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FAQs about the Clownfish Behavior 2 Related FAQs: Clown Behavior 1, Clown Behavior 3, Clown Behavior 4, Clown Behavior 5, Clown Behavior 6, & Anemones & Clownfishes, Clownfish/Anemones 1, Clownfish/Anemones 2, Clownfish/Anemones 3, Breeding Clowns, Clownfishes 1, Clownfishes 2, Clownfish Identification, Clownfish Selection, Clownfish Compatibility, Clownfish Systems, Clownfish Feeding, Maroon Clownfish, Clownfish Diseases 1, Clownfish Diseases 2, Clownfish Diseases 3, Brooklynellosis, Related Articles: Clownfishes, Maroon Clowns, Brooklynellosis,  Clown Fish Sleeping Habits Hi, <Hello there> I have reviewed your excellent website as always, although I could not find an answer to the following question: I have two clownfish, whose sleeping habits are to pick a corner of the tank and float on their side near the surface, but constantly "swimming" or appearing to. <Not atypical> This occurs at all hours of the night that I have ever observed.  I have had them in the tank for about 2 months and they have always done this.  Is this behavior normal? <Normal enough> Some setup facts: 280g tank about 120 lb of live rock 2-3 inch sand bed 80F all the time NH4-, NO2- = 0 NO3- ~ 20ppm (getting rid of bio balls) 5 rainbow wrasses 5 damsels a few unsuccessful corals (not sure why) ~10% water change monthly Thanks.  You guys are great. Regards, Lloyd. <Well, I'm passable... IME, not great. Bob Fenner> Query on Percula Clown fish behaviour 01-11-06 Greetings from South Africa :-) <Wendy> I found your website really informative, thank you for setting it up. <Glad you like it.> I have been searching for answers to the following behavior question, and have not found anyone in the know, on my side of the world. So I am really hoping you will be able to assist. <I will try my best.> My current tank is about 4 months old.  I have relocated all coral and fish from my house in Botswana, where I had them for 2 years. Background info :  100lt tank,  with de-nitrator, protein skimmer and a trickle filter. Various soft corals including mushrooms and colts, a frogspawn and lots of live rock. Other fish  (excluding 2 clowns) -  a small yellow tang and a goby. Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates and Phosphates are at Zero.  Calcium sits around 550ppm. Salinity is normal according to Hydrometer. Have no algae problems (no hair or slime algae) Running blue and white 10K tubes. Use only RO water. Feed every second day. <Sounds great.> The issue:  My clown (the smaller one) has started to swim with an open mouth and suck on my colt coral, a lot.   <This is not atypical.> He has not eaten in the last 4 days.   <This is not typical...> He is not thin (yet), and has no indication of disease, in fact he swims around like normal. The larger clown is fine, eats normally and his mouth is closed.  He is not damaging the corals, I just want to know if there is something that I should add, or do before he does get sick.  It looks really odd that his mouth is permanently open. <The only thing I can think of that would cause the open mouth and not eating is internal parasites. If you have ever noticed white stringy feces from this or your other clown you will want to treat them for internal parasites.> I would really appreciate any advice you could give. <Hope that helps. Travis> Many thanks Wendy Worrying Clownfish Behaviour  - 01/12/2006 Hi guys, <And some gals...> I have been avidly scanning the WWM site and must commend it highly, a superb resource for all aquarists! I am aware that you receive literally countless enquiries regarding erratic clownfish behaviour and i apologize for yet a further question regarding this quirky species <A few...> but after searching the disease FAQs and behavioural analysis i <I> couldn't come up with a definitive answer so i was hoping to enlist the experts! Anyway on with the business, i have a 20 g tank with several pieces of cured live rock and some polyresin coral replicas. The system cycled for about 2-3 weeks before i introduced any life. I acclimated a captive bred False Percula along with a Turbo Snail, Trochus Snail and two hermits. The tank has an inbuilt thermostat, bio-filter, carbon sponge and synthetic sponge along with ceramic rings in a third filter system. Water parameters as follows, pH: 7.7 <A bit low... I'd be looking into reasons for this, elevating it... and alkalinity likely> Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: small-minimal quantities (it was tested at my LFS not by me thus i don't have the exact reading) Specific Gravity: 1.024 Temperature: 24 Celsius I have been working on getting the pH up <Possibly look into other salt brands/mixes...> and left the salinity as it was to help cycle the Nitrate. The problem is that my (very small) Percula remains almost solely at the surface of the tank except for rare forays into lower depths for very short periods. <Some do...> He exhibits "normal" clown behaviour by showing a liking for the walls and corners of the tank but always near the surface. He appears to be "gasping" to a certain extent despite thorough aeration of the water but in spite of that, seems rather contented. He eats when fed but only very small quantities (not particularly worrying taking into account his miniscule size) of defrosted brine shrimp. <And hopefully other foods... Artemia alone is inadequate> He appears not to have any biological affliction such as Brooklynella, Ich etc though he does have minor indentation on the white band nearest the eye, though nothing major. <Likely... genetic, developmental...> I have attached a photo of the type of position he adopts 95% of the time. On another worrying note, my Trochus snail passed away too, though i reckon one of the hermits finished him off. <Agreed> He was just lying upside down on the substrate when i found him. I'd be extremely grateful to hear your response and thoughts over this behaviour and/or its relationship to the water parameters and the snail's death, Thanking you all profusely for invaluable help and a cracking site, Ciaran. <Not likely anything "wrong" here... this fishes behavior will likely change with time, or more quickly with the addition of other fish life. I would not be concerned. Bob Fenner> I think my Boyfriend's Clownfish Hates me 01-08-06 Hi. <Hello> My boyfriend has a saltwater tank with a variety of fish & other   creatures. One of them is a clownfish. I am convinced she hates me because as  soon as I step foot in the room she starts behaving in the most hateful way. <They don't call them clowns for nothing.> She  launches at me when I'm right in front of the tank. She'll attack other fish.   She'll even try to push rocks & corals out of their place. It's ridiculous  and annoying. <I feel your pain, I have a few female clowns that do the same thing.> I hate her too. <I don't think it is healthy to hate a fish.> When my boyfriend's not around I tease her and  it's so amusing to see her get enraged (of course, as soon as my boyfriend shows   up I stop and pretend I don't know why the coral fell over). <That has to be quite the sight to see.> One of the things she does that annoys me the most is wag her tail in the sand aggressively right  in front of me. She kicks up the sand and creates dunes eventually. I try to  prevent her from doing that whenever I can, but my boyfriend tells me to leave  her alone. My questions is, why does she wag her tail in the sand and is it  possible for a fish to dislike a person so much? <Clowns will "dig" for many reasons. One of which is to clear a spawning site. Another reason is for exercise. As for her disliking you, clowns can become conditioned to respond to their owners in certain ways. An example of this would be, how fish crowd the front glass when the person that normally feeds then enters the room. Your version sounds a bit like she is conditioned to attack the hand that taunts her. If you want her to quit, become the hand that feeds her. Travis> Thank  you. False percula acting strange 01-09-06 Hello my name is Tyler <Hello Tyler. Travis here with you today.> I have 2 false percula clowns in a 29 gallon tank. They are by themselves. There are 4 small hermit crabs, and a serpent star. I run a power compact and a 50/50 light. I used to run just 2 50/50 lights at once then a couple days ago I received a power compact. I just got the bigger of the two clowns no longer than 2 months ago. <When dealing with clowns, it is best to add a smaller fish to an established larger fish.> All was well with them until the past 2 days. The smaller of the two has been acting very strange. I'm not sure if it is of any work of breeding conditions or what but the past 2 days the smaller one has not been eating. He was before, but not recently. I have had the smaller one about 5 months and no problems. <Sounds to me like your clown stopped eating because it is being bullied or is ill.> I feed them a variety of foods. I feed them formula 2 marine pellets( recommended by my local saltwater fish store), ocean fresh marine flakes and sally's frozen brine shrimp. <You should look into adding frozen Formula One as it was designed to meet the requirements of clownfish.> The bigger of the two clowns,  which I believe is the female, <Sounds like they both may be female.> has been eating regularly. I have a long tentacle anemone in the tank also. They hang out around it but they haven't hosted it yet. It has been in there since Christmas Eve. <Long tentacles are not normal clown hosts.> But the smaller clown has been laying on the sand bottom and has a mini hole dug for himself. The bigger of the two swims around the tank and then comes back as if it were checking on the  other clown. The smaller clown that I am having problems with is also breathing a little heavier than usual. <That is never a good sign.> This isn't usual in a breeding pattern is it? <no> The smaller of the two hangs around a small rock but is like a mini cave with the outside covered in small brown zoo's. I did not see any sign of eggs or anything in that such matter. Do you know if there is a problem with the clown or is this usual. This is the first time I have ever had problems with it. <Your clown is either ill, possibly brook, or is being stressed by the larger fish.> The bigger of the two clowns some times comes up to him and ,rubs up against him and swims around the tank. Then the smaller one like does this vibrating thing. Is that normal too? <Vibrations are a sign of submission. You will find this in pairing or when a clown is bullied by another.> When I come near the tank the smaller one moves around a bit not going too far and then returns to the little hole he made. Do you think this has anything to do with the temp? It runs 79-83 degrees. <No> As I speak, the smaller clown is resting on the bottom of the tank. I have had this tank up and running since early June and haven't had any problems with it at all. Well I sure appreciate all of the info I received just by reading from others, but I will appreciate your reply. Thanks very much and I am looking forward to hear back. -Tyler- <Make sure to keep an eye on that clown and remove one or the other if you witness bullying. Also watch for signs of brook. Finally, make sure to QT any fish that gets added to your tank. Travis> Re: False percula acting strange 01-10-06 Thank you! <Glad to have helped.> I know for sure it wasn't bullying and my clown has returned back to normal. I just fed them and they are both eating well. <Glad to hear it.> It must have just been a temporary thing. But thank you for your help and now I know who to go to when I ned to know anything about my tank. <Feel free to drop us an email anytime. Travis> Clown and skimmer 01-06-06 Hello, <Hello, Travis here with you today.> I have just one quick question about my little percula clown and his new skimmer. <What a spoiled clown to have his own skimmer. Quite the Christmas present.> First let me describe my set up.   29 gallon Bio-wheel filter (up to 55 gallon) about 25 lbs of live rock 1 percula clown 1 blue damsel 2 blue leg hermit crabs, and 3 turbo snails a new Prizm skimmer (up to 90 gallon) <Very nice.> I first turned on my skimmer and all seemed well. About 2 hours later I came in and I noticed my clownfish swimming face down like he was struggling! I turned the skimmer off and about 1 hour later he seemed to be doing fine. Again I turned it on and about 1 hour later he was struggling. I went to my LFS and he told me to wrap panty-hose or a filter around the intake. I did so and this was no help. I haven't a clue what the problem is! Is the intake sucking to hard? Too much water flow? <I would say he is either fighting a strong current from the return or he is having trouble dealing with a sound or vibration caused by the new skimmer. The last option is, he is just being a "clown" and will adjust to the new skimmer with time. Travis>     Please Help, Brian Black Clown stripes 01-03-06 Hey guys love the site. <Glad to hear it.>     Sort of a simple question; <My favorite kind.> I have two true black percula clownfish. <There is actually no such fish, only a black variant of Amphiprion Ocellaris (false percula). They are both juveniles. Their stripes do not meet yet, is  this a thing that happens with age? <If they are under 1/2 and inch it is possible the bars will continue to grow. Odds are that unless you got them directly from a breeder the bars are done and your clowns are mis-barred which will be permanent.> Also when does the transition of male to  female occur? <As soon as one clown establishes dominance. You will see it happen in their behavior and one clown, the female, will show a quick growth spurt.> Does anything have to be set up correctly? <You need to keep everything stable especially water parameters and light cycles.>     Thanks for all your help         -Nick <Good luck with your new pair, Travis> Clown color change  12/24/05 Hi - ALSO our clown has darkened in color across the top third of his entire body, except for the white.  I read in your FAQ that this can be a stress reaction. <Yes, often the case> Could the drastic lighting adjustments have caused this, or simply rearranging of the tank/introduction of the lawnmower blenny? <Either, both> And how long should we give him to turn back to normal?? <A few days... if the fish is still eating, I'd not worry. Bob Fenner> thanks Odd Clownfish Color Development 12-12-05 I currently have 2 percula clowns in a 100 gallon tank, along with a mandarin goby and yellow tang. <I bet they are in heaven with all that space and so few neighbors.> Over the past 2 weeks or so, both of the clowns have developed a dark coloration on the top halves of their bodies. The larger of the two did it first, but the smaller has as well. There haven't been any changes or additions to the tank of note. Does this sound like something I need to worry about, or do you have any suggestions as to why this is happening? They both seem to be in perfect health besides developing a "tan", but I'd still like to know what's going on. <You hit the nail on the head. It is similar to a tan. Clowns sometimes get increased melanation due to the lights on our tanks. This can also be a coloration change that just arrives with age. It is nothing to be afraid of.> Thanks for your time. <Glad to help, Travis> Clint Land Established Ocellaris clowns were friends now fighting 12-12-05 I have had two ocellaris clowns for almost a year now. When I got them one was about 1 inch long, and the other one was a little smaller. The larger one got quite a bit bigger after being in my tank for a while, so I assume that it was the dominant one and had become a female, while the smaller one was a male. <Usually a safe bet.> They have always hung around together and gotten along great. One of them now is chasing the other one around the tank. The one being chased is really stressed out and constantly hiding. It got so stressed out that it jumped into the overflow, so it is temporarily in my sump. Is it possible that they are both females now? <It is possible.> There is very little size difference between them now. <That means it is even more possible.> About 2 weeks ago I added a few more fish, but none of them are aggressive at all. My tank is 135 gallons and my inhabitants include a tri-colored fairy wrasse, coral beauty, 2 female carpenters wrasses, Banggai cardinal fish, lawn mower blenny, 4 Chromis, blue tang, purple firefish, 2 ocellaris clowns, and a Redfin fairy wrasse. Needless to say I am done stocking my tank now, but could this be too many fish, causing the one clown to be more aggressive? <The clown aggression is related to the sex or just dislike of the other clown. They will need to be separated and a less than one inch mate could be introduced.> Should I find a new home for one of the clowns or could I just separate them for a while? I could put the more aggressive one in a quarantine tank for a few days, but would this help? <Just get rid of one or the other. I suggest keeping the nicer one.> I would really appreciate any advice that you have on the situation. Thanks, <Travis> Peculiar Perculas! 11-28-05 A quick question if anyone would be so kind to assist....  <Travis here with you.> I have consulted WWM FAQs btw, but cannot find the relevant answer. I have two Percula Clowns and had a little trouble with one (seemed to be some kind of parasitic infection which cleared up after QT and treatment).  Unfortunately, the condition seems to have returned - though I'm doubting if it's a problem with parasites after all. Around the first white band (about the gills) are what look like scales flaking off/small scars and the final band, around the tail, has gone a dark grey. The second fish now seems to be developing a grey band yet both fish are very lively and are showing no signs of distress (scratching, laboured breathing, listing etc). Please could you enlighten me as to possible causes of said discoloration and markings? <Some clowns will darken with age or in response to your lighting. As long as you are not seeing open wounds or signs/symptoms of disease I would not be alarmed.> Many thanks, Steve Morse. <Travis>  Vertical Clown 11-25-05 Clear Day Hello, <Howdy> I'll start by saying thanks again for a great website and also for prior help you have given me. Two months ago I bought a True Percula and he was put in quarantine for a month. He showed no sign of disease, swam a fair bit and ate like a pig. <Sounds good.> I transferred him to my main tank and from the time I put him in he has stayed up at a top corner in a pretty well always vertical position. <Typical> He occasionally swims in a small 3 inch circle and then reverts to vertical.  <Still typical, but could also indicate a swim bladder issue due to improper acclimation or infection.> Once the MH lights go off and just the actinics are on for the last hour he occasionally rides a powerhead current to the other side of the tank and then swims back right at the waterline to the corner. <If he is capable of flat swimming, ignore the swim bladder comment.> I could keep him in a half-gallon tank and he would have more room than he uses!! His tank mates in my 90 gallon are a small Hippo Tang and 2 Green Chromis and from what I have seen no one is harassing him.  <Key here is "have seen." He also may just be stressed by them being there.> They actually go up to see him at times. I tried introducing a Heteractis crispa a few weeks ago and he doesn't go near it.  <Should never buy another animal to help another animal. It is like the story of the woman who swallowed the fly.> Not even curious. My water parameters are all within recommended ranges and everything else is living happily. Any idea what the problem might be with him?? <Sick, scared, or even normal clowns will do this. If he shows no signs of illness let him be. Eventually he will move down. If there are any signs of illness, including stringy feces, move him to QT right away.> Pete <Travis> Blackening ocellaris, the pH Kit is Acting Strange!  11/22/05 Dear Crew, <Peter> First, thanks for maintaining WWM. It's a wonderful resource. <Welcome> Background: On October 25 of this year, my girlfriend purchased a 20-gallon marine system. We both have had success in freshwater, but are new to salt. The seller said the tank had been running for a year or so. He hadn't been doing water changes and the tank's light had burned out and gone unreplaced.  The tank was running a hang-on Whisper power filter. The tank contained a ton of various algae, a two-inch layer of white sand, around 20 lbs. of live rock, a blue damsel, and an ocellaris clown (both looking healthy in spite of awful conditions). November 7, girlfriend added 2 more pounds of live sand, 4 more pounds cured live rock, and a 1/4" blue-legged hermit crab, which died/disappeared within a week. <Likely "used to" very dissimilar water quality...> Situation: My girlfriend has since replaced the light fixture with a two-bulb Coralife fixture, running one 10k bulb and one actinic, with little blue nightlights. She has added a BakPak CPR skimmer (with a pre-skimmer and without the Bio-bale media) which yields a cup of thin, dark skimmate every two days. <A lot of gunk for such a small system, eh?> She has also added a 125 gph powerhead for circulation. Test results: ammonia undetectable; between 0 and 0.1 nitrite ; 2.5 phosphate; between 75-110 mg/L nitrate (!). <!!!> The pH kit is acting strange, girl suspects it has been climbing, 8.5 - 8.7. Alkalinity 190-20 mg/L. Salinity had been at 1.018 and girlfriend has been slowly raising it over this month because she'd like to keep inverts eventually -- it now stands steady at 1.022.  Added 0.5 L Kalkwasser over 12 hours, couple tablespoons at a time, five days ago. Regimen of 20 percent water changes every 5-7 days since acquisition. Live rock is displaying Aiptasia and some little animals. Algae is still an issue (due to phosphates I think girlfriend said). Water change using distilled, treated with Prime water conditioner.  Problem: The clown is changing color on the top 1/3 of his body, from head to tail. It's as if he has a suntan -- it's an even darkening of his color, except for the white stripes, which remain white. He is turning black. The fish breathes, eats, and swims normally. He is sufficiently aware to dart for cover when I attempt to photograph his odd condition. This first appeared a week ago and his darkening is intensifying slowly but gradually.  I have read elsewhere on WWM that many clowns change color as they age, but I have never read about a blackening ocellaris. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks. -- Peter <Is "stress coloration"... too much change going on too quickly to suit this fish. I would hold off, not use Kalk in this size, type system... rely on water changes, vacuuming to improve water quality for a few months... Bob Fenner>  Tomato the Clown Digger  - 11/22/2005 Hello, <Hello Peter> This is the first time I've asked a question here. I do read through and find your website very informative. <Glad you enjoy it.> I have a cycled 20g tank with a Tomato Clown and a Yellow Tail Blue Damsel in it. Recently I've noticed that every now and then, it will bite onto something and use its tail to kick up sand (it looked like it was trying to push the rock aside). Today, I saw the blue damsel do that same thing and got me concerned. Have you seen this before and what does it mean? <My Tomato Clown does the same thing and it's quite infuriating. More of a nesting behavior and making itself at home I think. I wouldn't worry, but make sure your rock work is on stable ground.> Thanks, Peter <You're welcome. - Josh> Clownfish Shivers  11/17/05 Hello, I have a clownfish question. I have a 12 gallon tank, with a lot of small hermit crabs, a banded coral shrimp pair, a peppermint shrimp, a scarlet cleaner shrimp, anemone crab (and a small Condy anemone) and two clown fish (Amphiprion ocellaris). The question is this: I had my clownfish (well, I still do) and it was in there by it's self (no other fish I mean) since I cycled it about a year ago with all my shrimp and hermit crabs and so forth. Today I bought another small clownfish and it swims along side with it. The thing is, is that it 'shivers' sometimes around the small fish. It shivers sideways even. Anyhow, is this to be expected, a sign of aggression, or just getting to know the other fish? <it may be a sign of aggression or maybe a parasite! I would keep a close eye on the clowns...if you see what beating on the other one I would separate them immediately. also make sure that the new addition does not have ich! good luck, IanB>  New Clownfish Behaviour  11/10/05 Hi, <Howdy> Thank you for your dedication to this hobby and the very informative web site. <Welcome> I am writing with a concern about the of new two A. percula (small about ¾ in.) I received today.  I ordered from Foster & Smith, they arrived today very well packaged on several plastic bags, including a black shade. I acclimated them, floating the bag for 30 min. and then adding a small cup of water every 5-10 min, discarding ½ of the water and repeating the process. It took about 2 hours before I released the two clowns in my quarantine 10 gal tank. The tank is bare except for a couple of pvc pipes for shelter. Water params: SG 1.023 pH 8.2 Amm 0, Nitrites and Nitrates 0 Temp 79F.  The clowns initially swam around the tank sticking together with the larger picking from time to time on the smaller. After a few hours both of them started bobbing continuously. It is a strange movement, up and down with a fairly short excursion. <Typical... normal behavior> They still stick together and pick on each other from time to time. I gave them a very small amount of flake food and they ate promptly. Is this normal behavior for clown fish or is it a sign of stress? If they are stressed what can I do? Thanks Claudio <No worries here. Do monitor ammonia, nitrite while they're in quarantine. Cheers, Bob Fenner>  Re: New Clownfish Behaviour  11/11/05 Thanks for your kind reply. I feel better. Today the fishes are seemed perkier and less bobbing. Claudio <Ahh! They are (indeed) Clowns! Cheers, BobF> Clownfish Swimming in circles 11/6/05 I have had a Maroon Clown fish for over 6 months now, it's only companion is a coral beauty and both seemed to be doing well. I woke up yesterday and noticed that the clown was swimming differently. He seems to be leaning to one side all the time and spins in circles, he still comes up for food when fed and there are no markings on his body. Its almost as if he cant swim down could this be some kind of bladder problem , some help on how to fix this problem would be much appreciated thanking you in advance. :) <Mmm, could be a few things here... ranging from "nothing" but natural behavior to a developmental problem with water quality, nutrition... not likely pathogenic. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clndisfaqs.htm and the linked files above... and accrue, send on pertinent information as you find others have done... on history, make-up, water quality of the system. Bob Fenner>  Clown swimming sideways? 11/1/05 Hi, <Good day> Hoping we can get some advice from the resident fish doctor. We are newbies to the aquarium scene, starting with a nano cube, and recently added our first fish about a week ago - 2 black and white perculas. The female (Bonnie) is fairly active and looks healthy. The male (Clyde) however started off very docile and did not venture around the tank much eventually settling near a hollow in the live rock. One thing we noticed was that Clyde is always gasping very quickly while Bonnie is fairly calm. The forward orange section is also noticeable paler on Clyde than on Bonnie. Clyde also does not eat a lot - and always goes for the smaller bits that float past him if he does. We thought that this may be normal given the gender difference?  <Good observations... not unusual behavior/differences> Well this morning we got a bit more concerned as we found Clyde swimming in circles sideways at the surface of the water. <Not good usually> Our local store says this can be typical of juvenile males and is temporary? <I hope> - Still does not make us too happy as we are worried he is in discomfort? We have tested the water and PH, Nitrates and nitrites look normal. Any help or advice would be most welcome. Many Thanks <Not much to do here... these are "clowns" and do exhibit strange behavior at times. I do hope/trust yours will "normalize"... Do keep an eye out for aggression from Bonnie. Bob Fenner>  Re: Clown swimming sideways? 11/2/05 Hi again, <Reiterant salutations> Thanks for the info and words of encouragement. Thankfully Clyde is starting to swim upright again, and venturing away from the surface.  <Ah, good> Bonnie looks more playful than aggressive and gives him the odd gently nudge, but will keep an eye out (Maybe just me but she looks like she is mothering him!). This site and the FAQs are really useful for us beginners. Thanks again. <Our intent. Cheers, BobF>  Doing What Comes Natural - 09/07/05 Hi guys, thanks for all the advice your site offers. <<Glad you find it useful.>> We've got two juvenile false percula clownfish in our quarantine tank, which has good water parameters (8.0/0/0/1.020). <<ok>> They've been in there for about 5 days now.  During the daytime and evening they look great, but when I get up in the morning they've been floating sideways right at the surface, just wriggling. <<Mmm...sounds "plank tonic.">> I turn on the tank light (the only "intervention" I've done) and by the time I get out of the shower they're starting to swim around.  When I get home from work, they're clowning around all over the place!  What gives? <<Well Daniel, let me ask you...is there any "structure" in this tank?  If not, you should add a few pieces of PVC pipe (differing diameters/lengths) to give these fish a place to hide/feel safe.  The behavior you describe hints to me of very young fish trying to look like flotsam, rather than tasty young morsels, to would-be predators in the dark.>> Thanks a bunch. Daniel <<Always welcome, EricR>> Percula Clown Help!  My male percula is suicidal!  He has been getting into the overflow.  The water was high in there so he would just swim around until I got him out. Recently, however, we reworked the intake so that both holes flow into the sump and the water level is lower and flow is faster.  Today I took the foam filters off of the tubes going into the sump, squeezed them so I wouldn't drip water all over the floor on the way to rinse them out.  Well...inside was a pale orange thing!  I rushed him back to the tank.  Now he is swimming in one place (not his usual spot) and hasn't gone over to his mate yet.  He has a scrape on his nose and debris hanging off of his fins.  I'm so upset that I may have squeezed him and I don't know how long he was in the filter.  Should I quarantine him? <Not necessary>  I don't have a QT set up.  I have a 5 gallon tank in the garage I could use.  Or would he be less stressed with his mate in the big tank. It is a 75 gal and the only fish are the clowns and a yellow headed sleeper goby.  What should I do?  Thanks,  Linda <I would leave him in with the mate.  Might try soaking his food with vitamins such as Selcon. Try to get some zip back in him.  James (Salty Dog)> Re: Clownfish James, thanks for the quick response-you guys are great!  He is looking better already now that he is back with Ruby (his mate).  Any suggestions on how to cover the overflow to prevent this? My tank is an Oceanic Reef Ready with overflow along the back wall (not in the corner, like older models). Thanks again!  Linda <Linda, I would suggest finding some coarse fiberglass screen to put in front of the openings to keep the fish from entering. James (Salty Dog)> Strange behavior... re Clownfish and lack of information Good Day, I have a 46g tank. Recently I bought 2 Clark Clownfish. Two days ago around 4 a.m. they were like laying down on the sand. During that time they look as if they were dead, I tap the glass and there is no reaction. Later in the morning they are all around the tank. I do not have an anemone.  Is this normal? Here is a photo!!! <Not found> <Not normal. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clndisfaqs.htm and all the Related FAQs, linked above... and on to the Clownfish Systems... Hopefully something "will click" re your situation. Bob Fenner> New Clown fish question 10/30/05 Hi Crew. First let me say thank you for a great web site. I've been reading your articles and daily FAQ's on a daily basis for over 6 months.  Before I ask my question let me tell you my tank specs.  I have a 38 gal reef aquarium with crushed corral for substrate, about 40 pounds live rock, a Coralife protein skimmer rated for 60 gal witch I will be replacing pretty soon, an under-gravel filter plate connected to a Penguin power-head for reverse flow under-gravel filtration, a Magnum 350 canister filter also used for water movement, a Whisper 40 power hang-on filter for carbon filtration, a Penguin power head for extra water movement, and 2x 96watt PC bulbs-1 true actinic and 1 white.  My residents include 1 small algae blenny, 2 Sebae Clownfish, 1 blue damsel, 1 Royal Gramma, about 10 blue leg hermits, 2 Mexican turbo snails, 3 bumble bee snails, and a assortment of different soft polyp corals. my tank has been set up for over 6 month and is doing wonderfully.  Water perimeters {parameters are as follows, SG 1.024, Ammonia is undetectable so is the nitrite, nitrate is about 10ppm and calcium is around 380.  About 5 days ago I installed a 10 gal aquarium over my display tank with a 1" bulkhead overflow and a Via aqua pump in my display tank.  The 10 Gal has a sand bed with about 15 pounds of live FIJI rock and a compact florescent 13 watt fixture. My wife says that if I get another tank, Ill be sleeping with the fishes, <Heeeee!> I didn't get it till yesterday... LOL.  OK, let me get to the point. About 3 days ago I purchased 2 small wild false percula clowns <Tank bred/reared would have been immensely better...> that I had on hold in my LFS for over 3 weeks. I placed them in the 10 gal aquarium. For the first day the clowns looked healthy, eating good, and swimming around very gracefully but for the last couple days I noticed that the fish were not swimming around the tank like they were doing the first day I received them. Now all they do is hang out in the corner of the tank and will not move anywhere else.  <Happens> They stay very close to the sand bed, almost as if they were resting on it. They still look healthy but will not eat anything. <Not good>  I'm hoping that this is just a phase while they adjust to my system, but this never happened to any other of my fishes. Is there anything I can do? <Keep offering small bits of meaty foods... add a vitamin supplement/appetite stimulant with> Your advise would be greatly appreciated. Oh before I forget. the temp on the tank is a steady 78 degrees. Thanks in advance. <Could try (temporarily) raising this temperature a few degrees F.> Elvin - South Milwaukee, WI <Bob Fenner>  Clownfish Coloration  - 10/13/05 <<Hello Jon,>> One Last question because I am definitely losing my mind. <<I bet. Isn't this "hobby" a blast?>> My female Percula Clown, is very healthy and eating actively, swimming etc. I  was observing her the other day and I saw that on her gills, (which if you look hard at are kind of frilly looking) have some black toward the bottom. Jet black. I am assuming that this is genetic coloration since she isn't exhibiting signs of parasite or disease. <<Take away her cigarettes. She is fine.>> Ps. My male who is in QT, is being treated with Jungle Parasite Clear, since he wont eat any medicated food. <<Could not find Hex Out I assume.>> I observed on him that he has some brownish spots beneath his skin behind his pectoral fins. Plus, it looks like his upper body toward the dorsal is getting a little blackish. Any more suggestions? The packaging does not explain how long to continue dosage so perhaps you may know? <<I am not familiar with that product as I tend to stay away from that brand for personal reasons. I would follow their dosage instructions and just keep an eye on him. Let him dictate your treatment schedule. I would suggest removing the medicated water and replacing with water from the main display before re-medicating him though. This give him fresh stable water while decreasing the chance of over dose and gives the display an excuse for a water change.>> Thanks for all you do! -Jon <<TravisM>>  Does One Angry Clownfish = Twelve Angry Men? - 10/13/05 I have two clownfish in a 30 gallon tank. One is an ORA false Percula and the other is a black and white striped clown (Clarkii or saddleback?). Both are around 1.5" inches. The B&W fish was added a month before the Percula and everything was fine for two months.  Now the Percula has gotten really aggressive and has driven the other clown away from the BTA. Whenever he sees the B&W fish he'll chase it away. There are two firefish and one pajama cardinal in that tank but they are not being bothered. Also, when my hand is in the tank the percula will bite it. This happens every time I put my hands inside and started about the same time when the other clown got harassed. What causes this? <<Odds are your orange A. Ocellaris is or has gone female. This will result in the clown becoming more aggressive and she will attempt to put the other clown into a submissive role.>> Should I put in another B&W clown or a tomato or a skunk clown so that the aggression will be less concentrated on a single fish? <<Adding more fish, of a different species, will only make things worse. What I suggest you do is decide which species you like better and stick with it. Pick one clown and get it a mate while returning the other clown to your local fish store. If you really want to keep a black clown and an orange clown then I suggest switching your current black clown for a black A. Ocellaris (False percula). If you choose one species and would like to get it a mate make sure you find a mate that is under 1 inch long. This will ease the possible aggression and increase your chance of building a strong pair bond. Hope that helps, TravisM>> Clownfish - 10/12/05 Hi Bob and guys :) <<Hello, TravisM here.>> I had emailed you a while ago about my yoyos "odd behavior" and you guys put me at easy with their weirdness. I've been enjoying them every since and they are all still living and doing well. <<Glad to hear that.>> I have since started a saltwater tank that has been up and running for a few months. I have a true perc and a dwarf pygmy in there that I have had for about 3 weeks. My fish store is a mom and pop place and they had the true perc at their store for 6 weeks before I took it home. It was their pet. (I had bought a false perc but it died.. the whole batch did.. bad batch so he gave me the true one). He has been eating fine and doing very well. Both fish get along great and surprisingly swim together a lot. Yesterday, I noticed the true perc had some white stuff on it. It's not ick I don't think, it's more like a patch of dry skin on his "forehead" and on his side. I've been reading a lot and I've read through your pages on clownfish. He has also started doing something he has never done before. I have the return in the middle of the tank and 2 power heads, one on each side. It's a 55g by the way with live sand and live rock, 20g sump underneath, skimmer etc. He has been swimming upwards where the current meets, in the middle of the tank. He'll do that a while and then go and swim normally around the tank and then go back there and swim upwards. This morning, I turned on the lights and he was laying on the sand. I don't really know what he does the other mornings but I don't remember him laying on the sand. It's too early for me to think about it and I'm usually in a huge hurry, running late as always.  I fed him to see if he would eat but he didn't really budge. I finished getting ready and then by the time I left, he was swimming around the tank. I noticed that the white on his side is gone, his color was good and on his forehead, it's almost gone. I also have some polyps and some zoos in there. What's wrong with him? Is the behavior normal, swimming upwards? <<Lets hope nothing. Yes, they are clowns and do some crazy things like swimming into powerhead currents. I call it their treadmill workout.>> What could be causing the white patches? I thought of marine velvet but I was unable to find pictures to compare and I'm pretty visual but it doesn't sound like it would be that. <<Fish can get some weird benign things that spontaneously go away. Do keep an eye on him though, if you notice rapid breathing and the white patches look like the slime coat is coming off odds are that your clown has brook (clownfish disease) and you will need to treat him and the angel with formalin immediately.>> Oh ammonia, nitrate, nitrite were 0, salinity was 1.025, temp was 82. Sorry this was so long and thank you!! <<TravisM>>  Clownfish fighting - 10/12/05 Hello, <<Hola>> Well I have a question that has a lot to it, so I will describe the situation. <<A good description always helps.>> I have a 75 gal aquarium with a bubble tip anemone and a Sebae anemone. A percula clown (8 dorsal spines) <<This still may be an A. Ocellaris as their fin ray counts over-lap.>> that I have lives in the Sebae. It is a large dominant female that used to have a mate but he committed suicide and jumped out of the tank. She is very aggressive, and territorial. My hand is always bleeding, in multiple spots, when I'm done cleaning the aquarium. <<You might want to try feeding her once in a while. Just kidding of course. The little orange shark would eat your hand even with a full stomach.>> It has been about 2 months since the male died and I purchased two black ocellaris clowns for the tank. <<Uh Oh>> I was under the impression that the two black clowns would stay together and stay in the bubble tip, or just stay away from the female and her Sebae. One of the clowns was being viciously attacked for hours before I moved him into my refugium, but the other one is doing just fine, I guess. <<This is extremely typical.>> The percula seems to have chosen this one to be a mate or something. <<Sure sounds like it.>> They stay in the same corner of the tank and have occasional fights that end up with one turning sideways and vibrating at the other. <<That is their submission dance.>> Do you know what's going on? <<Yup>> Is it even possible to breed them? <<It sure is.>> What would you suggest doing with the clowns? <<If you truly want to breed clowns I say separate them into two tanks and have a pair of A. Perculas and a pair of black A. Ocellaris. If you want to breed a mixed species that will not sell well or just want to have an orange and a black clown in one tank, let them be and return the odd man out to your local fish store.>> Thanks for any help you can give me.. Dan  <<TravisM>>  Multiple Clowns Fighting - 10/9/05 Hi, <<Hello>> I have a question concerning my (4) ocellaris clowns. <<I bet you do.>> I placed them in my tank, all at the same time, although I'm aware that after two pair off there may be fighting. <<Actually it will be worse before they pair off.>> I was told at the LFS that if all introduced at the same time should be o.k.. <<Aren't we all?>> It's weird, when the white lights + blue lights are on, they get along fine, when the moon lights go on, same scenario, but when I have only the blue lights on for dawn/dusk they start to fight, then when I put on the white lights they stop fighting and are fine all day.  My tank specs, 72 gallon bowfront, about 3 months old. Over 100 pounds live rock, 4" DSB, LifeReef sump and skimmer, 4 clowns, 2 yellow tangs, 1 lawnmower blenny, and lots of life brought in as hitchhikers (worms, snails, black urchins, lots of critters, still unidentified). << Four clowns and two yellow tangs... Your tank should be a regular battle royale. You may want to think about removing one of those tangs in the near future as even one will be too big for that tank eventually.>> So why do my clowns only fight when the blue lights (only) are on? <<Clowns didn't get their name because they wear a red nose and big floppy shoes, they do some funny things. Odds are they are fighting at that time because it is the time they would be deciding who sleeps where. It is a "who wears the pants in this family" thing. This is actually a warm up to the struggles for power that you are sure to witness soon enough.>> Thanks, all my (saltwater) education came from reading your site. Dolly <<TravisM>>  10/9/05 - Clownfish Question 10/10/05 Hi All, <<Hello,>> Sorry Again to keep sending emails. <<It is always better to ask questions than to make needless mistakes.>> I've been looking through the Clownfish behavior articles on the site but haven't found anything to related to my issue. When I got my two percula clownfish, they were happy, ate swam together etc... Now, the clowns seem a bit less "funny" than usual. <<You know what you call a clown that has lost it's sense of humor don't you? A mime!>> Call me an overprotective parent, but the female for the most part is still happy and eats and swims around. <<That is good.>> However, my male whom I had thought had a parasite or sickness, which I have concluded he does not because I have no visible evidence to believe so, just seems kind of depressed. <<As far as "visible" evidence are you referring to rapid breathing, sunken stomach, white stringy feces, or what were you looking for exactly?>> He actually wont eat the Tetra marine flakes I offer and I'm not sure when he decided to stop eating. <<Have you tried live or frozen foods?>> He really only hangs out by the fake anemone, isn't really as active with his partner as before, stays kind of away from her and just seems upset. <<Is she picking on him or leaving him be?>> He wont even dart around the tank like he would occasionally. Everything seems to be in this slow depressed style with my clown. I just want him to eat something because I would be awfully upset if I lost him. My two yellow tailed damsel fish are no longer in the tank. So attendance is: 2 Perc. Clowns 1 Pink Damsel 1 Cleaner Shrimp 1-Chocolate Chip Starfish I have searched and searched and I apologize if there was something related to my situation, but I couldn't find it. <<Keep your chin up. TravisM>>  Ocellaris issue 10/9/05 Hi  <Hello Simon> I purchased a tank bred ocellaris with a matched up BTA on the weekend.  Almost immediately after acclimatizing the clownfish, he went straight to the anemone. He has never really ventured outside of a small area of the anemone. Also I have noticed that the clown fish is constantly opening and closing his mouth. I guess this cannot be good news :( <Any spots, fungus growth? If not, I wouldn't worry right now.> He is eating normally and appears to be swimming normally and curious in nature. This is the only fish in the tank. What should I do? Can I treat him somehow? Your help would be much appreciated!  <Simon says do not treat fish unless you know the specific disease:) Let's do this first, if any disease is present at all. James (Salty Dog)>  Tomato Clown Behavior  10/4/05 Hello Crew, Thank you for your very useful info regarding my Featherduster.  He's looking mighty fine these days.  But I have a question about my tomato clown. I have 120 gal, lots of live rock and sand, some coral, a percula clown, yellow tang, sleeping goby, eyelash blenny, a couple of damsels and some hermit crabs.  When I got the tomato, he did all of the usual tomato things:  commandeer the anemone away from the percula, chased away anything that came near the food, etc.  His "fondness" for the anemone killed it. <Well-stated> Since then, he's just been swimming around like normal.  All was well when he just "disappeared" one day.  He was out of sight for 2 days then just appeared one morning looking pretty beat up.  I have no idea where he was hiding, but his little wounds looked like abrasions (maybe he was trapped?). <Possibly> Anyway, he was acting just like normal and eating like a pig.  In the last couple of days he's been swimming strangely.  He kind of hovers in position with his head pointed straight up, kind of like he's standing on his tail.  He'll do that for awhile then start swimming around like normal.  Then he hovers again then starts swimming like normal again.  Is this normal or is he feeling ill?  Thanks in advance for your help. <Very good description... it does sound like this is a wild-caught specimen that is internally parasitized (very common)... it may cure on its own (doubtful), or you could attempt a cure... by feeding it foods laced with Metronidazole/Flagyl, and possibly a vermifuge if it's eating... these compounds, use, are covered on WWM. Bob Fenner> Re: clownfish aggression  9/22/05 Oh, and sorry, one more thing… They are not constantly this way.  Now they seem to tolerate each other with no aggression.  It’s just occasionally. They swim around each other and in the same anemone. Thanks, Ted <Not atypical. Bob Fenner>

Angry clownfish  9/13/05
Hi, I have a curious question.  I have had a 72 gal FOWLR saltwater tank for 2 years now.  One of the first inhabitants was a ocellaris clownfish.  Over time, the clown has become territorial and is seen pestering its neighbors.  My mandarin seems to take the brunt of it since he is slow to move away.  My royal Gramma fights back (it's never vicious, it's more of a quick smack with the lips and it's over for a few days).  I have tried many different solutions to help with this behaviour (i.e. rearranging the rockwork, purchasing an Anenome (the clown just ignores it), and even removing the clown for a few days to reestablish some order.)  Nothing helped, but since none of this is ever of a serious nature, I decided to let them live as such.    However, within the past week, the clown has taken notice of me.  Whenever I approach the tank to feed them or just peek in, the clown goes nuts, attacking the glass, following me up back and forth through the aquarium.  I can actually
reach a hand in and scoop the clown up in a container, since it is so preoccupied with trying to kill me through the glass.  Normally it takes a week to try to net this fish, usually to no avail. I am wondering if you would know what may have caused this sudden change in behaviour, if it is normal, if it will eventually subside, or will it one day learn the power of explosives and decide to become a suicide bomber when I open the lid to feed them. Any info or opinion, I would be most grateful. Thanks again.
>>>Greetings,
Fish exhibit a range of temperaments even within a given species. This is hardly the first time I've heard of this behavior from a clownfish species. You are simply witnessing territorial defense behavior, and I wouldn't count on it stopping.
Not much else I can say really, you either deal with it, or remove the fish.
Cheers
Jim<<<

Clowning around  9/11/05
Hello! I would greatly appreciate if you would be so kind as to  answer my
question. I have a 30 gallon reef tank with a blue neon goby, a small  (1")  
percula clownfish, a royal Gramma, live rock and sand, various  shrimps, corals,
etc. The clown was the first to go in and the other two were  added later.
Everything is complete. Anyway, at first the Gramma hid quite a bit  in the
rockwork, but is now very comfortable being out and on display.  All are fine and
well, but lately the clown has been following the Gramma  everywhere, even into his burrow.
<Not atypical behavior>
It does not look to be aggression, as he  simply wants to swim
right next to the Gramma. The clown even looks  depressed and hides behind the
filter when his "big buddy" hides. The  Gramma did not seem to mind the clown
until recently, when he started  spitting mouthfuls of sand directly at the
clown. He will literally pick up sand  in his mouth, swim right over to the
clown, and spit it in his face.  Should I be worried about the clown's safety or the Gramma's sanity? Is  this normal?  
    Thank you,
    Kamber
<Both fishes are acting "normally", but I would keep your eye on the Gramma for signs of developing trouble. Bob Fenner>

Clownfish worries  9/8/05
Good afternoon,
<Morning here presently>
I wanted to thank you all for putting together such a great and informative site! I've been searching your FAQ's and related information and still can't seem to locate an answer to my particular problem.
<Okay>
I have a 90 gallon Oceanic Reef Ready Tank, 200lbs live rock, 160lbs reef sand (40lbs was live and used to seed my sand bed), 520 watts of PC lighting (260w 12K/ 260w Actinic), Remora Protein Skimmer, Canister Filter (using Purigen), Sump (20gallon, Macro alga's, snails, pods etc.) and 4 power heads on a wave timer. My system has been up and running correctly for about 3 months. Water Parameters have been very stable Temp-80, Alk 5 meq/L, PH 8.1, SG 1.024, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 2.  
My Tank is full of various snails, worms, hermit crabs, shrimp and pods. I also have a Scooter Blenny, Rock Anemone and small colony of Candy Cane Coral.
All life is healthy and thriving........ my concern is with my clown fish.
3 weeks ago I purchased 2 tank raised false Perc's from a reputable dealer (That Fish Place)
<Good folks, business>
driving there 2 hours to bring them home to reduce stress as much as possible. I didn't quarantine them since they were tank breed and raised and my fish stock is so low at the moment. I picked out a small and medium sized fish in hopes of getting them to pair up.
Both were very active and had no signs of disease or physical problems. The little one was more vividly colored from the beginning. I could never get the larger one to eat in any volume. I tried all kinds of foods ( including what they used and recommended at the Fish Store) and he/she would only eat small amounts while the other clown gorged himself on anything I offered. After a week of not eating properly or at all and the larger clown fish died. With the exception of weight all else seemed normal. Any clue's?
<Happens... may be that the more bright one is influencing the others behavior... it...>
5 days ago I purchased another small (< 1") tank breed False Percula and placed him in the tank after acclimation. Now the original fish has grown to about 1.5 inches and has been readily feeding and very active since his purchase. They are both very friendly with each other and seem to be getting along great. My concern is now with my larger (original small) clown. Yesterday I noticed what seemed to be an almost overnight change in his/her appearance in the facial region.....(larger mouth, lips and different look to his head). If he is changing sexes would this type of change occur?
<Is, does>
Color is still vivid, nice weight with no signs of disease or parasites etc. Also he has not eaten since yesterday, his mouth opens when he breaths but his breathing is not rapid (normal?)
<Likely>
and he seems lethargic. Has been laying on the bottom of the sand bed where he usually rests but is not greeting me or swimming in the current like his normal self. He is acting almost like the first clown I had that
passed away and I'm not sure what to do or look for if anything.
Seeking advice and any help you can give me!!
Thanks so much,
Mike Motze
<Likely "normal" behavior... I take it you've read through the "Clownfish" article/FAQs on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/part2.htm
at the bottom. Bob Fenner>

Clownfish pecking order 8/25/05
Hi crew, <Hello Steph>
I bought a couple of small false perculas from the
same tank a couple of weeks ago. For the most part,
they get along. However, sometimes I notice the bigger
clown bullying the other, especially if there is food
or if it thinks there is food coming. It tends to
chase the smaller one away from anything that looks
food-like and the smaller fish has to pretend to do
something else and then try to get some food when it
can. I have definitely noticed a difference in size
between the two - the bigger one is definitely chubbier.
Is this something to be concerned about? Or, is this a
natural pecking order that comes with having 2 similar
fish in the same tank? My tank is 15 gallons and they
are the only fish in it. Please let me know if you
have any advice for this. I notice if I'm not staring
in the tank, they tend to get along fairly well. I
think it's when they notice my appearance that the
bigger one starts to bully the other to "get the most food" possible.
Looking forward to hearing from you. I have written
you guys for several questions and you guys give such
helpful advice. The site is very informative, I read
it  almost everyday. Keep up the fantastic work! <Thank you, and you have nothing to worry about...normal behavior.  It will improve.  James (Salty Dog)>
thanks,
Steph

-Clownfish Tussle- 8/20/05
I recently purchased two clowns from the LFS.  They were in separate tanks
at the time of purchase.  I introduced them into a 75 gallon reef tank and
they quickly within minutes found the carpet anemone and the long tentacle
anemone.<While good that they found both anemones, The two anemones you have listed both grow very large and will not peaceably coexist in a system.  While they may not attack each other visibly, they do conduct chemical warfare and the carpet is very likely to kill the LTA and will do so if it decides to move over to the LTA's area.  Please do not mix anemones in tanks as they simply don't work long term.>  Everything seemed perfect but moments later they were fighting and
even seemed like their mouths were locked together.<This is normal, A test of dominance and whoever is the bigger fish will become the female.>  The battle ended and
they made their peace.  That was three days ago.  Now the smaller clown is
hanging out at the top of the tank and it appears as though the larger clown
will not let him come near the middle or bottom of the tank.  They don't
appear to be fighting and the larger clown swims to the top to spend time
with the smaller one, but, the moment the smaller one seems to be thinking
about heading south the larger clown darts toward him.  Will they work out
their differences or should I pull one out?  Thanks for your time.
<Valerie, They will work out their areas with time however do not be surprised if it takes quite a while.  The larger fish is slowly becoming the female and will jealously guard the anemones from the other clown.  Now if time does not help and you notice that the two clowns continue to fight, or that the smaller clown seems to get worse looking, then it is likely that they may both be females in which case they will not ever get along.  However this is unlikely given that they are swimming together in the top of the tank.  At night turn on a room light and check the anemones, you will probably see both clowns bedded down in them for the night.  If this is occurring the female is simply being more territorial of the anemones during the day which is normal for the first few weeks to a month or so.  Good Luck.>
<Justin (Jager)>

Clownin' Around - 08/11/2005
I have had my clown fish for almost 1 week now.  He refuses to swim very deep, usually only stays on the very top of the water.  he eats normally, and will dive down to get food, but comes right back to the top.  
<This could be perfectly normal.  Clownfish are pretty notorious for odd behaviours; from swimming laps around a tank to "playing dead", even "feeding" powerhead intakes....  what you describe does not at all sound abnormal for a clownfish, in any case.>
Is he possibly diseased, there too strong of a current he can't handle the movement?  
<Mm, unlikely.>
I'm not sure what to do, if there is anything I can do.  Have you heard of this before?  
<Seen it, yes.  I would not yet be concerned.  Just keep watching him.>
Mike
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Percula Clown Question 7/25/05
Hey. Thanks for taking the time to answer our question. We're new at
this "reef" thing, so every tiny thing is a disaster. <Plenty of reading on our WWM site to help you along.>
The situation is this: Today, my family obtained two true percula
clownfish from our local LFS. They bagged the two fish together, but we
didn't mind as the two fish were acting as a pair: guarding their
section of the "sale tank" from all other fish. At the same time, we
also obtained a "Coral Beauty" angelfish, who are said to be
non-aggressive. We came home to our tank (about 20 min) and set the fish
to floating in the water. We wanted to be careful, so we floated for 20
min before beginning to add a bit our tank water into the two bags. The
fish remained normal throughout the process: no signs of distress. After
doubling the amount of water in the bags, we netted the fish and
released them into our aquarium. The angelfish immediately began racing
about eating specks of food floating around the tank (if it helps, it's
something called "Formula Two" for algae eaters). The two clowns,
however, seemed dejected and swam listlessly at the top of our aquarium,
where they have remained for close to eight hours. Respiration seems
normal, but neither fish has shown any inclination towards exploring the
tank or even just hiding in the plants.
Our family has several theories: too much stress on the fish, too much
current in the tank (we have two powerheads: an Aquaclear 20 and an
Aquaclear 70 with the directional nozzle removed; the current flows in a
circular motion) and that our water is somehow unsuitable for these
fish.
Aquarium conditions: this is a 1.5 month old tank, fully cycled. 0
nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, phosphate. We have a pH of 8.2 and a
specific gravity of 1.022. The only other fish is a Lawnmower Blenny.
There is a large crab (Red Emerald Crab) and several hermit crabs, as
well as the new angel. All have been in excellent health. All the plants
are plastic. <It's fairly normal for Percs to act this way.  Anytime you do add fish, keep the lights off for the remainder of the day.  It does have a calming effect.  James (Salty Dog)>
Thanks again.<You're welcome>  The Breshears Family.

Clownfish spitting out food 7/16/05
Hi
<Hello>
A few days ago I bought a false percula clown fish. I've tried to give him
brine shrimp which he doesn't touch pellets and flake food. He takes the
pellet or flake into his/her mouth an spits it back out but on a rare
occasion will eat one tiny flake. Help! He seems to be quite skinny and is
about one and a quarter inches long. Do you think it's a male?
<At this point, likely so>
Could it be possible it is a different food then he got at the pet store or do you think
he could be scared from being in a different environment?
<Both, either, neither>
By the way the clown fish is the only fish in the tank at the moment.
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clownfis.htm
and the links to files above where you lead yourself. Be seeing you, Bob Fenner>

Orphaned Clown male? 7/7/05
Hello,
<Hi there>
I've had a pair of pink skunk clowns now for a couple of months that
were supposedly a pair when I got them.  One is noticeably larger than the
other (larger one is more orange about 4" with the smaller one maybe 2.5" in
length and more pink.)  The seemed for the first month or so to hang out
together as a pair and sleep together at night in in the same spot behind
some live rock, both in close contact often rubbing together.
I also have a BTA in the tank which is about 8" across when fully
open.  The BTA wandered at one point into the filter intake around the same
time I got the clowns, and got damaged (learned the hard way to make sure
intakes are protected regardless of their location.)  After a month, it
fully recovered which completely amazed me after it was sucked in and
massacred in the tube and was about 40% damaged/torn.  Here's where the
problem with the "pair" started.  The BTA now full healthy is opening up all
the time and acting "normal" again.  The larger clown (female?) for some
time had been showing interesting in the BTA as it was healing (probing it,
watching it, etc), but never entered it.  Over the past week or so the
female has now been sleeping in the BTA at night, and defending it during
the day, but doesn't enter it at all during the day.  Since then she started
doing this, the male doesn't show signed of being attacked, however now does
get chased a bit, both wiggle at each other quite a bit now and I can hear
the female grunting at him occasionally.  He tries to stay near the female
during the day for the most part but she can be a bit of a bully, and at
night he sleeps in the same spot in the back while the female now sleeps in
the BTA.  Has the male been orphaned since the female seems to be adopting
the BTA, they just not a true pair, or is this just normal clown behavior?
Thank you,
-Mike
<Hard to say... if there's room, perhaps they will pair up here... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnbehfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Fun With Clownfish! 6/31/05
Hey there all,
<Scott F. with you tonight!>
Well I was out collecting spotted handfish from the Derwent estuary a week  ago, and I got one! (only kidding) anyway, I have 2 false Percs.
<A real "fish story!">
Today, the bigger one started to chase around the smaller one a lot. They have always got along except for now....I assume they are establishing breeding rights?
<Quite possibly...This type of chasing and grappling is part of the pairing process..>
The bigger one is going to be the female?
<Typically, yes.>
Its been about a week with them in my tank and
they haven't bothered looking at my long tentacle anemone :( I want them to  start acclimating themselves to it so bad! Well if you can get back to me on these things it would be nice.
Thanks a lot- Aaron
<Well, Aaron- the anemone issue is a big question mark! Many of the Clownfish found in our hobby today are tank-raised, and may have never even seen an anemone! So, there is a good possibility that the fish may never end up in the anemone, much to your frustration! It's really up to the fish at this point! Keep those fingers crossed! Regards, Scott F.>

Clownfish behavior issues 6/15/05
Thanks for the help, it will be put to good use. Another question that has been bothering me for a week now, is after the introduction of the clownfish it continues to trace the glass, and has yet to enjoy the bottom of the tank.  At night it swims at or near the surface, and I cannot figure out why.  I could assume there is not enough movement or air in the tank but not
sure.  The tank is a hex, which makes it fairly deep, I have a powerhead that is not in use because when turned on the is what looks to be too much air and movement (if possible) so I am relying on an underground filter form of tubes and an air tube at the back of tank which provides average movement. Besides his need to swim against the glass, he feeds fine, looks fine, and doesn't show any other signs of sickness.  I am wondering if he
has just not acclimated to the tank yet, and is still checking it out, or whether there might be an underlying problem.  Your opinion would be appreciated, thanks Travis <Although clowns don't require a lot of space, all but the largest hex tanks are a bit crowded.  This may be compounded by the lack of suitable habitat.  It may not be the prettiest solution, but try placing a small terra-cotta pot on its side on the bottom of the tank and see if it is attractive to your clown.  As for water movement, the airlifts of an undergravel filter will not provide much current.  Total water movement of about 10 times the tank volume is recommended.  If you powerhead is rated for less than 20 times the tank volume, it shouldn't be creating too much current, although you may have to experiment with aiming it to get the best effect.  Best Regards.  AdamC.>

Crazy Clown
About one week ago I introduced a false percula clown to my young (one month
old) tank which tested perfect, besides having a slightly low pH which I did
a water change to correct.  I do water changes weekly at 10%.  The tank
seems to be perfect which is making me question why the clown continuously
swims against the glass at the front of the tank, now while entertaining it
is quite peculiar and I am not sure if this is normal, or whether there is
an underlying problem that might be causing the fish to swim against the
glass.
<Not an unusual behavior>
It also tends to be in the top of the tank rather than the bottom.
The only solution I have came up with from constant observations is that
there is either a lack of oxygen which is why it would be at the
top (although the yellow tailed damsel has no problems), or there may be a
lack of water movement which I could understand the clown having problems
and not the damsel.
<How large is this system? It may be the one damsel is affecting the behavior of the other (Clown)>
Either way I really have no clue and really need any
helpful tips you could give me to the insight of this problem.
Information: water parameters check out fine, lighting poor, water
movement-low, oxygen-average, bio-load - 5 turbo snails, damsel, and the
clown in question, 20lbs LR which is coming along nicely, coral
skeletons (low light forced this).  Anyways, really everything seems fine,
besides this unusual activity.  Your opinion?  Thanks for the excellent
support!
<I would not be concerned if the Clown is feeding, shows no signs, damage otherwise. They are, after all... "clowns". Bob Fenner>

Compatibility
Hi Jay, <James, today, Anthony>
I bought a small perc for my 2 inch resident perc.  They got along right as the little guy went in the tank.  And I think they already paired up last night.  All the LFS tell me that I'm taking a big chance trying to pair with only 2 Percs - and that the little guy most probably will be harassed if not beaten up.  Maybe my perc was lonely living among 4 other different species in a 20 gal tank. <Right now the larger one is showing domination.  Normally there shouldn't be any problems for you to worry about.>
I have another question about a skimmer for my 20 gal tank.  It has to be external hanging (so as not take space) and must have a submerged pump (I hate how loud air pumps are).  I was looking at the Bak-pak 2 or a SeaClone Protein Skimmer.  But they are pricey. Remember I only have a 20H tank. <My choice would be the Bak-Pak Two or the Red Sea Prizm Deluxe.  These can be had fairly reasonable through mail order.>
Thanks again, <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Anthony

- Clownfish Question -
Hi, my name's Phil and I have a quick question.
I recently, about two weeks ago, put two False Percula Clowns in my tank. They were great at first, and doing what everyone said they would. The larger of the two started picking on the smaller but it wasn't much. I got the water tested and the Nitrites are a bit high, just coming off of my water cycle.. the ammonia is gone. But anyways, to my question. The smaller clownfish has started to lay at the bottom of the tank, if someone comes near the tank he gets up a little bit and that lays back down... it gets to the point where he'll be completely on his side and not doing anything. I tried to take him out of my tank with the fish net but he started swimming around at light speed so I figured that if he could move that fast then he must not be as sick as I think it. I feel like it might be the fact that he's getting picked on so bad that he laid down on the bottom? <Perhaps, but it's also possible this fish is just on it's way out, sorry to say.> But just a few minutes ago I saw the other clown go up to him and nudge him back right side up after falling to his side. I don't get it.. I've seen sick fish before but I'm not sure whether to try and catch him and put him in a separate bucket of salt water from the tank. <I'd leave it where it is for now. Things will either improve or not. Sadly, there's no easy way to tell what a fish has been through before you saw it in the store, but this clown may have just been through too much, and your introduction to this new tank and the aggression have been too much. But clownfish are tougher than they appear and it may yet turn around.> I really have a feeling I'm going to lose this fish, but any help or suggestions would be appreciated. As far as the size of the tank and filtration. I have a 55 gallon fish only tank with an Emperor 400 Filter with Eheim Substrate in the baskets. all the level are right except for the nitrites which are high at the moment. did a 15 percent or so water change. A power head on the opposite side of the tank for water movement and live sand. I hope that he'll come out of this little slump... but I'm expecting the worst just from what I see. <I'll keep my fingers crossed with you.>
Once again, thanks in advance
Phil
<Cheers, J -- >

- Clownfish Question, Reader Response -
Hi guys, thanks for your help with my strange clownfish behavior a couple weeks ago - we put the clowns into our show tank and they are completely fine.  They don't lay on the bottom of my show tank, in fact, they won't even leave the front glass, but they are being their normal, weird, selves.  I saw this question on the daily's and wanted to refer Phil to my same problem.  I don't think he's got anything to worry about, as he described his clowns' behavior almost verbatim to mine. I quoted both his question and mine (with responses from Bob), #4 on http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnbehfaqs2.htm .  Hopefully this will give him some hope and confidence in the little guys...
Alex
<Thanks for sharing. Cheers, J -- >

Bossy Clownfish
Hi Crew,
<Lynne>
I have 2 tank raised Ocellaris clownfish that has been living in my 55 gallon for a year and a half. They were my first two fish. The larger clownfish as she has matured is quite a bully now as she usually just chases the smaller clownfish around once and awhile but now she is biting me when I clean the tank.  The two clownfish are co-existing nicely and I can put up with being nipped at but I am finally ready to add more fish (separately of course).
I wanted to add a Royal Gramma and a Bi-Color Blenny.  I am worried that the bossy clownfish who has made the entire tank her territory will bite at the new arrivals and bring stress to a peaceful tank.
<May be>
Any opinions on this as I really want to add more fish. I am only going to have 5 total fish eventually in the tank.
<I would have a floating plastic colander (spaghetti strainer) handy to isolate the Clown should it prove insufferable with the addition of new fishes... Keeping it in this floating prison for a week should aid in allowing the other/new fishes to become established. Bob Fenner>

Clown found home in a Polyp Coral
I have an Oclerisus or Pewrc.
<Congratulations! This is the new winner for most mis-spelled names!>
Clown Fish with no Anemone. The fish is starting to rub up against a Polyp Coral I have at night. The coral was doing great but now, during the day it is a shriveled up and closed. Is there anyway I can stop the clown from doing that? Any help would be great. I don't want to lose this piece.
<Yes... read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/part2.htm.  Scroll down to the bottom... Read re Clownfish Behavior, associations with Anemones, Systems... Bob Fenner> 

Clownfish
I have a "tank-raised" false percula that appears fairly normal but not like other percula clownfish I have had in my tank. I have a 90 gal tank with lots of coral and live rock. Other fish in the tank include: (1) blue hippo tang, (1) yellow tang, (2) blue-green Chromis, (1) yellow-tail blue damsel, and (1) 6-line wrasse. All of the fish have lived together now for over 1 year and appear to all get along very well. I originally had (2) false perculas but one died mysteriously.
<Happens>
My question is regarding the clownfish. He (or she) has over the past few months gotten small black spots on the body. They don't seam to be protruding from the body but rather just spots, very small but in some areas dense. The fish eats like crazy and is plump; however, it doesn't really interact with the other fish except during eating.
<Not atypical>
I usually feed about every other day with dry flake and twice a week I feed either brine shrimp or high protein (frozen). It sleeps or stays near the bottom most of the time unless I appear at the front of the glass in which the fish then cruises to the top in hopes for food. Other perculas I've had were more active at the top of the tank. The previous percula also "homed" in a rather large leather coral in my tank. The other day I also noticed something under the fish's mouth that appeared to be like a small white skin tear (it definitely wasn't ich) but within a couple of days it was gone and hasn't reappeared.
<Mmm, the spots? May be... encysted worms of some sort... Not catching to the other fishes... And to "perk" up your Clown... in this size, type system, given the other livestock listed... I would very likely add another of the same species... somewhat smaller or decidedly larger... tank-bred/reared also. Bob Fenner> 

Hurtin' Clowns, actually tank bred behavior
I apologize, this question has been asked a million times, and I've read most of the clown FAQs, but I just can't seem to tell what I'm doing wrong (or if the fish were just in bad shape when I got them).  I'm a noob to saltwater (2 months) but my girlfriend and I are very self motivated learners and have come along ways in two months.  Two days ago I purchased a pair of tank bred true perculas.  They looked great at the LFS and we got the best looking two.  I put them in my quarantine tank -
20 gallon bowfront with live sand, a very nice huge chunk of live rock, a bubble wall and a not-finished skimmer (bought it used, I believe it has a MaxiJet powerhead, but the venturi doesn't suck air, it blows water.  Going to get the Rio RVT powerhead for skimming today).  But the powerhead does suck up some of the bubble wall air and inject it into a CPR backpack skimmer.  I'm fairly certain it should be plenty of aeration and circulation.  I also have some Caulerpa in there to process nitrate.  It seems to be a pretty sweet quarantine, in fact, probably overboard.
And on that same overboard note, we transport the fish in the bag, in a small box, inside a Styrofoam cooler with towels to keep things from moving around.
<Good technique>
We acclimated them well and they seemed fine the first day.  They also seem to be hosting with the Caulerpa, doing their little shake-dance in it.  Next day, one of them is laying on the sand bed (face dragging), and now the other is also.  I tested everything I have tests for -
pH is about 8.0 (hard to read that one), no ammonia or nitrite or nitrate.  Calcium is 420 (I added a half dose of supplement about a month ago - now, I'm not really sure why I did that) but I don't believe that should hurt anything.  Alkalinity is about 6 meq/L (never supplemented that, so I'm not sure why it's high), but again, I don't think that's a fish slaying level.
<Correct>
The clowns eat, brine shrimp and good LFS prepared food.  They look good for a few minutes, then they drag face (laying on the bottom sliding in the current) ... they don't show any signs of stress, or white matter or anything.  In fact, they look beautiful, but they continue to drag the face.  We fed them, they ate and swam around looking good, and now they are both laying on their sides again.  It is really on and off.  Sometimes one will be dragging his face and the other will try to nudge him up.
We have three Chromis, a lawnmower blenny, yellow watchman goby and pistol shrimp in our main tank... but the clowns are the first fish we have put into our quarantine tank.  There are a few snails, hermit crabs and lots of amphipods and copepods that have been living happily in the quarantine tank for a while now.
To wrap up my novel, any ideas what might be wrong?  Thanks in advance for all your help, and your site is awesome and I have the CMA book, and I use it religiously.
Alex and Sara
<Mmm, likely nothing. These clowns are tank bred/raised as you state, and this sort of behavior is not uncommon with such. I would not be overly concerned here as they will likely "grow out of it" in time. Bob Fenner>

Aggressive clarkii Clown Doing What They Do
Hello!!!
I have a question. I am pretty new to this hobby and am very interested and eager to learn more. Right now I have a 20L FOWLR and I had a Clarkii clown in it for about 2 weeks and then yesterday I added another clarkii, and the first one I got seems to picking on the new one.. Is there anything I can do? Will he leave the other one alone? Please help!!! <Troy, the clown is establishing the pecking order. This should soon subside. Feed sparingly buy often for a couple of days. James (Salty Dog). In future correspondence, please cap all your "i"s. Our editor will appreciate it. Thank you.> 

Clowns Not Getting With the Program?
Hi Guys
<<You have Marina here today Neil.  For future reference, we kindly (mostly me, I do most of the editing) that you use proper capitalization, punctuation.. mostly capitalization when you send correspondence.  Saves me (or whoever's got my job for the day) a HUGE amount of time.>>
The Clowns are still not getting on and the smaller male's colour is still fading while she is in excellent condition.  One interesting thing is that the female is cleaning a patch of flat liverock underneath a mushroom anemone and when the male actually comes out of hiding they hang about very close to the spot and the bigger one keeps him their.
<<Thank you *very* much for including previous messages here.  By the sound of it, I would surmise that your Clownfishes actually HAVE sorted things out between each other, you're just not too happy with the results.>>
My question is how long does it normally take for clowns to sort the dynamics out?
<<Not long, or one would be dead by now.>>
And could the cleaning of space mean that the pair may think about breeding?
<<We *may* have a conflict of libido here, breaks up many a great relationship.  Yes, it could be a sign of impending egginess.>>
Or does this cleaning mean I may have got the sex of the pair wrong as from books I've heard...
<<Not "read"?  Wow, talking books!>>
...the male does a large amount of the cleaning and I'm sure the smaller one is a male?
Cheers Neil
<<You are sure, or you aren't sure?  IF you acquired both at the same time and they were the same size, and now you have two each of different sizes, then you can be fairly certain the smaller one is a male.  HOWEVER!  If you got maybe the biggest two of the batch, you could have gotten a "full" female, and a "partial" female, and nothing's going to happen in that event.  
You mentioned previously that you got them at 3cm each, so I would surmise that chances are you've got both sexes, but this may not necessarily be the case.  And with these guys it's a bit like adding salt to the pot, you can ALWAYS add more, but you can NEVER "un-salt" it.  Make sense?  I would say that you'd have to give them more than three or four months to decide if they're going to actually breed or not, I'd let them be till summer at least.  Marina>>

Digging Clown Fish
Hello Crew,
<Brett>
I have a question regarding my tomato clownfish behavior.  I have had him
for about 4 months in a 65gal tank with sand as the substrate.  His color
and appetite appears to be normal but he does spend a large portion of the
day digging and rubbing in the sand throwing sand in the water and creating
large craters all throughout the tank. often causing a major change in the
tanks aqua-scaping.  I would expect triggers to change a tank around but I
did not think this was a normal clown fish behavior.  Have you experienced
similar behaviors with tomato clownfish?
<Is normal... read on WWM re... Bob Fenner>
Thank you,
Brett

Peculiar Percula Behavior
Gentlemen-
<Some, and some ladies... and some "just" petfish types like me>
As a newbie, I must compliment you on the outstanding website and
obvious love you have for the marine hobby.  My tank inhabitants and I
thank you for keeping us all healthy.  I have a question that I have not
found an answer to, and the LFS is clueless.
<Mmm, welcome>
I have a 12 gallon Eclipse with a Hydor Pico for additional circulation,
9 lbs. of live rock, a tank-raised juvenile percula clown, a purple
firefish, 3 Nassarius snails, 3 bumble bee snails and 4 tiny blue leg
hermits.  The stats are pH of 8.2, 0 ppm ammonia and nitrite, 10 ppm
nitrate and a steady 76 degrees.  Small feedings are performed twice a
day.  Lights are on about 15 hours daily.
<Okay>
My question regards the clownfish that I have had for about three weeks.
The first two weeks he acted like a puppy, constantly moving all over
the tank, always out in the open and loving anyone willing to look at
him.  Five days ago, I added the cleaning crew (all the snails and crabs
listed).  The clown has since become a recluse, spending most of his
time (90%+) hanging out behind one of the live rocks.  He appears to be
entirely healthy otherwise, making himself seen when it is time to eat,
eating fine and eyes and gills appear normal.  There are no signs if ich
or velvet (the LFS's only advice).  All other inhabitants look great.
<Not unusual behavior>
The behavior change was a complete turnaround as of the day after adding
the inverts.  My paranoia has me believe that some introduced illness
has set in.  I would like to move the rock to see what he does, but the
firefish has made a very nice home for himself between the rock and
substrate; I hate to disturb it.  Your thoughts?
<I would not move the rock, but just keep an eye on the Clown... your system is indeed a very small world... fraught with danger of quick, troublesome chemical/physical changes... and little room for biological adjustment... I would do nothing quickly here, ever>
And, while I have an expert on the hook, I would like to eventually like
to add a cleaner shrimp, a feather duster and a red or orange Fromia
star to the tank.  Will this be too much bioload given weekly water
changes?
<Mmm, I do wish I could... well, I'll try here... to talk you into a larger system. The propensity for disasters is just too great in such tiny volumes as yours... the shrimp, worm, star could die... easily and their death/s bring a collapse for all... Much more room for error in bigger tanks>
Finally, the Eclipse has a single 15W, 18" tube.  If I change it to a
quality 50/50, can I effectively keep mushroom corals and low-light
polyps?
<I'll make you a deal... IF you get, have another larger system to move your livestock to, you can/could indeed try small colonies of these stinging-celled life... So you could move all to in the event of trouble... there will be.>
Thank you for your attention, advice and all you do for the hobby.
Jeremy A. Schwabe
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Sleeping clown
Hi Bob, this website seems awesome. My partner and I have recently set up a saltwater marine aquarium 120L, artificial coral, white and metal halide, for the first time. We are both rookies, but learning so much, and loving it.
<Good>
At the moment we have a percula, 3 yellow belly damsels, 2 Banggai cardinals, 1 lemon peel and 2 hermit crabs. we started off with the clown and an anemone. unfortunately the anemone died after just under a week, why we are not sure.
<Very common>
All the levels were perfect. Basically its tentacles shriveled up and it sat upside down for about 2 days before it died. Any suggestions as to what may have happened? 
<These are posted on WWM>
The clown seemed to get over the loss quickly, normal behaviour, eating well. the last day though, instead of sleeping on the sand protected by some of the coral, it is sleeping at the surface, right way up, but just seems to be bobbing with the water. We did a 1/3 water change the day before, as the ammonia was high. we are slowly getting on top of the ammonia level now. Is it alright for it to be sleeping like this? Thanks for your time Patrick.
<Not uncommon behavior as well. I would not be overly concerned... but am so with the ammonia. Do take care to reduce this, be chary of feeding in the meanwhile. Bob Fenner>

- Clowning Around -
Hi Guys
<Hi.>
Thanks for your help with my last query, I now have another one. I know they're called Clownfish for the very reason they Clown around. But I wish mine would settle down. I have had my pair of Percula clowns for about 3 months now and they were very small when I purchased them, just under 3cm. They stayed quite close to each other for the first week and then started to do their own thing. They are tank bred so seem to be very active and always separating to do their own thing. 
However one of them, from my understanding the maturing female, has turned darker and bigger than the smaller male. (Male = 3cm, female = 4cm) Both are feeding well but she is bullying him a lot when he tries to do anything she doesn't agree with, chasing him until he stops and twitches ( which I believe is a submissive gesture). The smaller male is now starting to look bedraggled. I tried separating them using a clear porous container, which the female was placed in ( still within the tank) for two days to let the male get some much needed food. As soon as she returned the activity calmed down (This is a technique I used when I breed my swordtails and the males seem to calm down). 
However that was a week ago and gradually it's started getting worse. She never bites him or shunts him just chases, it's almost as if they're talking different clownfish language - she's saying stop, he thinks she's saying go. Any advice would be greatly received.
<Not much you can really "do" - they will work out the dynamic on their own and as long as the male isn't missing any chunks and is eating normally in the presence of the female, then things will likely work themselves out over time.>
Thanks Neil
<Cheers, J -- > 

Clownfish/Behavior
Hi:
I have a black clown. The first week that it was fine in the tank. I start to notice that he seem to constantly running into the edge of the tank. Or he would swim around the edge. It looks very anxious, swims up and down rapidly. Is this normal? 
<No>
Also, I notice some discoloration around the mouth and around its eye. Seems like the color is lighter than the rest of the body. Something wrong? 
<It sounds to me like there is something in the water he doesn't like. Is your tank overloaded, maybe ammonia? Do you have a puffer in the tank with him? James (Salty Dog)> 

- Clown Pair Behavior -
Hello. This is my first time writing to WWM. So far I have found your site to be invaluable!
My 20 gallon saltwater tank finished cycling on or about March 10. After a partial water change and some cleanup, I added to false percula clowns on March 19. Both took a few days to get comfortable. They seemed to pair up immediately. One began to make small "attacks" against the other. I assume that this was the beginning of the pairing ritual to establish dominance. 
<My assumption as well.>
So, I assume the weaker one will eventually be the male. 
<Most likely.>
Recently, he has begun to act odd. He swims much slower that the "female," sometime just going around in a circle. Now, he has discovered a spot behind one of the rocks and is just hanging out there, swimming slowly. He shows no signs of any disease. No heavy breathing. And when I feed them, he comes out and eats just fine. But then goes back to his slow, isolationist lifestyle.  What do you recommend? 
<Nothing except patience and acceptance on your part.> 
Is this normal? 
<Yes.> 
Is this guy just intimidated by his more aggressive partner? 
<Hard to know for certain the motivations of fish, but in general you've only just left on the long journey... much too early in the process to be concerned. Give them a month or two and see how things are going then.>
Thank you very much. Julio
<Cheers, J -- > 

Coral/Anemone Compatibility, Clownfish Acting Strangely
I am a newbie.
<Good Morning Lila> 
I have an established 24 gallon nanocube with a Royal Gramma and Percula Clownfish. We just introduced the clownfish into the tank last night after about one and a half hours of acclimation, and he swam very actively all over the tank. This morning he is hovering, sometimes horizontally, sometimes vertically, by the return vent. Upon putting him in the tank last night, we fed both fish some frozen Mysis shrimp. The Gramma loved it, but the Percula did not eat a thing. Would the percula prefer something else.
<I would try some Cyclop-Eeze> 
I must say that the Percula fish absolutely wore me out just watching him! I plan on introducing live coral, making this a reef tank, and was told that you cannot introduce anemones with coral. However, I have also heard you can introduce certain anemones. Now I am thoroughly confused. Thank you for your help. 
<Anemones and corals do not fair well together, especially in a tank as small as yours. Anemones can relocate and do. If the anemones tentacles touch your coral it is usually death for the coral. And depending on the coral, can do damage and/or kill the anemone. James (Salty Dog)> 

Percula fish Acting Strangely
Thank you for your reply, Salty Dog. One of my concerns was that the clownfish was hovering near the return vent. Is this normal?
<Clowns do act/swim stranger than most fish. Main thing now is getting him to eat. You might try some frozen adult brine, not real nutritious but it's something that they usually go after. I'm looking at the post below and I don't see my inserts in there. Did you delete them by chance? James (Salty Dog)> 
Thank you for your help. Your website is wonderful! 
<Thank you and you're welcome> 

Percula fish acting strangely
No, I did not delete them. Wow! I want them back! You had answered all of my questions except the one about the clownfish swimming near the vent.
<Lila, I did answer that, clownfish do exhibit stranger behavior than most fish. My Percs bed down by the return line also, if it makes you feel better.> 
I would really like for you to re-answer the one about the coral compatibility. We want some coral in our tank. Thank you and sorry that you had to answer these questions again. 
<Coral and anemones don't mix, especially in a small tank. Sooner or later the anemone is bound to move and touch the coral and result in the death of one or the other or both. James (Salty Dog)> 

Vertical Perc
My percula clown has spent the entire day staring straight up and out of the tank. He's been vertical like this all day and I'm not sure if that is a bad sign? Thank you in advance, Ryan in Philadelphia.
<I would not lose any sleep over it so long as he is eating fine and otherwise appears healthy and free of disease. Keep an eye on him, though. Mike G> 

Clown Behavior
Hi, I apologize as I'm sure you get asked almost the same questions about clowns, but I have read through most of the Q&A and haven't found anything quite like this problem. I have a Maroon Clown which has been a part of my tank for 3 months. She is very healthy looking, and has grown in size since I first got her, and has great color. There is nothing wrong with her skin/body visually--no white spots, no dark spots, nothing peculiar. She eats normally, but spends most of the time hanging out in the corner by the heater. It almost looks as if she is treating the heater like an anemone, but not like she's itching herself. This fish was captive bred, ('m not sure if that makes a big difference in behavior). The other fish in my tank are doing wonderfully, if not (dare I say) thriving. 1 Mandarinfish, 1 Scooter Blenny, 1 Orange-Spotted Goby. We also have a sebae anemone (I know, bad bad idea) that the clown won't touch, which is fine. I need to know if I should be worried about this behavior. Apologies for the long-winded-ness of this inquiry, and thank you again for your time. ~Jennifer 
<Jennifer, as long as the clown is eating well and showing normal swimming patterns, I wouldn't worry about it. James (Salty Dog)> <Editor's note: Jennifer has come close to hitting the nail on the head - likely the clownfish is "hosting" the heater, not at all uncommon!>

Clownfish problems
Hi, I hope you can help me. I have a large marine reef aquarium (6ft x 20" x 18" 100 gal), in which I have a few fish. I bought a pair of tank bred percula clowns that got on really well, the problem was that two yellow- tailed damsels started to attack the pair and eventually killed the smaller (male) one.  I asked my local marine stockist for advice and was told to remove the damsels, which I did. I have now added a new percula clown and to my horror the original one started to be really aggressive to the new one, fin nipping, etc. It has also started to swim over it shimmying its tail, is this behaviour normal?
<Not atypical>
And will the two clowns eventually settle down? One last thing is I know that clowns are male to start with and then change sex if necessary (as in a pair), but is this done quickly or is there hope for this pair to bond, or is it too late? Both fish are the same size at the moment about 1-1.5 inches.
Please help if you can. Many thanks Lee
<All can work out still... yes to the sex change... I would float the larger, resident individual in a plastic colander in the tank for a week or two... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/part2.htm scroll down to Clownfishes... read re their behaviour, reproduction... Bob Fenner> 

Re: Clown fish problems
Hi Bob, thanks for your very speedy response to my clown fish problems, they seem to be settling down a bit now, (after leaving the tank lights off yesterday afternoon and overnight) they still have spates of fighting but hopefully this will settle, I will take your advice and separate the larger one for a while, both are eating now which is a step in the right direction I think. 
Many thanks once again Lee
<Welcome. Thanks for the update. Bob F>