Maroon Clownfish behavior

ptomoson · 10/26/2008, 08:42 PM

Three days ago I purchased two juvenile, tank-raised maroon clownfish hoping they eventually will pair up and host my BTA. So far all they have been doing is riding the current from a powerhead. They ride it the length of the 135, swim back up and do it again. My son keeps talking in surfer dude language saying something about an EAC???
Anyway, I feed the tank frozen brine and mysis and the two clowns may or may not take one in. They certainly do not go after the shrimp with gusto like the four other fish I have in the tank.
Is this normal behavior for juv. tank-raised clowns?

weaver5 · 10/26/2008, 08:46 PM

I think yes while they settle in. I will warn you in case you do not know they will get nasty. As they grow they get very aggressive. I had a pair and everytime I get near the nem she would bite me. Does hurt alittle but startles you more lol.....Good luck,Scott

ptomoson · 10/27/2008, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by weaver5
I think yes while they settle in. I will warn you in case you do not know they will get nasty. As they grow they get very aggressive. I had a pair and everytime I get near the nem she would bite me. Does hurt alittle but startles you more lol.....Good luck,Scott

Did you get them as juveniles? How long before they hosted the anemone?

fatdaddy · 10/27/2008, 10:25 AM

It sounds like they are enjoying your tank. Eventually they will bump into the anemone and respond to their instincts. No worries.

Jsteere301 · 10/27/2008, 11:51 AM

EAC! Eastern Australian Current lol Finding Nemo.... Gotta love the surfer turtles!

bill37 · 10/27/2008, 12:02 PM

I agree with weaver5, they are very aggressive. When I put my hand in they are all over it.

ser_renely · 10/27/2008, 01:22 PM

maybe try a different food for them? My clowns really like pellet food(hikari marine-a), although they are opening up their pallet.

IslandCrow · 10/27/2008, 02:35 PM

I'd suggest a different food for any of your fish. Even enriched brine shrimp isn't very nutritious. It's usually not too tough to get clownfish to eat, so as has been said, they're probably still getting settled in. Try some frozen mysis shrimp. It's much more nutritious than brine shrimp.

As a final note, hopefully your clownfish continue to play nice with each other. Just throwing two juveniles in a tank is usually a recipe for disaster. Maroons are notoriously difficult to pair, so keep an eye on them and make sure they don't start fighting. Even a juvenile is perfectly capable of killing another clownfish. Fortunately, you have a fairly large tank, so that may be working to your benefit. If you ever have to pair Maroons again, though, go to the Clownfish and Anemone forum, and they have some better procedures there.

Best of luck.

6 man reef · 10/27/2008, 05:08 PM

The tank raised fish seem to take longer to show interest in the nem. I can say from experience that helping them find it can shorten the time. I waited for 4 frustrating months and no interest..then as suggested by a LFS I moved the nem and pair into a smaller tank (my QT) for three days and bam... I came home from work on day three to see the trio happy together. I left them for two more days then moved them back to my display...

10/26/2008, 08:42 PM	#1
ptomoson Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 274	Maroon Clownfish behavior Three days ago I purchased two juvenile, tank-raised maroon clownfish hoping they eventually will pair up and host my BTA. So far all they have been doing is riding the current from a powerhead. They ride it the length of the 135, swim back up and do it again. My son keeps talking in surfer dude language saying something about an EAC??? Anyway, I feed the tank frozen brine and mysis and the two clowns may or may not take one in. They certainly do not go after the shrimp with gusto like the four other fish I have in the tank. Is this normal behavior for juv. tank-raised clowns?

10/27/2008, 10:25 AM	#4
fatdaddy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Northeast Florida Posts: 1,191	It sounds like they are enjoying your tank. Eventually they will bump into the anemone and respond to their instincts. No worries. __________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -- Aristotle

10/27/2008, 11:51 AM	#5
Jsteere301 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Burlington Posts: 24	EAC EAC! Eastern Australian Current lol Finding Nemo.... Gotta love the surfer turtles! __________________ Thanks! ~Jeff Current Tank Info: 44 In the works!

10/27/2008, 01:22 PM	#7
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	maybe try a different food for them? My clowns really like pellet food(hikari marine-a), although they are opening up their pallet. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

10/27/2008, 02:35 PM	#8
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	I'd suggest a different food for any of your fish. Even enriched brine shrimp isn't very nutritious. It's usually not too tough to get clownfish to eat, so as has been said, they're probably still getting settled in. Try some frozen mysis shrimp. It's much more nutritious than brine shrimp. As a final note, hopefully your clownfish continue to play nice with each other. Just throwing two juveniles in a tank is usually a recipe for disaster. Maroons are notoriously difficult to pair, so keep an eye on them and make sure they don't start fighting. Even a juvenile is perfectly capable of killing another clownfish. Fortunately, you have a fairly large tank, so that may be working to your benefit. If you ever have to pair Maroons again, though, go to the Clownfish and Anemone forum, and they have some better procedures there. Best of luck. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

10/26/2008, 08:46 PM	#2
weaver5 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Batavia Posts: 1,249	I think yes while they settle in. I will warn you in case you do not know they will get nasty. As they grow they get very aggressive. I had a pair and everytime I get near the nem she would bite me. Does hurt alittle but startles you more lol.....Good luck,Scott

10/27/2008, 12:02 PM	#6
bill37 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,201	I agree with weaver5, they are very aggressive. When I put my hand in they are all over it.

10/27/2008, 05:08 PM	#9
6 man reef Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Jersey Posts: 140	The tank raised fish seem to take longer to show interest in the nem. I can say from experience that helping them find it can shorten the time. I waited for 4 frustrating months and no interest..then as suggested by a LFS I moved the nem and pair into a smaller tank (my QT) for three days and bam... I came home from work on day three to see the trio happy together. I left them for two more days then moved them back to my display...