New clownfish hosting water's surface in qt?

[Chrisv.]

I recently set up a reef after being out for a year or two to house a cool misbar black snowflake ocellaris I found and needed. My DT has cycled and ready for fish, but I decided it would be prudent to put the clown in QT.

It's I set up a 5 gal qt tank last night: I'm running bare bottom, a small power filter with floss seeded with bio spira , an air stone, a heater, a seachem ammonia badge, and (because when the tank is mature enough) I hope to get an anemone, I included a synthetic anemone from the big box petstore.

Ammonia= 0 by both badge and tropic marin test)
SG = 1.024
Temp = 78f
pH = 8.0

When I added the fish he totally went for the fake anemone and hosted for an hour or two. At dusk started going to the surface and sticking his mouth out of the water.

Now, after lights out he seems to be hosting the surface of the water in a corner of the tank.

I'm concerned because I'm not sure of he is trying to gasp air, and if the hosting of the surface is really about getting his gills out of the water.

I've not kept many clowns. Is it normal for him to sleep at the surface and be sticking his face out? If this were an established tank I would not be worried at all, but given that the qt tank was a last min setup, I'm concerned.

What do you think?

 

[Chrisv.]

 

[Jekyl]

My clowns sleep on the top of the water every night.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Typical sleeping spot

 

[Jedi1199]

Beautiful fish

 

[thecouch]

My first clown slept top corner facing down in my smaller tank. Now she sleeps above the curved overflow intake

 

[Chrisv.]

Beautiful fish

Thanks, I know this sounds crazy, but I hadn't been in a reef store in two years (when I broke down my last reef). I took a day off work a little over a month ago and decided to go to a reef store. I saw this clown -- I normally hate the "designer" clowns-- and I just had to have it.

I left the store and set up a tank that night. The shop kept him for me for a month while the tank cycled.

So this will be a tank set up around an individual fish. Lol.

I really hope he isn't having issues.

 

[Chrisv.]

Do they ever sleep on their sides? It's like she's sticking her pectoral fin to the surface. And she is moving from that position to gulp at the surface from time to time.

The tank has the small power filter and an airstone so I don't think there is a shortage of oxygen. The tank was only in a bag for about an hour. I temp acclimated then added half volume of tank water, waited 10 min, tossed half the water, added an equal volume of tank water, etc. Three water additions and then straight into QT. Given the ph and nh4/nh3 results I doubt it's ammonia burn, but I am concerned about the gulping at the surface.

Thoughts?

 

[Jedi1199]

Thanks, I know this sounds crazy, but I hadn't been in a reef store in two years (when I broke down my last reef). I took a day off work a little over a month ago and decided to go to a reef store. I saw this clown -- I normally hate the "designer" clowns-- and I just had to have it.

I left the store and set up a tank that night. The shop kept him for me for a month while the tank cycled.

So this will be a tank set up around an individual fish. Lol.

I really hope he isn't having issues.

That is great... I get you 110%!! I am getting into saltwater again after a 30ish year hiatus... I was in the store last week to pick up a cleaner shrimp and saw a tank full of Wyoming White clowns. I wasn't prepared that day to buy them, spent the entire week obsessing over them. I just HAD to have them.. Went today and picked up a pair. lol

 

[Jekyl]

Mine sleep on their sides every night

 

[Chrisv.]

Mine sleep on their sides every night

That's a relief! I've kept saltwater fish for 25 of the last thirty years but this is only my second clownfish! Sorry for the novice paranoia!

 

[00W]

Mine is 7 or 8. Sleeps on a mag float at the top of the tank.
Wherever I move it is where she sleeps.
I guess I'd better not get rid of it....
And, by the way, I set an entire tank up for her also.

 

[Chrisv.]

So this morning the clownfish is still acting a bit strange, and hanging/ gasping at the surface.... here is a video: