WHat is happening to my clown fish?!?!

[linds51116]

I have had two false percula clowns for about a month now, i just added
a coral beauty last weekend, just recently one of the clowns has just
been kinda not very lively, when i turn off th elight in my tank at
night he looses color and becomes a very dull orange, but then when i
turn it back on again hes bright again in a few minutes, he keeps his
fins tucked down most of the time and doesnt eat very much. he just
kinda stays in one spot in the tank for a few hours, either right at
the top or at the bottom. the other clown fish is fine and the coral
beauty is fine too. does anyone know whats wrong?!?!?!

[fish keeper32]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I have the same problem, like you said when the light goes off the color fades (especially around the lips) and when it goes back on after 30 minutes hes fine. Hes been doing this for around 2 months now so i just disreguard it. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[ramoth41]

I think what your seeing is this.. most fish at night change to a rather drab color. It's a defense tactic. Bright colors at night are easy for nocturnal preditors to see. Dull colors make it easy to hide. My yellow tang turns to a brown if you didn't know he was a yellow you would swear he was a brown tang! . My Perc fades to a dull orange.
As for the staying in one spot.. well you have 2 clowns... I don't have any experiance with breeding but I do have a breeding pair of 4 stripes... maybe he is a she and your gonna be a grandparent! That might be why it's just hanging out and not eating?! OR maybe she is a she but is changing into a HE? They do that ya know! False Percs are "harem fish" Is it the larger of the 2? The more dominant one before now? Female damsels are bigger than males. If the dominant female is removed from a group the next dominant takes her place and visa versa dominant male removed the dominant female becomes male and the next in line morphs to the female's place! Any other fish in the group stay as juvi's or subordinate females A single clown in a tank will stay female. Weird aint it!
Just a thought!
sarah :-)