Ammonia poisoning or low oxygen?

[BuddyBonButt]

Hi so I got my first 2 clowns in my tank today of 90 gallons. But every so often only ONE of the Clowns will go to the surface and grab air OCCASIONALLY, the other one swims and explores. Normally they swim like nothing wrong. if I get too close they dart to the bottom so I had to record from far away.

My skimmer isn't in the tank at the moment but I have my return towards the top of the water. It isn't breaking the waters surface, just causing it to wave. Should I make it break the waters surface?

I have tested 0 ammonia twice with my testing kit but it's an api kit so I don't fully trust it. It seems to be accurate enough.

My question here is, am I causing a low oxygen environment? Is it ammonia poisoning? I have NO CLUE what heavy breathing looks like but they seem normal to me?

I don't know if I uploaded it correctly to here so just in case.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi so I got my first 2 clowns in my tank today of 90 gallons. But every so often only ONE of the Clowns will go to the surface and grab air OCCASIONALLY, the other one swims and explores. Normally they swim like nothing wrong. if I get too close they dart to the bottom so I had to record from far away.

My skimmer isn't in the tank at the moment but I have my return towards the top of the water. It isn't breaking the waters surface, just causing it to wave. Should I make it break the waters surface?

I have tested 0 ammonia twice with my testing kit but it's an api kit so I don't fully trust it. It seems to be accurate enough.

My question here is, am I causing a low oxygen environment? Is it ammonia poisoning? I have NO CLUE what heavy breathing looks like but they seem normal to me?

I don't know if I uploaded it correctly to here so just in case.

Clowns at times will swim the surface, hang in corners and even vertical.
On the ammonia- if in doubt, slight water change. False reading is possible and to confirm, take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use Api kits and see what reading they come up with.
For oxygen, adding an air stone will help and also move the powerhead upwards so it provides and air/water gas exchange

 

[BuddyBonButt]

Clowns at times will swim the surface, hang in corners and even vertical.
On the ammonia- if in doubt, slight water change. False reading is possible and to confirm, take a water sample to a trused LFS that does NOT use Api kits and see what reading they come up with.
For oxygen, adding an air stone will help

So is this behavior normal of them? The one hardly does it.

Only shop near me uses api the other uses fluval. Both I don't trust and they are closed

 

[vetteguy53081]

So is this behavior normal of them? The one hardly does it.

Only shop near me uses api the other uses fluval. Both I don't trust and they are closed

I dont either on kits. With the store closed, raise powerhead a little towards surface and change water if you feel its necessary

 

[Dburr1014]

Hi so I got my first 2 clowns in my tank today of 90 gallons. But every so often only ONE of the Clowns will go to the surface and grab air OCCASIONALLY, the other one swims and explores. Normally they swim like nothing wrong. if I get too close they dart to the bottom so I had to record from far away.

My skimmer isn't in the tank at the moment but I have my return towards the top of the water. It isn't breaking the waters surface, just causing it to wave. Should I make it break the waters surface?

I have tested 0 ammonia twice with my testing kit but it's an api kit so I don't fully trust it. It seems to be accurate enough.

My question here is, am I causing a low oxygen environment? Is it ammonia poisoning? I have NO CLUE what heavy breathing looks like but they seem normal to me?

I don't know if I uploaded it correctly to here so just in case.

So 2 clowns in a 90 gallon tank?
I seriously doubt you would have any kind of ammonia problem.

 

[BuddyBonButt]

So 2 clowns in a 90 gallon tank?
I seriously doubt you would have any kind of ammonia problem.

So normal behavior? What about low oxygen?

 

[ZombieEngineer]

That looks like normal playing behavior, but hard to tell from so far away.

Regardless, running your skimmer fully open (water level as low as it will go in the body) is important both for breaking in the skimmer and for good aeration of your water.

Your powerhead or some other form of flow like a return pump should be breaking the surface tension of the top of the water.

The attached pic is what you want your water surface to look like


Just to be cautious because certain diseases can cause a fish to breath heavy and gulp air and because I doubt you did a medicated quarantine on these, I would suggest a deep read into the various fish diseases (ich, velvet, brookylnella) so you know what to look for if one of these clowns has one (IME 5-10% of fish at a very reputable LFS has one of the 3. At a bad LFS like petco that's more like 90%).

 

[Dburr1014]

So normal behavior? What about low oxygen?

Yes normal Behavior.
You have a power head pointed at the surface breaking it I would rule out not enough oxygen also.
As zombie said just keep an eye out for a disease, looking at them now they look fine.

 

[BuddyBonButt]

That looks like normal playing behavior, but hard to tell from so far away.

Regardless, running your skimmer fully open (water level as low as it will go in the body) is important both for breaking in the skimmer and for good aeration of your water.

Your powerhead or some other form of flow like a return pump should be breaking the surface tension of the top of the water.

The attached pic is what you want your water surface to look like


Just to be cautious because certain diseases can cause a fish to breath heavy and gulp air and because I doubt you did a medicated quarantine on these, I would suggest a deep read into the various fish diseases (ich, velvet, brookylnella) so you know what to look for if one of these clowns has one (IME 5-10% of fish at a very reputable LFS has one of the 3. At a bad LFS like petco that's more like 90%).

I have done research but my lfs although doesn't quarantine, they have crystal clear tanks, run sterilizers, and medications. I have adjusted the return pump up more to mimic your photo. Since I did it, like 10 mins ago I haven't seen them do it again but time will tell.

Like I said, I don't really see "heavy breathing" but I also wouldn't know what to look for.

Skimmer was bought used, it's broken in and it's out due to me being an idiot and when I removed it to do something in the sump, it was left running outside the water. I have gotten a new one but need a new tube for the silencer, too short as my cat chewed it and had to trim it past the chew. String of bad luck lol

 

[BuddyBonButt]

Yes normal Behavior.
You have a power head pointed at the surface breaking it I would rule out not enough oxygen also.
As zombie said just keep an eye out for a disease, looking at them now they look fine.

My lfs has absolutely crystal clear tanks, it's like the major Center for hobbyists near me. They use massive UV sterilizers and run medicated tanks from what they told me. So I'm inclined to believe the fish don't have any visible diseases right now but yes I will keep a close eye on them. The only thing I take points away for with my shop is that they use a Fluval test kit to check water but in the shop they have 3 gorgeous Crystal Clear 10 year old tanks one hosting nothing but coral and a clown, the other hosting an entire community, and one hosting needlefish and seahorses so I feel like I can trust them.

Also the other clownfish has never gone to the surface to do that so I'm hoping it's just playing but I don't know

 

[Dburr1014]

My lfs has absolutely crystal clear tanks, it's like the major Center for hobbyists near me. They use massive UV sterilizers and run medicated tanks from what they told me. So I'm inclined to believe the fish don't have any visible diseases right now but yes I will keep a close eye on them. The only thing I take points away for with my shop is that they use a Fluval test kit to check water but in the shop they have 3 gorgeous Crystal Clear 10 year old tanks one hosting nothing but coral and a clown, the other hosting an entire community, and one hosting needlefish and seahorses so I feel like I can trust them.

Also the other clownfish has never gone to the surface to do that so I'm hoping it's just playing but I don't know

It's always nice to have a good lfs near by you trust.
I have one here that I buy my fish from. They have always been healthy and disease-free.

 

[Spare time]

Not ammonia. Not low oxygen. Low oxygen would result in gasping, not this lunging behavior which looks like a feeding response, aggression, or an attempt to move something (I just listed a few but obviously a fish can lunge for many reasons).

 

[BuddyBonButt]

Not ammonia. Not low oxygen. Low oxygen would result in gasping, not this lunging behavior which looks like a feeding response, aggression, or an attempt to move something (I just listed a few but obviously a fish can lunge for many reasons).

Well it is close to feeding time. I read it could be something called piping so I got worried

 

[Spare time]

Well it is close to feeding time. I read it could be something called piping so I got worried

When fish are struggling for oxygen you should see labored breathing. That is usually one of the biggest signs of a fish struggling with something

 

[BuddyBonButt]

When fish are struggling for oxygen you should see labored breathing. That is usually one of the biggest signs of a fish struggling with something

I just fed them and the one that had no issues went on a Feeding Frenzy the other one nipped and ate some. I got them today around 11:50 so it's now 20:53 so maybe the lack of hunger is being skiddish? The recorded one won't really leave the back of the tank. Sometimes I catch it leaving and exploring with the other fish

 

[BuddyBonButt]

I just fed them and the one that had no issues went on a Feeding Frenzy the other one nipped and ate some. I got them today around 11:50 so it's now 20:53 so maybe the lack of hunger is being skiddish? The recorded one won't really leave the back of the tank. Sometimes I catch it leaving and exploring with the other fish

Hey sorry to bother you but when clownfish sleep is it normal for them to sit on the sandbed and hardly move?

 

[BuddyBonButt]

When fish are struggling for oxygen you should see labored breathing. That is usually one of the biggest signs of a fish struggling with something

Hey sorry to bother you but when clownfish sleep is it normal for them to sit on the sandbed and hardly move?

 

[BuddyBonButt]

It's always nice to have a good lfs near by you trust.
I have one here that I buy my fish from. They have always been healthy and disease-free.

Hey sorry to bother you but when clownfish sleep is it normal for them to sit on the sandbed and hardly move?

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Hey sorry to bother you but when clownfish sleep is it normal for them to sit on the sandbed and hardly move?

If they are upright, yes that is normal. If there isn't a coral for them to host, they will host the sandbed.

If they are on their side, that is not normal.

 

[BuddyBonButt]

If they are upright, yes that is normal. If there isn't a coral for them to host, they will host the sandbed.

If they are on their side, that is not normal.

They were upright. I kind of got my answer already. They were swimming around again. I tried to keep my light off of them but I think I woke one up. I'm just going to detach myself from them as much as I can and only do enough to take care of them and make them Prosper but try to not have any emotional attachment. Last thing I want to do is lose a fish and be demotivated to not try again. So I'm just going to let what happens happen