Handful of questions

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TMartinez

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2010
761
1
0
Mandarin, Fl
So I went to the store today to get a few peppermint shrimp to take care of my aipitasia issue. While I was there I saw this really nice black ocellarious clownfish that I just had to have...

Anyway after introducing them all into the tank everything seemed ok except one of the shrimp died. He seemed to be attached on a rock in the current flow and was holding on but still eating stuff off the rock. Well he sat in that same position for over an hour. When he finally let go he was dead.... Any ideas why? Other one seems to be doing well. Do I need 2+ in the tank or will one suffice (29 gal)?

On the clownfish, he seems happy and OK. The talbot damsel nips at him from time to time but seems like it's becoming less frequent as time passes. He is eating and everything so that is a plus. However he looks like he is "brushing" himself against the walls of the tank. Normal?

Finally I am starting to get some green spots on the walls of the tank. I assume algae. Good or bad? And is there a saltwater equivalent to a pleco to eat it?

You guys are great and I really do thank everyone for their assistance
 
TMartinez;4897135; said:
So I went to the store today to get a few peppermint shrimp to take care of my aipitasia issue. While I was there I saw this really nice black ocellarious clownfish that I just had to have...

Anyway after introducing them all into the tank everything seemed ok except one of the shrimp died. He seemed to be attached on a rock in the current flow and was holding on but still eating stuff off the rock. Well he sat in that same position for over an hour. When he finally let go he was dead.... Any ideas why? Other one seems to be doing well. Do I need 2+ in the tank or will one suffice (29 gal)?

On the clownfish, he seems happy and OK. The talbot damsel nips at him from time to time but seems like it's becoming less frequent as time passes. He is eating and everything so that is a plus. However he looks like he is "brushing" himself against the walls of the tank. Normal?

Finally I am starting to get some green spots on the walls of the tank. I assume algae. Good or bad? And is there a saltwater equivalent to a pleco to eat it?

You guys are great and I really do thank everyone for their assistance

Sorry to hear it died.

You don't need to have any in the tank, but if you are looking to stay aiptasia free then one will suffice.

How did you acclimate the shrimp when you brought it home? Shrimps need to be drip acclimated slowly(more than an hour, ideally at least 2 hours) because they can't handle changes in salinity or temperature very well. I would assume that something with one of these was the cause if it died that fast.

The best way to get rid of the algae on the walls of the tank is to do water changes and scrap the algae. Keeping nutrients in the tank down will help the algae. Also backing off your lighting to slow algae growth. That is if you don't have corals.

As far as the new clown scratching, if it is frequent that is a bad thing. It means there is something on or in the clown like a parasite. This is why quarantining new fish is a good idea. Whatever the clown has all the other fish will get as well now. The stress from the move and the damsel going after it most likely led to this problem increasing.
 
Shrimp was drip acclimated for only about 15 min as per lfs recommendations... And the clown doesn't do it too much I just noticed he'd do it. I really don't want my first nice saltwater fish to die so should i watch him for the next few days to see if it continues?
 
TMartinez;4897313; said:
Shrimp was drip acclimated for only about 15 min as per lfs recommendations... And the clown doesn't do it too much I just noticed he'd do it. I really don't want my first nice saltwater fish to die so should i watch him for the next few days to see if it continues?


Yes, see what happens.

I would also consider removing the other damsel(remember clowns are damsels too) if it continues to be an aggressor. It will make your 1st nice saltwater fish much happier.
 
I really appreciate the help. Thanks!
 
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