Clowns flashing & jerking their heads

Discussion in 'Diseases' started by Beaker11, Apr 29, 2009.

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  1. Beaker11

    Beaker11 Astrea Snail

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    Ok my O. Clowns just started this 3 days ago. As of yet I have not seen any ich. They flash on my filter intake tube and they also jerk their heads side to side. This cant be normal. They only new addition is my cleaner/skunk shrimp who does clean my pink spot goby but the clowns havent let him yet. Water parems are.....Ammon 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 10. Live and argonite live sand. Heat set to 78 F. Could this be the beginning of ich or something else ? :confused:
     
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  3. Annie3410

    Annie3410 Teardrop Maxima Clam

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    clowns "twitch" around each other when they start to pair up.
     
  4. slocal

    slocal Doot!

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    I'm not understanding what you mean by "flash"

    Like Annie said, clowns will twitch like they're having a seizure when they begin to pair up.
     
  5. Beaker11

    Beaker11 Astrea Snail

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    By flashing i mean rubbing themselves like they have an itch......lol. I've seen the small one lay on his side and kind of convulse which makes me laugh........lol. I took the sebae anemone back to LPS as I dont have the lighting for it now as I just got layed of from work so my litghing upgrade must wait. My prawn goby ( beaker named from the muppets ) never flashes and he/she is soooooooooooooo amusing. He has made quite a bond with the cleaner shrimp. Must be love at first sight.........lol.
     
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  6. slocal

    slocal Doot!

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    Gotcha ;)


    That is usually a sign that something is irritating the fish. Is it eating and otherwise swimming normally? Might be something bothering them in their gills. Are they gasping at all?
     
  7. Beaker11

    Beaker11 Astrea Snail

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    Eating VERY well and acting normal most of the time. The itching seems to be every now and then kinda thing. I forgot to mention my PH is 8.0. I thought maybe gill flukes even but will wait and see.
     
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  9. =Jwin=

    =Jwin= Tassled File Fish

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    Are you sure it's itching? All clowns twitch. It's a form or communication on whether something is irritating them, or they are getting their clownfish love on. Normally, the twitch when something is bugging them. Our clowns twitch every water change. No questions asked. They also twitch when it's bed time and all the fish are still swimming around.

    Are you sure it is itching? And what do you mean by flashing? When our clowns first twitched, it freaked us out too :p
     
  10. cdeboard

    cdeboard Montipora Digitata

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    Mine twich at bed time as well. My larger sebae would fan the CC and then lay completely on his side in the hole he dug every night.
     
  11. infamous

    infamous Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone

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    my clowns do the same thing, its just their normal behavior. Mine do all kinds of funny movements. One of them lies on its side on top of a coral like its going to sleep.
     
  12. slocal

    slocal Doot!

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    Guys, twitching and scratching are two different things. I would wait for more info before I tell someone that it is completely normal. While some clowns do flash on the certain items continuously, I would still be cautious if this were a new behavior.


    flash = scratching



    Beaker, I think you're on the right track. Might want to read up on Brooklynella and marine velvet just as a precautionary as well
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2009