Problem with my new clown :( HELP!

[Joeyb1731]

So i have a 12 gallon nano running for about 5 months now. I added my first fish about 1 month ago a false percula clown. I waited about 3 weeks before adding my second( i was testing the bioload and how my tank would handle it) I added a second false percula clown, hes just a tad smaller then the one in there originally ( hoping for a mated pair) I have had the new one for a week and 2 days. For the first few days the original fish was picking on the new one alot which i read was normal, they seemed to be doing all the mating rituals. Then i noticed that the new fish is constantly under a rock in my tank, so i left it be, figuring it was still getting adjusted. Today i noticed that the fish is still in the rock not coming out, at a closer look I realized one of his eyes is very cloudy and the white on his first stripe is missing a little. I put him in a small tank that i use for acclimating to get a closer look, he seems fine i fed him in the tank and he ate a decent amount, but i then noticed about 15 minutes ago a long piece of stringy poop hanging off him. My other clown is in great shape and i do not have a QT tank for this one. I dont know what to do? take him out or ride it out??? any advice helps


My tank is 12 gallon
Ph-8.4
Salinity-1.021-1.022
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-very close to 0

I have 2 margarita snails, 2 astrea snails, 1 nassarious snail and 2 blue legged hermits

the only other fish is the other clown

Thanks in advance

 

[Lorna]

12g is small for two clowns especially 2 that may both be female. When adding a 2nd clown you must make sure that you introduce a very small juvenile which must be much smaller than the one you already had. I think the cloudy eye is probably a scratch which happened when the new one was roughed up. I am not sure that they will settle but I would reintroduce the smaller and see where it goes, it took my clowns about a month to settle down and the male is barely an inch long and the female is about 3 inches.....she is still the boss. I have two clarkiis that never did pair up but in a larger tank they each have their area though the smaller is always on the run or hiding.

 

[Joeyb1731]

i was under the impression that if I got a clown that was too small it would die quickly. I guess i was wrong, I went out and bought some stuff and set up a qt tank for this guy. I got some parasite cleaner and im treating him in this tank which is only 5 gallons. I hope that he can survive treatment however he does not look good, he did eat which is a good sign, if he makes it im gonna give him to a friend who has a sw tank waiting on fish and go out and buy a small one, is that the right thing to do? the fish i have in there now is about 2.5 inches and the one i added is about 2 inches. do I need to go much smaller? I tried to put pics up but i cant get a good one of either fish. Id really like 2 clowns in this tank and thats all but i guess if it cant happen I have no choice.

 

[Joeyb1731]

Sadly I found the clown dead today RIP, i tried my best to save it, i still feel like a jerk for not getting all the info i should have before getting my second clown. I know better for next time now also just a side note this is the first fish ive ever lost (knock on wood) since i started in January. it really stinks!

 

[Joeyb1731]

well just an update, I got a new perc, a small one and everything seems good, i rearranged my LR again (which sucks) and I drip acclimated him for 3 hours and put him in when the other clown was asleep, they seem to be getting along great, he submits right away to the clown and now they swim together, hes eating not only the food i give him but he goes around picking pods off of my LR, so wish me luck with this guy.

 

[Lorna]

sounds good. You really need to add a much much smaller one to an existing female, that is the only way that you can be sure of getting a male. Clownfish if kept singly regardless of size will convert to females pretty fast so you are best to usually buy them from a store captive bred where they have many all together that are very small juveniles.....that way you have better success in obtaining an unsexed juvi.