I recently got two clownfish about two weeks ago to put in a 32 gal tank and they seemed to be doing amazing until yesterday when one of them (the bigger one) began hovering in one place and panting excessively. He also began kind of swaying in the current and he didn’t even come to the surface to eat. Does anyone have any advice on what could be happening?
Clownfish
- Thread starter bonzesreeftank
- Start date
Is there anything else in the tank that could be bullying it? Or maybe the other clown? If it can’t find a place where it feels safe, it may be stressing.
The two clowns are the only two fish in the tank and he was the more dominant in the pair
If no bullying from its tank mate, would suspect, it’s just having some adjustment stress. If they weren’t a bonded pair, even though it’s bigger, the other one may be adjusting better and takes the best hiding spot at night. Plus, if the other one has decided to morph to female first, it will become the dominate one.
Just give them time, they will establish their pecking order and hopefully settle down. If it starts hanging out in an open stop close to the top of the tank, it’s having trouble finding a spot where it feels safe.
If you don’t have a lid on your tank, I would commend fixing up something. Stressed clowns tend to be jumpers and it might take a leap. I lost two before I finally got a lid on my tank.
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