Getting Bitten

[clownfreak]

That gives me an idea. I have a plastic breeder box I could put the female in for a bit if I can catch her

[IPowderBlueTang]

My 5 inch tomato clown would attack my hands all the time, he was mean tho.

He became Clown ala Sushi one day, when he had bitten me too many times J/k.

[EyeCandy]

Hahah these posts are funny. My female clown does this too. Some days are worse than others. Sometimes the only part of the tank that doesn't get cleaned is the acrylic right in front of my frogspawn where my clowns hang out. It looks dumb with the whole tank clean except the middle area but sometimes I just don't want to deal with clown attitudes!

[maynardjames]

my maroon female attacks anytime i`m near what she thinks is her part of the tank. sometimes just around her bta & sometimes anywhere in tank. just doing what comes natural to her. defending her territory

[CFS82]

Originally Posted by reefergeorge

I got bit by my 8" porcupine puffer. When I pulled my hand back the fish came flying out of the tank onto the floor.
It hurt so bad. When I looked down I expected to see a lot of blood, but it just hurt for a day.

The fish was fine. He went right back to normal activity.

You are extremely lucky! I have seen porcs send people to the emergency room for stitches and broken fingers and thats no joke.
I went through 5 porcs (buying them, and then selling them) before I found one that would stick up for itself, but not be vicious to other fish and myself.

My girlfriend was petting mine and it will put its mouth around your finger but not bite at all and this freaked her out and of course he came flying out of the tank just like yours. Took him three weeks to get back to normal though!

[blennymower]

Thankfully none of my fish do this when my hands are submerged in my tank. However, whenever I dip the tip of my finger in the water, my 3-4" Niger Trigger carefully (sometimes at full speed) comes up and takes a nice bite! While kind of painful (it can't draw blood despite it's teeth), the suspense is fun lol

[Elliott]

if you place a fish net in the tank close to where you are working it keeps all fish away, works for me!

[Sheol]

Well, it has to work better than my Algae Scraper. That had her baffeled awhile, but she darts under & gets her teeth back between my fingers. Its amazing how a fish 2.75 inches in length can HURT when it bites you!

Matthew
But like I said, its clowns who have hosts who become TRUE TERRORS.

[fasteddie99]

Originally Posted by Elliott

if you place a fish net in the tank close to where you are working it keeps all fish away, works for me!

Yeah I noticed that too, have our fish been netted so many times they know what a net looks like?

[Elliott]

Originally Posted by fasteddie99

Yeah I noticed that too, have our fish been netted so many times they know what a net looks like?

no, not by me, but probably before several times during transport, seems all fish are afraid of nets, they won't go near it, I've used them this way for years

[OceanLandlord]

Ditto with my maroon and spunky damsel, they attack anything I put in the tank

[footballdude2k3]

for those of you that have this happen, did they start to do it right away? did it take awhile? i have a pair in my tank i just put them in this weekend and they do not attack me at all.

[Eric45]

Well thanks for all the responses. Glad to see I'm not alone. I guess I put my hand in and let him bite me while i'm watching and at least that way I don't jerk my hand and make a mess of everything.

Is there a more gentle clown that will nest in a bubble tip?

[TampaReefer79]

Originally Posted by kingfisher62

I agree, but no matter how many times it happens and even the fact that I know it is going to happen they still succeed in startling the crap out of me. If they were not so damn cute , I would be pi$$ed!

LOL Yeah, my mata tang used to bite me EVERY time my arm went into the tank. I think he'd try to knock coral over on purpose just so I had to put my arm in. The funny thing about it is, just like kingfisher said, I KNEW it was coming and tried real hard to brace myself and not get startled...but was never successful. My first reaction was to jerk my arm out of the tank which would irritate me because I knew it was coming, which would lead to a lot of cussing. He made me bleed a few times too...I would look at my arm through the front of the tank while working sometime to see where he was, and he ALWAYS kept an eye on me. It amost seemed like my arm hair flowing in the current attracted him? Well that AND it was an object in his territory...

[Powdermonkey]

Originally Posted by blennymower

Thankfully none of my fish do this when my hands are submerged in my tank. However, whenever I dip the tip of my finger in the water, my 3-4" Niger Trigger carefully (sometimes at full speed) comes up and takes a nice bite! While kind of painful (it can't draw blood despite it's teeth), the suspense is fun lol

My niger does the same thing. First time I about knocked the lights off. My wife was laughing her a$$ off. It didnt hurt or leave a mark but holycrap! I also have a 1.5" maroon that is the devil. I dont even have to be working on the same end and she will come over and nail me. Sometimes I just like to chase her with my finger just to get back at her. I fear the day she grows to be 3".

[Sheol]

You want a docile clownfish? Don't get it a host! They are programed by nature to defend their hosts. Even if its surrogate Rhodactis not a REAL anemone. You will eventually get bitten if you add the Bubble Tip IMO & IME..

Matthew

[sra127]

my b&w clowns always bite my hands, with gloves or without. they especially go for my ring or my bracelet or anything shiny for that matter..like everyone else said, doesnt hurt but sure does startle me when i'm not paying attention....

[rgonzalez]

I guess I'm lucky that my maroon never attacks anything. He has a host RBTA and even when I stick my hand near him and his home, he just watches. Of course, my old Maroon attacked the hell out of my hand everytime I put it in the tank.

Only been bitten by a zebra moray eel. I was feeding him some formula 2, and my girlfriend called my name so I looked away for a split second. The eel must have thought my finger was the food. He let go right away, and it was more comical to see my throw my body away from the tank like a great white was attacking.

Oh, and my cleaner wrasse always picks at my hand/arm when I'm cleaning the tank. But that doesn't count.

[Hartdude]

Ohhh.... Good thread. My "Big Mama" O. Clownfish bites me EVERY time I put my had in the tank. Funny thing is though, she doesn't mind my hand quite as much as the turkey baster that I feed with. She ambushes that sucker every time I'm feeding LPS and her nem. You would think she would like the thing that feeds her nem! I know, they are inherently programed to defend at all costs. She goes nuts while the male just hangs back watching her like she's nuts.

[RVANANO]

Hahaha. Just saw this. My clown bites the hell out of me whenever I get near his green mushroom bed. It always scares me when I am not looking as I think I am getting electrocuted

[liquidcowboy]

All these posts are just too funny. In the past I have had a clown try to attack my hands when I put them in the tank. But luckily, my 2 clowns in the new tank don't mind. I actually hand feed them everynight.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I had a clarkii yeears ago that used to bite me every time I put my hand in the tank. I now have a lone misbar perc who is a docile as can be.

[phenom5]

I've got a tomato clown that's down right nasty. Usually startles me, because she waits until I'm not paying attention. No knuckle is safe in my tank, and yes, she did draw blood once.

I usually yell at her (while my wife laughs at me in the background), and end up chasing her with my hand. But the biting I can deal with, now if they would stop digging I'd be happy.

[Sheol]

Yeah, my mother snickers too, when I jump & swear at that little *Censored*!!
They stay true to their programming to defend the host. that is for sure!

Matthew

[tibob32]

Originally Posted by reefergeorge

I got bit by my 8" porcupine puffer. When I pulled my hand back the fish came flying out of the tank onto the floor.
It hurt so bad. When I looked down I expected to see a lot of blood, but it just hurt for a day.

The fish was fine. He went right back to normal activity.

Did it puff up?