Clown Fighting and heating issue

JMorris271 · 01/29/2016, 07:59 AM

I put 2 clowns in ttm 10 gal tank at 11 am yesterday. All was good. I went in to check on them ant a brand new 13 gal heater had heated the tank to 84. The fish are swimming and eating mysis fine
i have taken that heater out and will replace it with a new once the tank reaches 80 on its own.
The 2 clowns are fighting like mad mouth and tale. Pulling no punches. Anyone understand what is going on here? Besides I have a defective heater.
I'm thinking about setting up another tank and separating them for the ttm. I do have 7 pieces of pvc in there.
Thanks

nvladik · 01/29/2016, 08:12 AM

I think the female is just letting know the male she's in charge. Happened to both of my clown pairs also, unfortunately female killed the male both times. Only had 2 clowns at a time when it happened.

Rubasu · 01/29/2016, 08:52 AM

Perfectly normal for clowns. One has to dominate the other and turn female. Once that happens (assuming she doesn't kill him...which sometimes happens) the fighting will stop and they will be a mated pair!

Dkuhlmann · 01/29/2016, 09:00 AM

I agree with the others but if it gets too bad put a piece of eggcrate between them.

JMorris271 · 01/29/2016, 09:26 AM

I went back in there to check things out ect. and one of them has been dismissed. They are both behaving newlyweds.
I'm setting up another tank anyway to separate stock out for a total of 8 fish and plenty of pvc and prime. I am guessing it's better to leave the clowns them together. So I am restarting TT today. 4 in one tank and 4 in the other. QT will have 2 in each of 4 tanks.
The heater issue I am stumped on. I have 4 Aquion to check out and/or replace.

01/29/2016, 07:59 AM	#1
JMorris271 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Foothills of SC Posts: 2,010	Clown Fighting and heating issue I put 2 clowns in ttm 10 gal tank at 11 am yesterday. All was good. I went in to check on them ant a brand new 13 gal heater had heated the tank to 84. The fish are swimming and eating mysis fine i have taken that heater out and will replace it with a new once the tank reaches 80 on its own. The 2 clowns are fighting like mad mouth and tale. Pulling no punches. Anyone understand what is going on here? Besides I have a defective heater. I'm thinking about setting up another tank and separating them for the ttm. I do have 7 pieces of pvc in there. Thanks __________________ 120 gal mixed tank. Lightly stocked now but.... Last edited by JMorris271; 01/29/2016 at 08:09 AM.

01/29/2016, 08:52 AM	#3
Rubasu Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 230	Perfectly normal for clowns. One has to dominate the other and turn female. Once that happens (assuming she doesn't kill him...which sometimes happens) the fighting will stop and they will be a mated pair! __________________ 40 Breeder / 20L Sump: Ocellaris Clown - Green Star Polyps, Kenya Tree, Brown Palys, Blue Mushrooms...and the clean up crew.

01/29/2016, 09:00 AM	#4
Dkuhlmann Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,823	I agree with the others but if it gets too bad put a piece of eggcrate between them. __________________ Previous tanks: 200 gal fowlr 9" Emperor Angel and many different butterfly fish 4" maroon clown and several other fish, 50 gal sump, 40 gal mixed reef/fish mostly softies and LPS. Current Tank Info: 40b 750 gph 45 lbs lr, 2"-3" sand, 165w full spectrum dimable LED, 20 gal sump/refugium 30 lbs lr, Bak Pak 2 skimmer, 4" sock temp 79-80, sg 1.026, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 <10, ph 8.2, calc 400, mag 1300

01/29/2016, 09:26 AM	#5
JMorris271 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Foothills of SC Posts: 2,010	I went back in there to check things out ect. and one of them has been dismissed. They are both behaving newlyweds. I'm setting up another tank anyway to separate stock out for a total of 8 fish and plenty of pvc and prime. I am guessing it's better to leave the clowns them together. So I am restarting TT today. 4 in one tank and 4 in the other. QT will have 2 in each of 4 tanks. The heater issue I am stumped on. I have 4 Aquion to check out and/or replace. __________________ 120 gal mixed tank. Lightly stocked now but....

01/29/2016, 08:12 AM	#2
nvladik Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 361	I think the female is just letting know the male she's in charge. Happened to both of my clown pairs also, unfortunately female killed the male both times. Only had 2 clowns at a time when it happened.