Clownfish in QT "Hover" Near Return

[mcgullen]

Hi. I have 2 clownfish that have been in QT for 45 days. They were rescued from LFS. At the time, both had fins bitten off due to overcrowding. Fins have grown back.

A strange behavior started on Monday. Both would, every 10 minutes or so, wiggle slowly against the flow of the return pump and just hover there. This would last about 5 seconds each time.

See video:

Other observations:

The 2 fish are eating well and not showing other obvious external signs of illness.

Looked closely, their lips appear to be lighter in color.

I can observe definitive flashing in one of the fish once every 2 days or so, where the fish would bend its head to firmly press its lips against a coarse surface and bound off in a somewhat violent scrape.

Water Parameters

Temp: 78
Salinity: 1.024
Ammonia (Salifert): 0
Nitrate (Hanna): 5.5
Phosphate (Hanna): 0.09

Concerns

Are these early signs of flukes? If so, would 6hr dip dosed with Praziquantel (7.5mg/L) + Metronidazole (5.0mg/L), performed twice and 6 days apart be curative?

Thanks.

 

[TheBear78]

Just a thought but could the flashing actually be pre-spawning? The pair in my DT go through phases of flashing but I am happy that it is just a spawning thing.

 

[vetteguy53081]

May be a hierarchy or pairing of both fish

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi. I have 2 clownfish that have been in QT for 45 days. They were rescued from LFS. At the time, both had fins bitten off due to overcrowding. Fins have grown back.

A strange behavior started on Monday. Both would, every 10 minutes or so, wiggle slowly against the flow of the return pump and just hover there. This would last about 5 seconds each time.

See video:

Other observations:

The 2 fish are eating well and not showing other obvious external signs of illness.

Looked closely, their lips appear to be lighter in color.

I can observe definitive flashing in one of the fish once every 2 days or so, where the fish would bend its head to firmly press its lips against a coarse surface and bound off in a somewhat violent scrape.

Water Parameters

Temp: 78
Salinity: 1.024
Ammonia (Salifert): 0
Nitrate (Hanna): 5.5
Phosphate (Hanna): 0.09

Concerns

Are these early signs of flukes? If so, would 6hr dip dosed with Praziquantel (7.5mg/L) + Metronidazole (5.0mg/L), performed twice and 6 days apart be curative?

Thanks.

Just a general observation - I can see oil/dust on the tank's surface. That can really restrict gas exchange. The fish hovering into water flow can be a reaction to high carbon dioxide or low dissolved oxygen. Can you increase the surface skimming or add aeration?

There could also be a fluke issue, but those are pretty rare in tank raised clownfish, although it sounds like they weren't well cared for before you rescued them....if they were exposed to wild caught fish with flukes, they may have picked some up.

Jay

 

[mcgullen]

Just a general observation - I can see oil/dust on the tank's surface. That can really restrict gas exchange. The fish hovering into water flow can be a reaction to high carbon dioxide or low dissolved oxygen. Can you increase the surface skimming or add aeration?

There could also be a fluke issue, but those are pretty rare in tank raised clownfish, although it sounds like they weren't well cared for before you rescued them....if they were exposed to wild caught fish with flukes, they may have picked some up.

Jay

Will do! I was considering re-homing them if QT clears. Will increase aeration in the meantime. I also regularly test QT for dissolved oxygen with an aquaculture colorimeter. It's currently at 7.8 mg/l.

 

[mcgullen]

Sorry, I usually provide care for threadfins and groupers destined for dining tables. I have no prior clownfish experience.

I guess my question now becomes: is it ever possible for clownfish to occasionally flash for innocuous reasons?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Will do! I was considering re-homing them if QT clears. Will increase aeration in the meantime. I also regularly test QT for dissolved oxygen with an aquaculture colorimeter. It's currently at 7.8 mg/l.

People rarely have access to DO measurements - 7.8 is at/near saturation I think for that temp. That means either my observation isn't valid, or it is high carbon dioxide - I have seen this in aquariums, but simple aeration drives it off in a matter of a few hours. If the symptoms persist after that time, then just ignore me (grin).

Jay

 

[mcgullen]

People rarely have access to DO measurements - 7.8 is at/near saturation I think for that temp. That means either my observation isn't valid, or it is high carbon dioxide - I have seen this in aquariums, but simple aeration drives it off in a matter of a few hours. If the symptoms persist after that time, then just ignore me (grin).

Jay

Hi Jay,

The 2 fish are not "hovering" as frequently as before. But I did notice flashing / mouth - scratching from 1 of them. I can usually notice this behavior once a day.

Is it ever possible for clownfish to flash/mouth - scratch for innocuous reasons?

There is no heavy breathing or other signs of illness that I can notice.

Thanks.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi Jay,

The 2 fish are not "hovering" as frequently as before. But I did notice flashing / mouth - scratching from 1 of them. I can usually notice this behavior once a day.

Is it ever possible for clownfish to flash/mouth - scratch for innocuous reasons?

There is no heavy breathing or other signs of illness that I can notice.

Thanks.

Yes, some fish will flash for no apparent reason, especially if there are particles in the water. Some fish also do this as a behavior. Still, if it starts to get worse over time, it can be a symptom of disease. I watch for scratching combined with other symptoms, such as rapid breathing, not eating well, or cloudy skin.
Jay