide down into the rocks later at night.

 

[tallguy64]

So, they are alive as they float. Tell me the gill rate (how fast are they breathing). I want to know the number of 'swallows' per minute. (Count the number in 15 secs and multiply by four -- repeat this about 3 times or until you get results that are close). Report each of the three rates.

When they float, are they on their sides? Are they on the same side up? Which side?

Is there any fin movement at all when you see them floating?

Are they wild caught or tank raised or tank bred? What other marine life is in your tank? How old is the tank? When did it cycle? What is the size of the system they are in? (Too bad they weren't quarantined).

I will have to count tonight.

I think they are probably tank raised just because there un wanting to host. I got the fish from BR. the tank is about a month old. the live rock i got about a week before i got the fish... there were no changes in number and hardly any cycle since the LR was out of a mature reef tank that was jsut beeing down sized. the tank is a 47gal.

I saw no reason to quarantine becaase they first came from BR who i hear have great product and they are the only fish in the tank.

As for fin movement, they are keeping themthelves on their side and in the palce that they choose for the night.

Something odd i noticed i had left the room light on when i went to bed last night. i got up this morning and they were just fine swiming all over the tank. so i tunred light off went and took a shower. when i came back they were up near the power head doing their thing.... btw light being room light not tank light.

I am honestly guessing that they are cool just sleeping near the surface... i still try and count the breaths.... but its hard with not light. i turn on the light even in the room and they stop or they start moveing around a bit.

 

[leebca]

Thanks Tyler. I suspect it will eventually right itself. The speed at which you are stocking the aquarium is faster than the system can mature. Make changes very slowly and for a while, make no more changes to the system, and I think, like mentioned above, things will right themselves.

No need for the breath count.

 

[tallguy64]

Ye just a little update... one slept in the annonome late night and the other a hole in the lr right next to the anenome.