Clown fish floating on side

[droidus]

I noticed this morning that my clown fish was floating on it's side, not really moving. He's swimming a little more now, but looks ill. The other day, I believe I added too much frozen brine shrimp to the tank. My other clown fish (a female, larger in size) seems to be doing just fine. I added my fish in yesterday (together). I let the bag sit in the water for about 10 minutes, then over a period of 45 minutes, added water into the bag from the tank. The tank cycled for 3 weeks.
What should I do? Is a water change a good place to start?

Edit: Parameters: Salinity: 1.023 Ammonia: .1 Nitrite: .3 pH: 7.3 Nitrate: 3
I am color blind, so it's hard for me to tell the colors apart. Also, my test kit seems to vary from the store's. They measured yesterday: Ammonia: .2 Nitrie: 0 Salinity: 1.022 Nitrate: Trace pH: 8 It is odd that they seem so different.

 

[4FordFamily]

I noticed this morning that my clown fish was floating on it's side, not really moving. He's swimming a little more now, but looks ill. The other day, I believe I added too much frozen brine shrimp to the tank. My other clown fish (a female, larger in size) seems to be doing just fine. What should I do? Is a water change a good place to start?

We need more information.

Can you provide a photo of the fish?

Any markings or spots on the fish? How long has the tank been set up? Water parameters? Tankmates?

 

[droidus]

I will shortly upload a video of him. He seems to be OK now, but is definitely not as lively or peppy as yesterday, so I am very concerned.
Edit: I am going to go to the store again today to get my parameters measured and see what they are.
I am using a Fluval test kit
Video Link:

 

[Retro Reefer]

3 weeks is a little early for fish IMO the presence of ammonia and nitrite would indicate your tank may not be fully cycled, doing a small water change wouldn’t hurt and maybe add some dr. Tim’s bacteria. The other thing I will note is the last two clowns I purchased both did similar strange things at night during the first few months including floating on there side at the water surface, laying on the sand bed and letting themselves get sucked against the overflow.. they looked perfect, would eat without hesitation, and acted completely normal during the day.. never seen anything like it, they are still a little strange.. one sleeps in my clam and the other thinks it’s a gobie and carry’s mouths full of sand around and spits it on corals

 

[droidus]

add some dr. Tim’s bacteria.
letting themselves get sucked against the overflow.. they looked perfect, would eat without hesitation, and acted completely normal during the day.. never seen anything like it, they are still a little strange..
one sleeps in my clam and the other thinks it’s a gobie and carry’s mouths full of sand around and spits it on corals

Any other recommendations if my local store doesn't have that? Any bacteria solution? Does this help to quicken the cycle, and lower ammonia/nitrite?
My little guy was doing this; he was near the output of the sump output, just laying there, occasionally on his side laying against the tank... was very concerning. But maybe now I'm thinking he was sleeping?
I am going to hold off on feeding them till tomorrow, as I heard they can be fed every other day, and I overfed them the other day with frozen food. How often do you feed yours?
That is so cool! What kind of clam do you have? I thought about getting one. And that is some bizarre behavior!
Going to post back the results of the water test from the store today... still strange how our results are different. Maybe mine is a cheap test kit?

 

[Retro Reefer]

I was able to watch your video.. they seem ok to me but watch your water parameters, feed them all they will eat several times a day (small amounts of food at a time). You may want to bump up your salinity a little to 1.024-1.025, maybe add some dr. Tim’s bacteria it will help your tank cycle and stabilize.. I have a derasa and my clown thinks it’s a Anemone.

 

[Retro Reefer]

The best advice I can give you is go extremely slow with your tank. As a beginner it’s one of the hardest things to overcome because people want instant gratification.. I would have recommended 8 to 12 weeks for your tank to cycle but now that your at the point your at just remember going slow is important in every aspect of reef keeping not just the initial cycle so take your time. It typically takes a year or more for a tank to mature and become stable

 

[Webslinger]

slow and steady wins the race.

 

[zyer1090]

From the video they seem active and fine.

 

[Palyzoa]

I agree, from the video they look fine.

 

[JRAD]

I think he looks ok. Clownfish are add swimmers to begin with. I use Bio Spira from instant ocean . I have never had a ammonia or nitrite spike. I like to hang a Seachem ammo alert in my tanks for the first 6 months!

 

[droidus]

Is there any down side (or consequences) to using something like bio spira?

 

[JRAD]

None that I know of - it is beneficial bacteria to help cycle new tanks. I also add it after medications in QT tanks. I have been using it for years and never saw any ill effect- just no ammonia!

 

[droidus]

I took a video and some pictures of what I was experiencing. This morning though, he seems fine. Not as peppy as the bigger female, but seems to be acclimating ok. I noticed that the female would every so often come to check on him. I could not tell if she was nipping at him; I don't think she was. When I initially put him in the tank though, he was very lively so it was concerning when I noticed all of this new behavior. It sounds like he's just trying to sleep I guess.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I think he’s fine.. one of mine did the same thing for almost a year, he would for the most part stay in the upper right hand corner of the tank next to the overflow and at night he would float on his side sometimes getting sucked against the overflow.. I still think he has issues, he’s the one that now sleeps in my clam.