Back in the hobby, weird clown or parasite?

[Reefguy88]

I recently got back into the hobby after being away from it for 15 years or so and boy have things changed and evolved over the years! Anyway, I set up one of IM’s Fusion 15 gallon cubes, with a mix of actual live rock and this new (to me anyway) synthetic stuff, rock and media.

With the help of a friend that runs a local shop, we got it cycled and ready and after a few weeks I added a couple black storm clowns. One of them has exhibited some weird behavior I don’t remember seeing with any of my clowns back in the day. He/she has a spot in the tank he likes to just park it on in the sand off and on for a couple hours in the morning. He’ll just sort of lay on the sand, not on his side, then pop up and swim around, then return. Once the lights kick on he swims around like normal.

A couple hours after feeding today, I noticed he was swimming in place, vertically in the corner of the tank, near the surface, and had long stringy white poop, which I know can be associated with an internal parasite.

Parameters that I’m currently tracking this early on are:

Temp: 79.5 F
ph: 8.04 (co2 issue, working on slowly raising it)
Salinity: 34.1 ppt
NO3: 13.1
PO4: 0.03

They are both eating fine, and there are no visual problems that I can see on them. Is this just clownfish being weird, diet, potential parasites? I have included a couple pictures and videos of them, as well as the food I’m feeding.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I recently got back into the hobby after being away from it for 15 years or so and boy have things changed and evolved over the years! Anyway, I set up one of IM’s Fusion 15 gallon cubes, with a mix of actual live rock and this new (to me anyway) synthetic stuff, rock and media.

With the help of a friend that runs a local shop, we got it cycled and ready and after a few weeks I added a couple black storm clowns. One of them has exhibited some weird behavior I don’t remember seeing with any of my clowns back in the day. He/she has a spot in the tank he likes to just park it on in the sand off and on for a couple hours in the morning. He’ll just sort of lay on the sand, not on his side, then pop up and swim around, then return. Once the lights kick on he swims around like normal.

A couple hours after feeding today, I noticed he was swimming in place, vertically in the corner of the tank, near the surface, and had long stringy white poop, which I know can be associated with an internal parasite.

Parameters that I’m currently tracking this early on are:

Temp: 79.5 F
ph: 8.04 (co2 issue, working on slowly raising it)
Salinity: 34.1 ppt
NO3: 13.1
PO4: 0.03

They are both eating fine, and there are no visual problems that I can see on them. Is this just clownfish being weird, diet, potential parasites? I have included a couple pictures and videos of them, as well as the food I’m feeding.

View attachment 3166766 View attachment 3166768 View attachment 3166771

This is not abnormal for a new clown to place itself vertically as yours due to being scared or intimidated as well as laying on the bottom
When food is introduced, they generally perk up
As for feces, it may be excess mucus in its stomach lining based on foods fed such as mysis shrimp and other fatty foods.
With internal parasites, fish will be thin or lose weight, have a pinched belly and other symptoms

 

[Reefguy88]

This is not abnormal for a new clown to place itself vertically as yours due to being scared or intimidated as well as laying on the bottom
When food is introduced, they generally perk up
As for feces, it may be excess mucus in its stomach lining based on foods fed such as mysis shrimp and other fatty foods.
With internal parasites, fish will be thin or lose weight, have a pinched belly and other symptoms

They definitely perk up when I feed. Ok so it sounds like I don’t need to be too overly concerned?

 

[vetteguy53081]

They definitely perk up when I feed. Ok so it sounds like I don’t need to be too overly concerned?

I agree.