Why are my fish stressed

[Justin poirier]

So recently I've been noticing that my fish are extremely stressed. My maroon clown won't go in her anemones my yellow tang is becoming very very skittish my sand sifting goby is afraid of everything. My pistol shrimp changed holes after 4 months. My harlequin shrimp has disappeared. Only difference is. My skimmer has been down for maybe a month. But I've tested everything and everything is perfect as always. Is it something I can't tell I'm feeding them the same. I noticed a cut in my clowns bottom fin. Straight cut tho not like a nip

 

[Gweeds1980]

Couple of things to check... stray voltage and what's happening at night?

 

[40B Knasty]

At first I was thinking stray volt.
With that low of a fish count. I am guessing you are under 75g??
If you are. To small of a tank will cause stress for your tang. Maroon clowns are very territorial. Maybe they went at it. Tangs have that little surgeon nub at the end by their tail. Maybe he gave the clown a quick lashing.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Do you qt? Parasites can cause skittish behavior.

Sudden, loud noises, sudden lighting changes, and frequent activity can cause skittishness too.

 

[Justin poirier]

At first I was thinking stray volt.
With that low of a fish count. I am guessing you are under 75g??
If you are. To small of a tank will cause stress for your tang. Maroon clowns are very territorial. Maybe they went at it. Tangs have that little surgeon nub at the end by their tail. Maybe he gave the clown a quick lashing.

Stray voltage? I'm not sure what that is. You'd be correct it is under 75 but this has only been recently. As my skimmer started to break. I don't think it was the surgeon nub because my clown and my tang are goody goody my maroon only messes with things smaller there a starry blenny as well that shares the same rock as my maroon my maroon is only mean to smal things. The cut I straight like someone room a scissors and cut right down the fin I just turned the lights on. I saw that my tang wasn't startled by the light or sounds of my cabinets. I turned my intensity of my lights down last night. My clown

 

[Justin poirier]

I'd appreciate her anemones since they closed up all night. I think she took them for granit. Maybe I just had lights to high.think I should make the intensity tad higher so coral growth but then completely shut of light for a few hours

 

[Justin poirier]

Do you qt? Parasites can cause skittish behavior.

Sudden, loud noises, sudden lighting changes, and frequent activity can cause skittishness too.

Yes I do. 2 weeks each fish. I wouldn't say frequent activity I just sit here and watch.

 

[Justin poirier]

Couple of things to check... stray voltage and what's happening at night?

What's stray voltage?

 

[Gweeds1980]

What's stray voltage?

Where you've got a frayed cable etc or water getting into electrics and the tank isn't grounded. The electrical charge stays in the water... you'll know if it's major when you put your hand in the tank

 

[Justin poirier]

Where you've got a frayed cable etc or water getting into electrics and the tank isn't grounded. The electrical charge stays in the water... you'll know if it's major when you put your hand in the tank

Guessing it's not that because it's just my tang

 

[Gweeds1980]

Guessing it's not that because it's just my tang

Confused... your original post says the clowns, pistol shrimp, yellow tang and starry blenny were acting odd?

 

[Justin poirier]

Confused... your original post says the clowns, pistol shrimp, yellow tang and starry blenny were acting odd?

Acting odd but not twitchy and freaked out like my tang

 

[Gweeds1980]

I'd still get an earth onto the tank... if not now, you might wish you had in the future...[emoji95] [emoji33]

 

[Daddy-o]

Put the positive probe of a voltmeter in your water and touch the black probe to ground. Does it measure any A/C current?

 

[Daddy-o]

I'd still get an earth onto the tank... if not now, you might wish you had in the future...[emoji95] [emoji33]

You cant just ground the water, then you go from stray electricity to current which is not good.

 

[Paul B]

Rap Music.

 

[Gweeds1980]

You cant just ground the water, then you go from stray electricity to current which is not good.

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/270479/

 

[Eva Rose]

Check out all the suggestions above. Most of my fish were acting skittish all of a sudden. It ended up being a bristletooth tang that had started bullying several fish, especially my Midas and pixy hawkfish. It was hard to catch the tang "in the act" of bullying in the beginning. Since your fish associate you with food, the bully (if you have one) might not act out if it sees you -- instead it's focused on the possibility of being fed. Try viewing your tank from a distance and see if you see any behaviors. I first caught the tang do a very brief short chase randomly - nothing alarming. Then in a few days, I saw him hit the Midas. With guidance from R2R, I ordered a fish trap . Midas hid so well that the tang went ballistic quickly. Tried to kill 2 of my fish. Rehomed the tang a few days ago.
All the fish in my tank are much more relaxed already. But a few are still a little more nervous & wary.
Just wanted to share this. But certainly check out all the other possibilities offered above.

 

[Daddy-o]

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/270479/

I still say no permanent ground to water. Think about the bird that sits on a wire he is okay with voltage running through him, but if he was grounded he would fry. Test it with a voltmeter and if over 40v is present fix it!! That said, I do have a ground rod that I put in the tank short term when my son is working on it. And we don't work on the tank in bare feet on the concrete floor, and we always touch the water before going in "full tilt"

 

[Gweeds1980]

I still say no permanent ground to water. Think about the bird that sits on a wire he is okay with voltage running through him, but if he was grounded he would fry. Test it with a voltmeter and if over 40v is present fix it!! That said, I do have a ground rod that I put in the tank short term when my son is working on it. And we don't work on the tank in bare feet on the concrete floor, and we always touch the water before going in "full tilt"

Fair enough... your choice. I ground mine and will continue to. I got a heck of a shock from an old FW tank (UV casing split) so wouldn't take the risk.

With the fish having greater resistance than saltwater, they're effectively in a faraday cage, so far safer for them to have a current running through the water than voltage looking for a home... it's the effect on their sensory systems, particularly the lateral line which is the concern. I'm certain HLLE can be caused by stray voltage... but I may well be wrong.