Are my clownfish broken? They just swim vertically in the corner of the tank all night.

[hds4216]

They swim vertically in the back corner of the tank all night. They're literally sideways and hug the side of the tank.

They swim normally during the day/when the lights are on. I've had them for about three months, so they're pretty new. They eat with zero issues and are fed primarily PE Mysis and pellets. They're Ocellaris clowns and they were quarantined for 8 weeks before introduction into the display tank.

Water chemistry:
pH: 8.2
Calcium: 380
Alkalinity: 10
Nitrate: ~5 (Maybe slightly lower or higher, I find the red sea test kinda hard to read)
Ammonia and nitrite: 0
Magnesium: 1300
Temperature: 77.5-78.5

There are no visible signs of disease, injury, or distress. They look healthy, but looks can be deceiving. Are they just being weird? Is it possible they're hosting the corner of the tank?

 

[hds4216]

Oh, specific gravity is 1.025

 

[Hugh Mann]

100% normal. Clownfish have some weird behaviors, notably while sleeping.

My Maroon I've had for several months sleeps on his side at the surface and is totally fine during the day. Been like that from day one.

Clowns don't 'host', they get hosted. But yes, they'll typically pick one or two spots in the tank and rarely venture far from them.

 

[OrionN]

That is not normal natural behavior. You won't get them to behave normally unless you get them in normal, natural environment.
They won't die, still eating and growing but not comfortable. You can put a ceramic pot and often they will adopt the pot as their host and act somewhat normal.

 

[Rxwanless]

perfectly normal, my two clowns do the same thing

 

[Fezbearer]

Yep, mine had a favorite bit of PVC pipe that they liked to hang out in. For the first couple of weeks after they were put into my display tank, the female would pace the front of the tank, watching me like a hawk. Pretty sure she'd try to shiv me if she got the chance.

 

[Ulm_nano_diybudgetreef]

They swim vertically in the back corner of the tank all night. They're literally sideways and hug the side of the tank.

They swim normally during the day/when the lights are on. I've had them for about three months, so they're pretty new. They eat with zero issues and are fed primarily PE Mysis and pellets. They're Ocellaris clowns and they were quarantined for 8 weeks before introduction into the display tank.

Water chemistry:
pH: 8.2
Calcium: 380
Alkalinity: 10
Nitrate: ~5 (Maybe slightly lower or higher, I find the red sea test kinda hard to read)
Ammonia and nitrite: 0
Magnesium: 1300
Temperature: 77.5-78.5

There are no visible signs of disease, injury, or distress. They look healthy, but looks can be deceiving. Are they just being weird? Is it possible they're hosting the corner of the tank?

I think this has something to do with the light reflection. When the lights are on, its reflective from the inside and when the lights are off they can see the room outside the tank.

Mine do the same and especially at lights on/off. More so noticeable when u feed pellets at the corner of the tank just after lights on, they try to swim through the glass to get to the reflection of the pellet food... lol

My bicolour blenny was doing it for the first time with my clown today when lights went off... soon I'll have all the live stock going up and down the corner