Sunday 12 March 2006

While doing a water change on the 6' tank on 12 March, a number of the fish started behaving oddly, in particular the 3 anemonefish (Amphiprion melanops, A. percula and A. ocellaris). They were breathing heavily either at the surface of the water or on the bottom of the tank. I managed to move all 3 anemonefish to my quarantine tank but the other inhabitants (cleaner wrasse, 2 angelfish and brown tang) were all in hiding.

Despite being moved to the quarantine tank, the false clown anemonefish, , did not survive. Both the black anemonefish, , and the clown anemonefish, A. percula made full recoveries. The cleaner wrasse, Larbroides dimidiatus, and two angelfish, and , reappeared from hiding an hour or so later, but I never saw the brown tang, Zebrasoma scopas, again.

I have no idea what went wrong. The only thing different about this water change was I cleaned the algae off rear glass. I normally only clean the algae off the front glass. I also don't understand why only the tang and anemonefish were affected.