Weird clown behaviour!!

scar246 · Jul 7, 2023

Help! I have 2 quite small clownfish and one fire fish in my tank, it’s 165L so definitely big enough. Over the last few days my clowns have started acting weird in different ways? One of them is up the top of the water on its side, but not gasping for breath and when I catch it and put it in a smaller container so I can get a good look it starts swimming normally again? The other one has as of last night started lying on the bottom of the tank and it IS gasping! I’ve checked the water and all the parameters seem fine, the temp is fine, the salinity is fine, the fire fish is fine! I don’t know what to do :’( visually other than gasping both of the fish seem fine and have been fine in the tank for the last several months! Please help me.

Jay Hemdal · Jul 7, 2023

scar246 said:
Help! I have 2 quite small clownfish and one fire fish in my tank, it’s 165L so definitely big enough. Over the last few days my clowns have started acting weird in different ways? One of them is up the top of the water on its side, but not gasping for breath and when I catch it and put it in a smaller container so I can get a good look it starts swimming normally again? The other one has as of last night started lying on the bottom of the tank and it IS gasping! I’ve checked the water and all the parameters seem fine, the temp is fine, the salinity is fine, the fire fish is fine! I don’t know what to do :’( visually other than gasping both of the fish seem fine and have been fine in the tank for the last several months! Please help me.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

More background information is needed here, as well as a short video of the two clown's behaviors. Here is a post that explains all that:

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Jay

The_Paradox · Jul 7, 2023

The swimming vertically is “normal” clownfish behavior. The gasping is not. As stated above videos would really help.

vetteguy53081 · Jul 7, 2023

At times swimming vertically is NOT normal and often can be aggression or intimidation.
Is fish pooping normal or weird color/consistency?
As per request of Jay, pics will determine- Please do so under white lighting for clarity