Hi everyone,
I’m a bit worried about a new clownfish I just introduced to my nano tank (tank has been cycled for about 2.5 months).
Since adding him, he’s been:
Rubbing/pressing his face against the glass and moving it up and down
Hovering near the top of the tank
Staying close to the glass and moving along it
He also hasn’t eaten yet, although I know that can be normal for a new fish.
I’ve also noticed white, stringy poop coming from him, which has me even more concerned.
For context, I did have another clownfish in this tank that passed away a couple of days ago. That fish never ate from the moment I got it. I had my water tested at my local fish store (the same one I’ve always used for my 200L tank with no issues), and they said my parameters were “perfect” and couldn’t explain why it died. They were confident it was just a bad fish and that adding another should be fine.
After bringing this new clown home and seeing the behaviour, I started researching more deeply and came across information about stray voltage, which I hadn’t previously considered. I checked the tank and found that there was indeed a current coming from my powerhead. Unfortunately, I only discovered this after introducing the new fish.
I’ve since turned the powerhead off and replaced it with an airstone for now, and I’ll be getting a new pump tomorrow.
However, even after removing the faulty equipment, the fish is still showing the same behaviour.
One thing worth mentioning is that he was already doing the face-rubbing motion against the bag during transport home, so I’m not sure if this started before going into my tank.
I’m just really stressed because I don’t want to lose another fish and want to make sure I’m not missing something.
Could this behaviour + white stringy poop point to parasites or something else?
Could stray voltage have caused lasting damage even after removing the source?
Is there anything else I should check or do immediately?
Any advice would be really appreciated 🙏