Clown fish gone mad?

This morning all was well in the tank. Now tonight, my larger female tomato clown is breathing faster than anything and keeps opening her mouth very wide and slamming into the front glass of the tank. All the other fish and inverts and corals seem fine. Water params seem fine (although I don't have any more ammonia/nitrite tests at the moment - but assume that isn't it or everyone would be having problems). Anyone have any thoughts on what it might be or what I should do?

 

Oh and I guess I should mention too, I don't see anything physically wrong with the clown fish. She looks fine. But the force that she's hitting the glass - either her face is gonna give or the tank will...

 

Update: Clown fish is not going after the glass anymore, but is still breathing fast and now stops periodically and does a shaking thing - looks like a siezure or something... Oddly enough, I saw the smaller male do this too just now. The female also keeps pointing herself almost vertical and then just stopping all motion, the twitches and goes swimming off. Again, all the other fish and things seem to be life as normal...

 

Could be a mating ritual??

J

 

The face smashing seizure twitch ritual....aahh yes I have lured many a honey with this. Usually leads to a headache the morning after though.

:sweethear


hahahaha'

Jay

 

I know about the seizure twitch thing. I had a pair of occelaris and they used to do what i called the "bacon dance". But none of them used to ram in the tank walls though. Now maybe... and thats a big maybe but maybe its trying to compete with his own reflection in the tank glass to see who gets the other one.

 

breathing fast is usually something really bad. I've had fish do that just before they die. Blenny and mandarin.

 

I'd put it in a QT tank and consider treating with a broad spectrum antibiotic along with a FW methylene blue dip.

 

The other thing that comes to mind is ich.

Anne

 

I would monitor for a bit. See what tomorrow brings