Tanks been up about 2 months. Clowns were added about 4 weeks ago. It's still behaving this morning like it's sick, just laying on the bottom. But then it gets up and swims around in normal clown fashion (not jerking or anything wierd).Low pH won't do that. How quickly did you raise the pH...sudden shifts will harm inhabitants. Hopefully you raised it over a long period of time.
How long has the tank been up? How long has the clown been in the tank?
Very. The directions for the Seachem Reef builder state to use 1/2 teaspoon mixed in 1 Cup water for every 40 gallons to raise it 0.25. I added 1 teaspoon in 2 cups water added to my overflow (41 gallon tank), so it went into the fuge to mix then back into the display tank. Within 30 minutes the pH had risen from 7.8 to 8.4 (right where it was for the first 7 weeks).How quickly did you raise pH?
point taken. But no behavior has changed in the tank since the pH change; and from my perspective as a biochemist both pH 7.8 and 8.4 are relatively neutral so I doubt there will be severe consequences.Very bad idea! I'm sure somewhere on the bottle it tells you not to raise it that much. Nothing in saltwater that is good happens fast. I hope they pull through. My tank has consistently low pH without issues since its in the basement, its swings that hurt things. Also, pH tends to shift throughout the day, so you could have measured it at different points making you think pH was drastically different.
This is great information about pH guys, but my fish was acting wierd BEFORE I changed pH and continued to act wierd afterward. They are independent variables...the H+ concentration in a pH 7.8 environment is 4 times higher that an environment of pH 8.4. so you could say it was 4 times more acidic before you raised it (sounds like a pretty good swing to me) you have to remember that the pH scale is a logarithm so what seems to be a small change is a lot greater. also if you're pH is swinging then your alkalinity is likely to be low, get a KH test, from there you can convert to alkalinity, the buffer you're using is helping with the alk problem but it should be monitored to prevent a swing later.
the post is also right about the pH shifting throughout the day, that swing is safe because it slowly changes, even if the swing is from 7.8 to 8.4 although i usually see 8.2 to 8.4.
All other inhabitants are acting normal. Water is fairly turbid the closer you go to the surface and the clowns have to fight the current. Near the bottom, especially where this fish is laying it is fairly calm water.That is a big swing for pH in a stable tank, but not completely unheard of..... Likely either the test was wrong or faulty or possibly you might have an oxygen exchange issue. The water should not be near laminar flow, it should be somewhat turbulent with changing flow patterns. A clownfish should have to work a little to stay in one place, especially during daytime flows, can put a timer on and lower flows a night if you want, but the base line flow should never be near laminar.
But, what people have failed to state is clowns act like clowns, so this is not nessesarily odd behavior to act weird. Is there any sign of disease? Spots, slime, twitchy scratchy swimming or total lethargic behavior.
