My clownfish attacked me...

Mark9 · 01/08/2014, 06:20 AM

I've read other people say how their clownfish will attack their hand.
Had my 2 clowns for around 6 months, experienced nothing like that.
Last night, did a water change and also pulled out some GHA.
Out of nowhere, the dominant clown smacks my hand.
Really startled me.
Almost feels like a badge of honor, i now know i've "arrived".

vlapinta · 01/08/2014, 07:12 AM

Mine attacks and bites!

Sugar Magnolia · 01/08/2014, 07:23 AM

Some are more aggressive than others. I had a clarkii that drew blood.

Cymonous · 01/08/2014, 07:46 AM

Surprisingly, mine has not Attacked me in quite some time.

thegrun · 01/08/2014, 07:46 AM

My female black and white is a terror! You would think I would be used to it by now, but I still jump almost every time she attacks. I've broken more corals from her nipping at me, causing me to jerk my hand into a coral. Last month she missed (I moved my hand) and she jumped right out of the tank, serves her right! Was she grateful that I scooped her up and put her back in the water? No! Right back to attack mode.

shifty51008 · 01/08/2014, 07:48 AM

my occ. clowns will draw blood if my hand goes into the tank without gloves but I am guessing this is mainly because they are protecting their eggs.

billdogg · 01/08/2014, 08:14 AM

It was this little terror that used to have it's way with anything that did not agree with it. The first time I yanked my arm back so fast that the lights ended up in the water, the water ended up on the floor, the python siphon went flying, and the gf lost it on the couch laughing at me. The next time I had her put her arm in the tank. Wasn't laughing so hard that time (although I was)

gsiegel · 01/08/2014, 08:16 AM

LOL...my female tries to bite me every time I put my hand in the tank. So I proceed to take a little tupperware dish with me and scoop her up each time and put her in time out. Then I laugh at her after which I realize I am talking to and mocking a fish....

SFish · 01/08/2014, 08:54 AM

Any time I do anything mine attacks. If I touch any rock work it gets really POed. It also dug up the substrate like mad. Last Sunday it almost jumped out of the tank trying to get me.

FTDelta · 01/08/2014, 08:54 AM

Heh - wear long sleeve rubber gloves. You won't feel any pain no matter how hard they try. Mock the clown then...

Spyderturbo007 · 01/08/2014, 09:00 AM

Ever notice how they always get you when you aren't looking?

Nanook · 01/08/2014, 09:44 AM

If I had a dollar for every time a clownfish bit me I could get free salt for life

bellis31 · 01/08/2014, 09:56 AM

My Starry Blennie bites me all the time... scares the crap outa me if i'm not expecting it...

Themoths_reef · 01/08/2014, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FTDelta

Heh - wear long sleeve rubber gloves. You won't feel any pain no matter how hard they try. Mock the clown then...

Looking into this!

Sk8r · 01/08/2014, 10:54 AM

I moved my clarkii pair on to a breeder because I was getting tired of being bitten. Those teeth draw blood, and having a bleeding wound in a saltwater tank is not such a good idea.

MondoBongo · 01/08/2014, 11:32 AM

you do have to be careful with them.

i hear silver ammo in a slingshot does wonders.

Sacohen · 01/08/2014, 11:42 AM

They are nasty little suckers.
My larger orange False Perc bites me all the time, but my small black True Prec has not bitten me.

When I was feeding yesterday he was following the syringe around the tank and eating the food right as it came out.

Reeferz412 · 01/08/2014, 11:56 AM

My maroon bites me only if I clean her corner. It's HER corner and no one else can have it. Other than that, she just stares at me cleaning the other parts of the tank. She fake charges and all.

tmz · 01/08/2014, 12:31 PM

The bites hurt. I don't like bleeding in the water. Wearing a glove helps. The y don't seem to like the taste or smell as much as flesh.

kylathwe · 01/08/2014, 12:55 PM

My clownfish are the only fish I have ever had to bite me. I have had a clown trigger let me pet him, but my clownfish will try and take a chunk out of me! Luckily over the past few months they seem to have calmed down, they will even eat out of my hand now.

btmedic04 · 01/08/2014, 12:59 PM

Ive got two ocellaris clowns and so far they dont bite as they arent breeding. however they do come over to investigate my arm and nibble at it when im working in my aquarium. maybe theyre just taste testing first?

johnk183 · 01/08/2014, 01:09 PM

All of the clown fish that I have bite the percs are the most vicious and protect their area of the tank.

Uncle Salty 05 · 01/08/2014, 02:18 PM

My large female Sabae clown will draw blood if I let her.
I have found that all I have to do is drop a net in the water between us and she leaves me alone.

Jflowers101 · 01/08/2014, 03:56 PM

My maroon is always out for blood. That is one of multiple bites I have on my arm. (I'm a school psych) People always ask me if the little kiddos with autism are scratching me, "nope just my clown fish".

She is so proud afterwards to the other fish, "look what I did, got rid of that giant bothersome thing! You should thank me".

EDJFA · 01/08/2014, 04:06 PM

First time my clown bit me I yanked my arm out of the tank, scraping the soft underside of it against the plastic rim of the tank. It left my arm red for hours and sore for a few days.

I'm a bit more careful now.

01/08/2014, 06:20 AM	#1
Mark9 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Atlanta Posts: 2,497	My clownfish attacked me... I've read other people say how their clownfish will attack their hand. Had my 2 clowns for around 6 months, experienced nothing like that. Last night, did a water change and also pulled out some GHA. Out of nowhere, the dominant clown smacks my hand. Really startled me. Almost feels like a badge of honor, i now know i've "arrived".

01/08/2014, 07:23 AM	#3
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Some are more aggressive than others. I had a clarkii that drew blood. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

01/08/2014, 07:46 AM	#4
Cymonous My Clown Attacks Me Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,105	Surprisingly, mine has not Attacked me in quite some time. __________________ 100 Gallon Long with 20L sump 10 Gallon Office Tank Current Tank Info: 2 False Percula Clowns, One Spot Foxface, Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Tail Damsel, Engineer Goby

01/08/2014, 07:48 AM	#6
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	my occ. clowns will draw blood if my hand goes into the tank without gloves but I am guessing this is mainly because they are protecting their eggs. __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

01/08/2014, 08:14 AM	#7
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	It was this little terror that used to have it's way with anything that did not agree with it. The first time I yanked my arm back so fast that the lights ended up in the water, the water ended up on the floor, the python siphon went flying, and the gf lost it on the couch laughing at me. The next time I had her put her arm in the tank. Wasn't laughing so hard that time (although I was) __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

01/08/2014, 07:12 AM	#2
vlapinta Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 219	Mine attacks and bites!

01/08/2014, 07:46 AM	#5
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	My female black and white is a terror! You would think I would be used to it by now, but I still jump almost every time she attacks. I've broken more corals from her nipping at me, causing me to jerk my hand into a coral. Last month she missed (I moved my hand) and she jumped right out of the tank, serves her right! Was she grateful that I scooped her up and put her back in the water? No! Right back to attack mode.

01/08/2014, 08:16 AM	#8
gsiegel Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 922	LOL...my female tries to bite me every time I put my hand in the tank. So I proceed to take a little tupperware dish with me and scoop her up each time and put her in time out. Then I laugh at her after which I realize I am talking to and mocking a fish.... __________________ 300g mixed reef-BlueHippo/Midas&bicolorBenny/2FlameHawks/CoralBeauty/MagFoxFace/spotted rabbit/BlondNaso/2clowns/PurpleTang/chevron tang/2lyretails/wrasses-pintail,2flame,lineatus,radiant,pink margin,

01/08/2014, 08:54 AM	#9
SFish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 2,062	Any time I do anything mine attacks. If I touch any rock work it gets really POed. It also dug up the substrate like mad. Last Sunday it almost jumped out of the tank trying to get me.

01/08/2014, 08:54 AM	#10
FTDelta Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Central NY Posts: 1,124	Heh - wear long sleeve rubber gloves. You won't feel any pain no matter how hard they try. Mock the clown then...

01/08/2014, 09:00 AM	#11
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	Ever notice how they always get you when you aren't looking?

01/08/2014, 09:44 AM	#12
Nanook Ancient Eskimo Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 41,852 Blog Entries: 11	If I had a dollar for every time a clownfish bit me I could get free salt for life __________________ The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef

01/08/2014, 09:56 AM	#13
bellis31 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sacramento, Ca Posts: 1,021	My Starry Blennie bites me all the time... scares the crap outa me if i'm not expecting it... __________________ 80g Custom + 29g Sump BM Curve 5 Skimmer - Eheim 1262 Return Pump 2 Vortech MP10wes + 2 Vortech MP40wes 2 Radion G3's + Apex Jr Controller + WXM

01/08/2014, 10:54 AM	#15
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I moved my clarkii pair on to a breeder because I was getting tired of being bitten. Those teeth draw blood, and having a bleeding wound in a saltwater tank is not such a good idea. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/08/2014, 11:32 AM	#16
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	you do have to be careful with them. i hear silver ammo in a slingshot does wonders. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

01/08/2014, 11:42 AM	#17
Sacohen Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Davie, FL Posts: 1,778	They are nasty little suckers. My larger orange False Perc bites me all the time, but my small black True Prec has not bitten me. When I was feeding yesterday he was following the syringe around the tank and eating the food right as it came out. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 55 Gallon Mixed Reef

01/08/2014, 11:56 AM	#18
Reeferz412 Coral Hoarder Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,247	My maroon bites me only if I clean her corner. It's HER corner and no one else can have it. Other than that, she just stares at me cleaning the other parts of the tank. She fake charges and all. __________________ Alex FMAS Member Current Tank Info: 400 Gallons of frags... 30 gallon Deep Blue mixed reef ... 70 other tanks throughout south FL

01/08/2014, 12:31 PM	#19
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	The bites hurt. I don't like bleeding in the water. Wearing a glove helps. The y don't seem to like the taste or smell as much as flesh. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

01/08/2014, 12:55 PM	#20
kylathwe Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Cordova, TN Posts: 244	My clownfish are the only fish I have ever had to bite me. I have had a clown trigger let me pet him, but my clownfish will try and take a chunk out of me! Luckily over the past few months they seem to have calmed down, they will even eat out of my hand now.

01/08/2014, 12:59 PM	#21
btmedic04 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 256	Ive got two ocellaris clowns and so far they dont bite as they arent breeding. however they do come over to investigate my arm and nibble at it when im working in my aquarium. maybe theyre just taste testing first? __________________ Current Tanks: New build in progress :)

01/08/2014, 01:09 PM	#22
johnk183 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 13	All of the clown fish that I have bite the percs are the most vicious and protect their area of the tank.

01/08/2014, 02:18 PM	#23
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	My large female Sabae clown will draw blood if I let her. I have found that all I have to do is drop a net in the water between us and she leaves me alone. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

01/08/2014, 04:06 PM	#25
EDJFA Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 1,025	First time my clown bit me I yanked my arm out of the tank, scraping the soft underside of it against the plastic rim of the tank. It left my arm red for hours and sore for a few days. I'm a bit more careful now.