Hi All and thanks in advance. I have a pair of storm clowns that are about 4 months old living in a 13 gallon reef tank. They were very cute together. Everyday when the lights turned off like clockwork they would go to their spot and snuggle together through the night.
Then about a month ago one started getting sick. I noticed it being lethargic and periodically laying on the bottom like it was sleeping, then saw something white and stringy being expelled. After doing some research, found out this could be a few different things, but most likely something in the digestive tract and was advised by my LFS to use Metroplex. I did 3 days of treatments, which the fish responded well to. Then I went I a trip for 2 weeks….. ( side note - the other clown started getting larger at this point, not sure if it was becoming the female or it just wasn’t sick and eating regularly)
I have a camera on the tank which I was monitering in case of emergency. After a week the clown started to get lethargic again. And after 3 days it got progressively worse and I didn’t think it was going to make it, so I asked a friend to go over and dose the tank with metroplex later that night. But the clown perked up and started to swim around again. So i told the friend to cancel the 911 treatment as I was going to be back in 2 days. Over those 2 days the fish health seemed to get worse and the now larger clown wasn’t as affectionate or nurturing anymore. Like it gave up on its mate. Never aggressive though.
When I got home it was in bad shape. It was emaciated and in distress, lying on the bottom of the tank. I set up a quarantine / infirmary, it seemed responsive immediately. Maybe just new sea water, more oxygen, (had been 13 days since a water change) I did a dose of metroplex, just to be thorough. After 2 days it started to eat again. I kept in the QT for 3 more days as it gained strength, and acclimated back to the main tank 2 days ago.
Since then it seems healthy, it’s active and eating. The now larger clown seemed happy to have its “pair” back and they swim together throughout the day. But when it is “bedtime” the smaller lays down in their spot but the larger storm doesn’t and swims in a spot at the top of the tank throughout the night. This changed behavior during nighttime hours started when the smaller clown was in quarantine.
Are they unpaired? If clowns do unpair can they repair? Is it bad that the larger clown doesn’t sleep anymore? Can the larger one now get aggressive towards the smaller one if they aren’t a pair?
Thanks and have a great day.
Then about a month ago one started getting sick. I noticed it being lethargic and periodically laying on the bottom like it was sleeping, then saw something white and stringy being expelled. After doing some research, found out this could be a few different things, but most likely something in the digestive tract and was advised by my LFS to use Metroplex. I did 3 days of treatments, which the fish responded well to. Then I went I a trip for 2 weeks….. ( side note - the other clown started getting larger at this point, not sure if it was becoming the female or it just wasn’t sick and eating regularly)
I have a camera on the tank which I was monitering in case of emergency. After a week the clown started to get lethargic again. And after 3 days it got progressively worse and I didn’t think it was going to make it, so I asked a friend to go over and dose the tank with metroplex later that night. But the clown perked up and started to swim around again. So i told the friend to cancel the 911 treatment as I was going to be back in 2 days. Over those 2 days the fish health seemed to get worse and the now larger clown wasn’t as affectionate or nurturing anymore. Like it gave up on its mate. Never aggressive though.
When I got home it was in bad shape. It was emaciated and in distress, lying on the bottom of the tank. I set up a quarantine / infirmary, it seemed responsive immediately. Maybe just new sea water, more oxygen, (had been 13 days since a water change) I did a dose of metroplex, just to be thorough. After 2 days it started to eat again. I kept in the QT for 3 more days as it gained strength, and acclimated back to the main tank 2 days ago.
Since then it seems healthy, it’s active and eating. The now larger clown seemed happy to have its “pair” back and they swim together throughout the day. But when it is “bedtime” the smaller lays down in their spot but the larger storm doesn’t and swims in a spot at the top of the tank throughout the night. This changed behavior during nighttime hours started when the smaller clown was in quarantine.
Are they unpaired? If clowns do unpair can they repair? Is it bad that the larger clown doesn’t sleep anymore? Can the larger one now get aggressive towards the smaller one if they aren’t a pair?
Thanks and have a great day.