Heavy Breathing Clown fish

KellyB · Feb 22, 2014

I purchased two clown fish eight days ago along with a purple tipped anemone. Starting yesterday one of the clown fish has finally started hosting the anemone and snuggles right up to it at night during the day it doesn't really seem to care about it. Around the time that it started to discover the anemone the clown fish started keeping its mouth open all of the time, I mean all of the time, it looks like it is talking, and now this evening when I look at it it looks like it is breathing hard. Besides that it seems fine swimming around, it didn't eat when I feed it but it did the day before. I did a 10% water change today and 7% two days ago (I have an anemone that wasn't really happy) The other clown fish seems fine and the two don't really hang around each other all that much, and they are both still juveniles.
Can anyone tell me if this is normal for the clown fish I'm not used to seeing fish with their mouths hanging open all the time.
Tank parameters:
34 gallons
Lighting 2 x 55W T5 Power Compact
Lighting- 10,000k 55W
Lighting- Actinic 55W
Lighting- Blue LED 4
Lighting timer Analogue
Circulation Pumps 2 x 550 lph (2 x 146 gph)
Skimmer water throughput 400 lph (100 gph)
Skimmer max Air flow 120 lph (32 gallon)
Skimmer foam adjuster
Mechanical filter
Biological Filtration (active surface area) 420mÂ²/ l (1,200 sq ft/gal)
Activated Carbon 200g (7 oz)
SG 1.027
Ammonia 0.0 mg/L
Nitrite 0.0 mg/L
Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
PH 8.1

WhoKnew · Feb 23, 2014

Not all clown fish find a home with an anemone. And not all anemone hoar a clown fish. It is possible that he is getting stung?

KellyB · Feb 23, 2014

The anemone was hosting a different clown fish at the lfs and it doesn't seem to be bothering the fish, at least it doesn't look like it's being stung.

magranche · Feb 24, 2014

I prefer to keep my salinity a little bit lower than that as it is easier on the fish. I try to keep mine right around 1.025. If you want to change it do it slowly for the most ease on those in the tank.

Gundo · Feb 24, 2014

Can you maybe get a phone video of this and post it? I'd also maybe point to salinity a lil high esp if you dont top off every day with FW thus causing salinity to become even higher.