Clownfish vs. Lionfish

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ClarkiCavalier

Small Fish
#1
Aug 3, 2003
24
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39
Laurel, MD
#1
I have two problems and I am not quite sure weather they are related. In the last week, I have added 3 hatian anemones, one leather coral, and a tiny baby green carpet anemone. Along with those inverts, I added a baby zebra dwarf lionfish. Now the old ruler of my tank (a clarki clownfish) has stopped eating/roaming. It didn't take place the very same day. It was about 2 days after the introduction of Bruce (Almight lionfish) that my Clarki started to act up. I have seen no symptoms of any saltwater dissease or bacteria. On top of that, I have prestine water conditions and no possile toxin introduction to the system. No other fish is acting proculiar either. Now I have done my research and nothing seems to lead me in any dirrection. Now he does show symptoms of low teperature. he lays on the bottom in the shady back behind the rocks and doesn't move. His appitite is non-existant. Is it possible that he was stung by the lionfish and now spooked? The Clarki is relatively the same size as the lion and they never really showed any dissaproval of the other's being. Now it doesn't end there. I also can't get Bruce to eat dead food. He ate freshwater feeder fish in my LFS, but I know that isn't healthy for him. I have tried to get him to accept krill, plankton, brine shrimp, and flake food. Any suggestions? All help is appritiated!
~Josh~
 

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valdok

Large Fish
#3
Jul 1, 2003
229
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40
Chicago, Illinois
val.textdrive.com
#3
certain fish will not eat for the first few days in an aquarium. it's happened to me every time i've gotten a new fish... eventually they start eating. he could just be real shy around new members, as his behavior suggests... well, if he was stung i bet he'd just take that as a sign to stay away from him... but he could be hiding out of fear. live foods are almost always better for fish then frozen/flake/pellets, after all, lionfish are predators in nature, they wouldn't change in captivity. it depends what kind of fish the feeder fish was, however. goldfish are generally not good feeder fish, guppies make better feeders. hope this helps at all... hope your clownfish snaps out of it... they're neat little buggers.
 

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ClarkiCavalier

Small Fish
#4
Aug 3, 2003
24
0
0
39
Laurel, MD
#4
Lion fish aren't a BAD addition to a reef. I do my reading before any fish purchase. They can be added with caution. I will be sure to remove him if any problems arise. That out of the way though, I sitll need the question addressed. I am more concerned about my Clarki Clownfish than anything else. Any suggestions?
 

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ClarkiCavalier

Small Fish
#5
Aug 3, 2003
24
0
0
39
Laurel, MD
#5
Thanks for that piece valdok, i do hope that Bruce starts taking the dedad food as it WILL have all the nurtrition he needs as apposed to the freshwater feeders. All I really have available is rosies as far as feeder fish go. I must say still though, I am mostly concerned about my Clarki. he is my first fish and the pride of my tank. I customize cars and I am actually having my Cavalier z24 painted to match his body exactly (hense the name ClarkiCavalier.) I would be heart-broken to lose him. Might quarenteening him help?
 

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valdok

Large Fish
#6
Jul 1, 2003
229
0
0
40
Chicago, Illinois
val.textdrive.com
#6
If you are dead set (pardon the pun) on protecting him, i'd remove the lionfish for a day and see how the clownfish reacts... then if he is better, you might consider returning the lionfish, or trying your luck again and adding him back to the tank. flipping through my marine aquarium book, a lot of lionfish seem partial to eating mollies/guppies (fish that can live in all sorts of salinity concentrations)... so look into that. if you have a quarenteen tank ready and cycled, then go for it, but i've found that removing stressed out fish normally creates more stress for the fish. hope this helps.
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
#8
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#8
Looks like the lionfish has terrified the clown. Remove the lionfish to QT - I hope you QT'ed it properly anyway? You should be able to get it off feeders pretty easily I believe, but I've never kept one so that's just what I hear
You know that keeping a variety of anemonaes and corals together will likely have problems long term as they start to attack each other with stinging cells?
 

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ClarkiCavalier

Small Fish
#9
Aug 3, 2003
24
0
0
39
Laurel, MD
#9
Yah I have heard. I want to eventaully move all problem inverts to the nano reef (which right now is the Q tank.) A little update though. The Clarki has begun to move away from the dent he has made in the substrate. Still regular respiration and regular body movement, but also still not swimming around. The lionfish is in Quarenteen so he isn't the problem it appears. Love to hear some more opinions.
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
#10
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#10
Does he eat? You have to wait - presumably he's not sure the lion won't return and is a bit jumpy still?
Alternatively your lion has introduced a diesease of some nature.
 

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ClarkiCavalier

Small Fish
#11
Aug 3, 2003
24
0
0
39
Laurel, MD
#11
the lion is eating now. now signs of disseases. I just introduced a yellow tang and a blue hippo tang. They are doing great as well. All of my fish are doing extremely well but the clarki. He is swimming aorund now but only in the back.
 

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ClarkiCavalier

Small Fish
#14
Aug 3, 2003
24
0
0
39
Laurel, MD
#14
The clarki is doing fine still. He is swimming more but still behind all the rock. I stll have not seen him eat anything, which leaves me unsettled about it. The blue hippo tang has ick so I am buying three cleaner shrimp tomorrow. I know a place that sells them 3 for $33. They are a wholesaler lacted in maryland. They have 50 tanks and sell for almost half the pricee of other places for everything. They don't advertise either. Word of mouth has made them big jsut because of the prices. E-mail me if you live in or near Maryland and want to go there. FireballBMX22@comcast.net
 

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