Is this clown fish sick?

[Jennyw]

Fins look a little rough, he (pretty sure it's the male, maybe?) Is hiding, and even was laying flat/on side under rock a few minutes ago. I thought he might be dead. I turned on the lights and he seems okay now.

We've been feeding a LOT less- 8 .5mm pellets a day. It's just 2 small clowns in the tank, and one or two hermits. We've had them for 9 months.

Tank gets a 5 gal water change every 7 days. It was last changed Sunday. It's a 32 gal biocube.

I am seeing quite a bit of agression, but he seems submissive. Is there any way to help stop that?

 

[Jennyw]

Bump?

 

[VB313]

Clowns are clowns the aggression is Just one of those things you gota let play out Aslong as it’s eating

 

[Paul Sands]

sounds like aggression issues to me. the males tend to hide and wedge themselves into any crevice they can find when it’s happening.

it sometimes help to pull the female out and put her in a colander floating in the tank for a hour or two. that allows the male to have a few hours of peace and quiet and it helps the female be a little less domineering when she goes back in. i usually do this a few times with most clownfish at about the 4-6 month mark.

 

[Paul Sands]

Also, feeding MORE tends to lead to less aggression, IME.

 

[Jennyw]

Also, feeding MORE tends to lead to less aggression, IME.

Yes. It also leads to more algae. And I have an algae problem. Always. I always have algae

 

[Paul Sands]

Yes. It also leads to more algae. And I have an algae problem. Always. I always have algae

HAHA. True. I’d suggest some carbon dosing to address the nitrate and phosphate issues that lead to algae.