Aggressive Clownfish

[Fishfish0001]

Hi.

Just to being, I have a 14 gal. Nanocube with the standard parts, nothing special inside it other then a skimmer.

Anyways, I have a Maroon Clownfish that is about 3" long. It had an anemone for it, however that died due to some chemical problems we never knew about.

So my clownfish has gotten extreamly aggressive, killing almost anything that I put into the tank excluding a peppermint shrimp, although it "disappeared" one night. It attacks hermit crabs, and a fire shrimp I just got, although he is still alive, and hiding under rocks. He also destroys my corals, if they are anywhere near his "hangout" (which is the whole tank >.>) he picks them up and moves them around. I've had to glue all my corals firmly to rocks to protect them. He also moves sand with his tail, which is really bad looking, and gets everything ugly.

I thought it might be the size of the tank, and that it is not big enough, and I also read that Maroon Clowns are extreamly aggressive fish. So I have resorted to thinking about selling him, back to the stroe I got him from (Salty Waters) and just getting some other fish for my tank that aren't so aggressive such as a Diamond Goby, (hopefully still my FireShrimp), and a Scooter Blenny, or a Rainbow Blenny (forgot name of it).

I was wondering if anyone had tips on this type of problem, or fi there is any other way to get him to calm down. Also, if I do need to trade him in, are there other clownfish that do well in a 14gal biocube that aren't very aggressive, or get very big?

[Sugar Magnolia]

Maroon clowns and tomato claowns are the two most aggressive clowns out there. And having a maroon in a 14g biocube is definitely a problem. Female maroons can reach 5-6" or so in length, so your tank size isn't suiitable at all. Your decision to trade it in is a wise one.

Diamond gobies, will make a mess of your sandbed. They are very good at sifting sand. Scooters need a large tank with plenty of pods.Have a look at liveaquaria's nano fish selection for fish ideas that are suitable for a small tank - http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/a....cfm?c=15+2124

[zma21]

I love maroons, but they're definitely a commitment.

I concur, unfortunately your system isn't quite big enough for the maroon to thrive.

I had a big mama in my gold stripe pair in a cube roughly three times the volume of your cube, and while sticking my hand in the tank to tip over a mexican turbo snail that was stuck on its back, she struck the back of my hand. About 5 seconds of shock, and I was confused what happened. Then I saw my blood in the water. She took a chunk off my knuckle a little bit bigger than a pencil tip.

I decided to purchase some gloves after that day. Point of the story is, maroons and other clownfish can be some of the most aggressive tank mates you'll ever own. You have to respect their space, and plan accordingly.

[returnofsid]

All clownfish have the ability to become aggressive. Afterall, they are members of the Damsel family.

Also, your 14 gallon nano is way too small to house a Maroon Clownfish, let alone, anything else you're adding to the tank, that the Maroon is killing. This could be adding to the stress factor, that is causing hostility.

[scubasteve06]

Maroon's, Tomatoes, and Clarki's are the most aggessive clown's there are. There's your answer in a nutshell kinda. Which is how that maroon probably feels in the 14g bio-cube. I'd see if I could get some store credit for him and get a occelaris clown. They are passive non-aggressive fish unless there are two pairs in the same tank which in your case can't happen. Another couple passive clowns are the skunk clowns and percula clowns.

[2Addicted]

Also dont try to keep a hosting species of anemone in a 14 gallon.

Oh and...
To Reef Central

[returnofsid]

Originally Posted by scubasteve06

Maroon's, Tomatoes, and Clarki's are the most aggessive clown's there are. There's your answer in a nutshell kinda. Which is how that maroon probably feels in the 14g bio-cube. I'd see if I could get some store credit for him and get a occelaris clown. They are passive non-aggressive fish unless there are two pairs in the same tank which in your case can't happen. Another couple passive clowns are the skunk clowns and percula clowns.

Not sure I'd call Occellaris "passive." I have a pair, in a plenty large enough tank, without any other clownfish, that'll draw blood, if your hand gets too close to their anemone.

They're now in a 200 Deep Dimension. However, in the past, they were in a 46 bowfront, which is still plenty large. But in the 46, if your hand was "wet" it was too close for their liking. They've drawn blood numerous times....lol.

[scubasteve06]

Originally Posted by returnofsid

Not sure I'd call Occellaris "passive." I have a pair, in a plenty large enough tank, without any other clownfish, that'll draw blood, if your hand gets too close to their anemone.

They're now in a 200 Deep Dimension. However, in the past, they were in a 46 bowfront, which is still plenty large. But in the 46, if your hand was "wet" it was too close for their liking. They've drawn blood numerous times....lol.

Wow, lol thats crazy there is a platinum occelaris at the LFS I go to and when I stick the tip of my hand in the tank he just nibbles away as my occelaris does in my tank. I don't have an anemone for her to host yet so I guess I haven't gotten to see that side of her....now I'm questioning if I want to see that side lol!

[2Addicted]

Originally Posted by scubasteve06

Wow, lol thats crazy there is a platinum occelaris at the LFS I go to and when I stick the tip of my hand in the tank he just nibbles away as my occelaris does in my tank. I don't have an anemone for her to host yet so I guess I haven't gotten to see that side of her....now I'm questioning if I want to see that side lol!

Platinum clowns are percs not ocellaris. My female ocellaris is pretty aggressive when i put my hand in the tank. Sometimes she will jump out of the water to bite my hand when my hand is about an inch above the water. Oh and sorry I have to say it... clownfish dont host anemones, anemones host clownfish.

[Fishfish0001]

Originally Posted by zma21

I love maroons, but they're definitely a commitment.

I concur, unfortunately your system isn't quite big enough for the maroon to thrive.

Originally Posted by returnofsid

Also, your 14 gallon nano is way too small to house a Maroon Clownfish, let alone, anything else you're adding to the tank, that the Maroon is killing. This could be adding to the stress factor, that is causing hostility.

Thats what I was expecting. Didn't really notice how little space there was until all of this happened. Would explain why she become more and more agressive the bigger she got. Nothing happened really until she hit about 2" long. (Got her at about 1")

Originally Posted by 2Addicted

Platinum clowns are percs not ocellaris. My female ocellaris is pretty aggressive when i put my hand in the tank. Sometimes she will jump out of the water to bite my hand when my hand is about an inch above the water. Oh and sorry I have to say it... clownfish dont host anemones, anemones host clownfish.

Wow. Haven't had that happen yet. She is perfectly fine with me, loves being hand fed, but she will atack other things of I am not looking :P

[Fishfish0001]

Well just for nayone wondering, my LRS said they would take her back for a store credit. Im attached to her, but its the best for her

[clownfreak]

Taking her back is the best idea. I have a 25g reef with two occ. clowns and if I let them they too would probably draw blood. I typically get bit when my hand is in the tank, luckily no blood yet.

[Supasalty]

I have had a true percula with out an anemone and it still bit me when I cleaned the tank. They are small fish but they still hurt it always went for the tender meat in between my fingers.

[2Addicted]

Originally Posted by Fishfish0001

Well just for nayone wondering, my LRS said they would take her back for a store credit. Im attached to her, but its the best for her

Good decision!

[ddvm5654]

i have 1 occ. clown in my 29 cube that has become very aggressive to the point were i bought gloves for when im in the tank. this one is much nastier then the damsels I had when cycling my tank. My fish selection now is limited due to its hostilities it took a big bite out of my scissor tail goby

[zigzag1]

My female occelairs also attacks me when I get near her area. I always find it annoying, as I always inevitably pull my hand/arm away quickly with the first bite, splashing water out of the tank everyhere.. But the wife and kids find it really funny.

[Bama Man]

Mine are the same way zig, The first time it happened I almost knocked the lights off the tank. lol. I was shocked at first. It's funny if I stick my scraper in the tank here comes the female in attack mode. If I have to reach into the tank for most anything else she doesn't bother me. I also had a tomato that was a real bully to my other fish and it would fan the substrate and make a mess 10 minutes after I had leveled it all out again. It became my MISSION to get that one gone. I tried multiple times to net it but it seemed impossible. But I was finally successful. I returned it to my LFS for store credit. Now everything is peaceful unless I use my scraper.

[ErinCahir]

It sucks to have to give up something you're attached to, but you know it's for the best. I'm glad you made the right decision. Check out the nano fish on LA for sure. They've got some pretty cool stuff that would be much happier in your tank.

[haloist]

it depends on your luck too, i had a maroon that was surprisingly nice. lol

[reefmanmatt]

Originally Posted by zigzag1

My female occelairs also attacks me when I get near her area. I always find it annoying, as I always inevitably pull my hand/arm away quickly with the first bite, splashing water out of the tank everyhere.. But the wife and kids find it really funny.

i flicked mine right in the mouth a few times when it really started getting me , only took a few ... then all the sudden it was ok with just huffing and puffing a bit . mine guarded a set of giant hairy mushrooms like they where diamonds and as long as i stayed clear of the shrooms we had very few issues after i kicked its a$$ a bit . its like a kid you see .. sometimes you just have to whoop em' hahahahahah hahah ahahahahaha j/k

[snorvich]

Clownfish, especially once sexually mature, are aggressive. A pair will try to hold a minimum of 25 gallons for their own and some species can try to own a much larger area. Anemones host clowns not vice versa.

[RainbowTurtle]

Originally Posted by scubasteve06

Maroon's, Tomatoes, and Clarki's are the most aggessive clown's there are. There's your answer in a nutshell kinda. Which is how that maroon probably feels in the 14g bio-cube. I'd see if I could get some store credit for him and get a occelaris clown. They are passive non-aggressive fish unless there are two pairs in the same tank which in your case can't happen. Another couple passive clowns are the skunk clowns and percula clowns.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you there. I have a bonded pair of these clowns and while the male is not aggressive that female has actually taken a chunk out of me and though she is gentle with her male, anything else living in the tank that moves or swims is gonna get it. She's even gone after my sexy shrimp, but they are too fast for her. She ignores my coral so far. She'll kill any other fish I try to stick in there. She killed my cleaner wrasse by chasing him so much he jumped out of my 100 gallon tank in the middle of the night while we were sleeping. I don't believe in removing unless the environment is bad for them, which it isn't. So I will keep my fish. It's wise for you to let yours go given the tank size and I am sure you have because this is an old post, but for anyone else... ALL clowns have the ability to become highly aggressive. There are always those oddball fish who break the rules, like mine does by being gentle and kind to her male (typically they are quite rough with them) but goes for the kill woth everything else. So it's really two things. Breed counts yes, but they also have each a unique personality to them so the individual sometimes comes into play as well.

[RainbowTurtle]

Oh yeah... one more thing, they are VERY docile when babies. Often eating our of your hands and being very personable, but as soon as sex change happens or just maturity in some cases, they change and become aggressive. Mine started aggression at about two and a half years old give or take a couple of months.

[rum3002576]

i have a pair of perc and the female is nice as can be. now the male on other hand will bite me every chance he gets. if my hands in the tank he is after it. the female i can hand feed anytime