20h9
New Member
Getting back into the hobby after a few year break. I had a tank on and off for about 4 years but by far still think im a newb. My job required me to be gone weeks to months at a time so it's needless to say past attempts were great when home, or getting back and having enough time to figure out whatever issue I was having before leaving. It was allot of work for my wife though and it wasn't her hobby.
Now the Job has slowed down, my wife also misses having a tank, and I used my son (4 year old) which wanted another dog for christmas as an excuse to restart (we didn't get the dog).
- Maxspect dice AIO 12g
- IM aqua gadget desktop
- filter sock & bio media for filtration
- Kessil A 80 & Spectral Controller
- 2 Orange Storm Clowns (Dip is the semi slow male, and Dots has more dots than the male)
Started the tank on Dec 31st With micro bacter, Dr Tim's, and damsels. Tank cycled in 3 days never seen Amonia, or Nitrite (test strips). Nitrate tested at 3 and stayed steady. Phosphates went from.06 2nd to .09 4th and has leveled at .03 since the 7th.
Clowns were bought as "Paired" I've been watching them for the last 3 weeks at my LFS and they have seemed healthy and truly paired. During acclimation (drip while floating) the female would have been charged with domestic violence lol. I did pull them early at a salinity of 34 and put them in when the tank was 35 because It was getting bad and I figured that would be equivalent of a large top off. Temp was acclimated and I was about 50 minutes in.
I messed up.. The male was already stressed, then stressed from the whooping he was taking, than dumped in the tank. They were happy all of 10 minutes and she went at him again. He stopped playing nice and they started going head to head like elk every 15 sec for about 10 m. I tried to feed mysis to interject but it did not work. At the point of him frantically swimming around the tank and catching air like a shark week special I put him in a drilled specimine container. I did try to pull her but somehow his frantic swimming he was easier.
2 hour seperated and her headbutting the specimine container stopping and him returning to acting like a male clown again with lights off i put him back in with her. Again rushed the process I believe. They werent as bad but did end up going head to head about every 5m. There was no damage to his scales or fins so i let it go and after about 30 fully blacked out the tabk with tin foil and left a peep hole in the corner that she claimed. It seemed to stop
2 days later and me watching him for jumping like a hawk it seems to have gotten way better but they are still off from behavior I remember. She will drag him when the lights start to go out but they either swim together or he is swimming directly into the flow and ignoring her untill she comes from her rock and gives him a tail whip. This is all normal for small disputes but what's weir Is I always remember the male returning to the female. I guess her slapping and dragging is her reminding him he need to check in everyonce in a while.
They didn't eat or show any interest untill today (lightly) the second feeding (mysis adding minced garlic and brewing for 30m).
I have been feeding 3 times a day probably too much trying different things to get them to bite( again I'll probably regret this) but ive cleaned the filter sock every or twice a day, and did a 5% water change today (nitrates hit 4 and phosphates stayed at .03 no amonia or nitrite) but we will see in the comming days.
Things seem to be on the up (hopefully not my paramaters) and hopefully tomorow they will start eating like the pigs I remember clowns being.
I will add more photos in the comming days whats here is all ive got so far ive been more worried about watching behavior and enjoying them. (Note I believe the thing comming from the males lip is his skin from the dispute and not a parasite but it's hard to tell due to his coloring. I did not see it today)
Now the Job has slowed down, my wife also misses having a tank, and I used my son (4 year old) which wanted another dog for christmas as an excuse to restart (we didn't get the dog).
- Maxspect dice AIO 12g
- IM aqua gadget desktop
- filter sock & bio media for filtration
- Kessil A 80 & Spectral Controller
- 2 Orange Storm Clowns (Dip is the semi slow male, and Dots has more dots than the male)
Started the tank on Dec 31st With micro bacter, Dr Tim's, and damsels. Tank cycled in 3 days never seen Amonia, or Nitrite (test strips). Nitrate tested at 3 and stayed steady. Phosphates went from.06 2nd to .09 4th and has leveled at .03 since the 7th.
Clowns were bought as "Paired" I've been watching them for the last 3 weeks at my LFS and they have seemed healthy and truly paired. During acclimation (drip while floating) the female would have been charged with domestic violence lol. I did pull them early at a salinity of 34 and put them in when the tank was 35 because It was getting bad and I figured that would be equivalent of a large top off. Temp was acclimated and I was about 50 minutes in.
I messed up.. The male was already stressed, then stressed from the whooping he was taking, than dumped in the tank. They were happy all of 10 minutes and she went at him again. He stopped playing nice and they started going head to head like elk every 15 sec for about 10 m. I tried to feed mysis to interject but it did not work. At the point of him frantically swimming around the tank and catching air like a shark week special I put him in a drilled specimine container. I did try to pull her but somehow his frantic swimming he was easier.
2 hour seperated and her headbutting the specimine container stopping and him returning to acting like a male clown again with lights off i put him back in with her. Again rushed the process I believe. They werent as bad but did end up going head to head about every 5m. There was no damage to his scales or fins so i let it go and after about 30 fully blacked out the tabk with tin foil and left a peep hole in the corner that she claimed. It seemed to stop
2 days later and me watching him for jumping like a hawk it seems to have gotten way better but they are still off from behavior I remember. She will drag him when the lights start to go out but they either swim together or he is swimming directly into the flow and ignoring her untill she comes from her rock and gives him a tail whip. This is all normal for small disputes but what's weir Is I always remember the male returning to the female. I guess her slapping and dragging is her reminding him he need to check in everyonce in a while.
They didn't eat or show any interest untill today (lightly) the second feeding (mysis adding minced garlic and brewing for 30m).
I have been feeding 3 times a day probably too much trying different things to get them to bite( again I'll probably regret this) but ive cleaned the filter sock every or twice a day, and did a 5% water change today (nitrates hit 4 and phosphates stayed at .03 no amonia or nitrite) but we will see in the comming days.
Things seem to be on the up (hopefully not my paramaters) and hopefully tomorow they will start eating like the pigs I remember clowns being.
I will add more photos in the comming days whats here is all ive got so far ive been more worried about watching behavior and enjoying them. (Note I believe the thing comming from the males lip is his skin from the dispute and not a parasite but it's hard to tell due to his coloring. I did not see it today)
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