Clown trouble? Beh., comp., sys.   7/22/08
Hi guys! I want to say first, that I enjoy and find your site very helpful. Thanks, for all the hard work! Now, I think I have a killer Black Percula Clown! Here’s a little background on my tank: I have a 55 gal salt tank. It’s been running well now for a year or so. I now have 2 Black Percula Clowns, a Coral Beauty, 3 Green Chromis, a Serpent Starfish, Blue and Scarlet Hermits, Various mushrooms, and of course, various snails. My female clown has ALWAYS been the boss of my tank! About 2 months ago we tried adding an Orange Firefish
<An...? This is a social species... usually best kept in duos...>
to the tank (our first Firefish died from Flukes when my tank was only 2-3 mo. old). My Female clown chased the firefish and the firefish was hardly able to eat.
<Not likely going to "make it" in a four foot long world...>
So, I decided to quarantine the clown in a breeder’s net
<Good idea... hope it's a big one... I'd use a floating plastic colander myself>
via advice from our LFS. After a week or two my LFS said I should be able to release her. I did so, and she still chased the firefish. He eventually died due to lack of food and stress. I decided to try something hardier and bit more aggressive. One month after the firefish died, we added a Bi-Colored Anthias,
<... also a social species... and one that really needs much more room than this>
but kept our female clown in the breeder’s net while introducing the Anthias to the tank. The Anthias was doing well. She made herself at home behind the “black box” hanging in the back of the tank (her favorite sleeping grounds!). I released the clown about two weeks later. The Anthias stood her ground and didn’t seem to let the female clown push her around too much; the Anthias just made sure they both kept a fair distance from each other. The Anthias seemed to have found her place in her new tank. Anyway, one morning (approx. one month after introducing the Anthias into my tank), I found my Anthias dead! Her body was in 3 pieces. One piece was in the sand and the other two on the top of my live rock hidden by some large hairy mushrooms. She seemed fine the night before when I fed her and seemed snug in her ‘spot” after the daytime lights went out. Do you think the female clown murdered the Anthias?
<Mmm, no... much more likely it died per the items you list, was partly consumed and dissected by the serpent star, hermits>
Or could the Anthias have been sleeping and ambushed by some rather large Bristle Worms (which I’m in the process of trapping!)?
<Not near as likely>
I’ve also noticed my female clown has been more aggressive to her mate. She chases him a lot more and her white stripes seem to be more reddish.
<Mmm, natural>
I’m also noticing that since the death of my Anthias, the Chromis are acting abnormally sketchy. One of the Green Chromis hovers close to the surface, up against the glass, or behind the heater, or a flow jet during the day; and at night patrols the perimeter of the tank at the surface. This Chromis hasn’t eaten at all (that I’ve seen) in 3 days. Why is this happening?
<The dominant species, individual is claiming all the ready space...>
Is this all linked; or are they all separate issues?
<All linked>
Please help?! My LFS thinks the Female clown killed the Anthias, and the one Chromis is either horrified and stressed out by what it witnessed or is getting old. If it was my female clown, what should I do? Will I be able to add any more fish?
<No, not likely a good idea... this "world" is only large enough for the Clowns really. Maybe some other invertebrates...>
Thanks, for all your time and help!
Thanks again,
Mikki

Clown Behavior, Shark Keeping, 6/26/08
Hello, I have a couple of questions to ask.
<Ok>
First, a purchased 2 Clarkii Clownfish about 2 weeks ago and ever since I put them in my 120 gallon tank, they have gotten along without any problems. One is larger, about 2.5 inches, and one is smaller about 1.5 inches. Just a few days ago I purchased a Bulb Anemone and ever since, the larger clown fish has literally taken the anemone for himself. Now the two clownfish fight over the anemone (obviously the bigger one wins), and the smaller clown fish is left to himself while the bigger clown fish lives in the anemone. Is this normal?
<Can be, it may straighten itself out over time, although if this pairing does not work out the fish may need to be separated.>
I'm afraid the smaller clown fish will wade away over time without his partner.
<If the larger fish does not except the smaller over time then it may cause problems, but clowns do fine solo, so a lack of a mate would not cause its demise.>
Secondly, I was thinking about upgrading to a large tank to house sharks. Either Smoothhounds, leopards, bonnet heads, or possibly black or white tip reef sharks.
<Big, expensive, custom made tank then.>
I have been getting mixed messages reading all the information on shark tanks and wondered how big of a tank, and for how long I could keep each shark until they outgrew the tank.
<Would need a tank of a few thousand gallons, of a circular design, to keep these types of sharks for any length of time. I feel that these are not appropriate of 99% of fishkeepers, they are just too demanding.>
I know Smoothhounds and leopards are cold water sharks, and the reef sharks and bonnet heads are tropical. I purchased the Aquarium Sharks and Rays to help me with my choice but in some ways the book complicated the whole matter.
<Good book.>
Keeping the Smoothhounds would be reasonable, but if I kept juvenile reef sharks, or bonnet heads what size tank would I be able to get away with, and for how long could I keep them until I give them to my local public aquarium (they already agreed to keep my sharks once they got too big).
<I would get this in writing, especially with the way the economy is going and the inevitable shrinkage of their budgets as less public and private money becomes available.>
Thanks,
Justin M.
<Welcome>
<Chris>

Tomato Clown disoriented  6/11/08
Hi guys,
<Artem>
I have had a tomato clown for about 6 years in a 55 gallon tank (among corals, yellow tang, algae eating blenny and Gramma). The clown has always been a happy and hardy fish. Two days I turned the lights off in my tank for the night (as I always do) and heard some splashing on the surface of the water. I turned the light on and saw the tomato clown on its side on top of one of my powerheads which was close to the surface. One of it's fins was out of the water and it was gasping half air, half water. I pushed him pack into the water. It forcefully jumped back into the same position. This continued for a bit. Then it frantically swam to the other side of the tank and did the same with the other powerhead which was sitting deep in the tank. The clown was breathing heavily. The next day it was swimming as usual, however in the evening I noticed that it wasn't eating. As soon as I turned the lights off again the next day, same thing happened - it looked like
it was disoriented in the dark and was charging across the tank, laying down on the side here and there from time to time. Sorry for the lengthy description, but I can't imagine what it could be. No visible signs of parasites, etc. I have made no changes to the water, other than, on the day before it happened the first time I: a) did a regular water change; b) changed the light bulbs to new ones (2 VHOs - 10,000K and Actinic); and c) cleaned the insides of the protein skimmer. Do you have any solution, please?
Thank you
Artem
<Mmm, perhaps this clown made a mistake... got too close to the powerhead intake. Clowns do often come to "associate" with powerheads in captivity... as symbiont substitutes... and maybe conditions are so dimly lit/dark that it just got too near... I'd leave a bit of light on outside the tank during the night. Bob Fenner>

Clownfish behavior: 5/24/08
Hi guys.
<Hi there.>
Quick question: I have a small tank (30 gal) with a six line wrasse and a small Percula clownfish, plenty of live rock. I am in the process of upgrading to a 55.
<Excellent. The wrasse will appreciate the extra swimming room!>
Both fish seem healthy, water parameters are good. The clownfish has always stayed close to the top corner of the tank, especially when he "sleeps". I assumed this is probably normal for a clownfish.
<Certainly not unusual for these little guys, particularly in systems lacking a host anemone (no need to go get one though).>
For the past few weeks that is the only place he can be found. He is fed a variety of reef flakes & mysis shrimp and eats normally.
<Good>
Will swim down a little for food and once in a blue moon he ventures around, never goes very deep, but mainly just bobs/swims at the top with his dorsal fin above the water like a shark :-) day and night. I was worried it was a swim bladder problem but he seems healthy. Do you think this is normal?
<Heheee! In as much as clowns can ever be considered “normal”, yes! These neat little fish are nothing if not entertaining and sometimes surprising when it comes to the various quirks and odd behavior they can display. Outside of the possibility that the wrasse is acting aggressively towards the clownfish (and scaring it into the corner), I’d say that this is fairly typical behavior and nothing to be concerned about. It will be interesting to see where the clown resides in the 55g!>
Thanks!
<You’re very welcome! Take care and congratulations on the new tank! –Lynn>

Clownfish, behavior 5/12/08
Hello,
<Hi>
I have been searching for the answer to this question and couldn’t find anything specific to this problem…. I have a 30 Gallon 4 year old tank with a Refugium and protein skimmer attached. There are 5 fish in there: 2 clownfish, coral beauty,
<Will need a larger tank.>
Small yellow headed jaw fish (this dude LOVES chopped scallops J and will eat out of my hand!)
<Neat>
and a Neon Goby (Gobi soma Sp.)…….Phosphates have been .01 ppm for a good while now…nitrates and ammonia are zero.
<Testable phosphates may lead to algae problems later on, try to find the source now before it gets out of hand.>
Problem is that the male clownfish all of a sudden has become aggressive (and loosing it seems as he is the one with the bruises). The female (4 yrs old) had grown some sort of fungus where the side fin joins the body. Seems the goby has taken care of this after a week or so, but every day along the way the male started getting more aggressive…now the female is now allowed near the torch coral again but the male is still extremely territorial over the T. coral…..( I wanted to have this instead of an anemone as it does not move around etc….it does eat small pieces of scallop as well…I have 2 T5 height out. “Glo” 24“ bulbs as well as 2 T12 24“ bulbs…2 atininic and 2 daylight) …any thoughts?
Thanks,
John
<Seems as though the pairing did not work out, which if fairly uncommon but not unheard of for clowns, especially true for Maroons. Sounds like the male is becoming dominant, perhaps because of the poor health of the female, and may be turning into a female. Watch closely, if the aggression continues these fish may need to be separated, as two female clowns of any species will most likely not co-exist in this sized tank.>
<Chris>

Clown Fish Feeding, Tankmates 5/1/08
I have a question. I had two clown fish in my 75 gallon aquarium and they were really good eaters. I just got a Picasso trigger fish and for the first day the clowns were fine and they would swim with the trigger and eat with him and everything.
<More likely they were sizing each other up.>
Now all of a sudden they are a little afraid and won’t go to the top for fish flakes anymore.
<Triggers are quite intimidating and aggressive.>
My trigger is getting all the food and I'm afraid that my clowns are not getting any. Is there any way that I can get my clowns to eat something?
<Try some sinking pellets, and hopefully they will become a bit more aggressive eating with the trigger as the fish get used to each other. If the clowns are otherwise healthy I would not worry too much until a week has passed, they should be able to go this long without food without any negative repercussions.>
<Chris>

Hi, just a question about my clownfish, beh.    4/20/08
Hi,
<Howdy>
I recently bought a pair of extremely healthy and vivacious clownfish. They seem to have buoyancy problems, and always float (albeit extremely happily) at the surface. They don't have any problem staying upright. These fish have always been like this, even at the store I bought them from and now at home. They have been fed on frozen brine shrimp and other frozen/fresh foods (not dried foods).
Is there any reason why they (both) float like this? Can I do anything to help them?
<Were they wild-caught? Could be they were damaged in being decompressed, brought to the surface... But I suspect this behavior is "natural"... that they are choosing to stay up near the top... for a few possible reasons. May always elect to do so...>
PS. The water specs of my tank look alright.
Thanks in advance,
Lai
<Bob Fenner>

Re: Shrimp / goby / Fireworm 03/23/2008
Andrew,
Thank you for the advice. Interestingly, when I checked the tank this morning, it appeared either the shrimp or goby had already filled in the burrow with substrate and the pair is either living in a different burrow or using another entrance to the same one (I saw them inside a different hole in the same rock). What intelligent creatures I must have!
<<Yes, they are very intelligent indeed>>
I hate to bug you, but I have another question that I couldn't find addressed on your site. I got the goby from a fairly new but reputable and sort of "fancy" LFS. However, I wanted a pair of clownfish but couldn't afford his $70 for the pair. Later that day (yesterday) I purchased two tank-raised ocellaris clownfish from Petco. They seemed healthy in the store, but I put them in my quarantine tank. The tank they were in at the store contained about 10 of the species of similar size, and no other types of fish or invertebrates. My quarantine tank is tiny, 2.5 gallons. The slightly larger of the clowns ate well both last night and today. She is aggressive toward the smaller fish, nipping him occasionally. He won't eat at all. Is this normal for two fish initially pairing up?
<<Yes, this is perfectly normal, she is stamping her dominance on the smaller male>>
Is my QT just entirely too small?
<<Realistically, yes, far too small. This tank should be about 10 Gallons>>
I thought it would be OK, since they came from a tank that was about 10 or 15 gallons with 10 fish. Purchasing another tank is not in my budget right now. However, I don't want to put one or both of them into my display tank without proper quarantine.
<<Its good your conscious about the quarantine. You can pick up very cheap glass 10 gal tanks off craigslist, some even give them away, or look through local classifieds>>
Thank you for being available to beginners like me. I'm on a budget, but trying to do things the right way. Your advice seems to be the only thing about this hobby that won't lead me to a second mortgage!
<<We do all we can Mandy, thank you>>
Mandy
<<Hope the above helps you. A Nixon>>

Weird Clown behavior... reading  3/7/08
Hello Crew.
<Hi, Matthew, Mike I here>
I have two pretty new tank raised clowns (3 weeks). They are both eating and seem fine. The only thing that is kind of weird to
me is that they stay on the one side of the tank and do not go anywhere else. Even funnier, they are on the side that has no live rock and
corals yet. I have a 55gal with about 50 lbs of live rock and some Shrooms and polyps. I build this all up one side of the tank so
that when they were put in the show tank, they would have somewhere to hide and swim around. But they are not going over there at all. They even sleep in the corner of the tank with nothing to hide around.
Sorry, my parameters are as follows:
PH = 8.4
Ammonia = 0
Nitrites = 0
Nitrates = 5-10ppm
SG = 1.024
Any reason why they are not really utilizing the entire tank and only like to sit over where there is nothing but sand on the ground?
Thanks, Matt
<Matt, please read the linked file: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clwnbehfaq3.htm - Mike I>

Clarkii clowns now fighting 2/27/08
Hi there,
<Hi, Simon. You've got Mike I here today>
I have been referring to your website for the past few years, when ever i have had a problem or not sure about anything, and i have to say it is the best i have found.
<Happy to hear and thanks for the feedback!>
Now my question as i can't seem to find an answer.
<Shoot>
I have a pair of clarkii clowns who were purchased together as a pair and have been fine together for over a year ( there in a 60gallon reef tank with a flame angel , Bicolour angel , scooter fish , Sailfin tang and dark blue in colour wrasse ),but, now all of a sudden they are battling each other very badly.
<OK>
They both seem to be as big as each other now as well, were as when i purchased them you could tell the difference in size, and easily spot the male from the female, but they seem to have grown to the same size over the time i have had them and now constantly battle violently on and off, is this normal?
<Not unheard of - see below>
as i know from reading your site clowns have a dominant female and a submissive male, so could mine be maybe sorting this out again? or will one end up killing the other?. Thank you for your time in reading my question. Regards Simon
<You don't say if for any reason there has been a separation of the pair. If this is the case, then the bond may have broke and sex change has begun in the male. Even so, if there has been no separation and the fighting is as you say "violent", then again, you could have 2 females. The increase in size would seem to suggest so. This isn't unheard of, and seems to be prevalent in Clarkiis too. For no apparent reason, the male develops into a female. I'd suggest that if hasn't settled in a 2 weeks, you may have your answer above. In any case, if there is real aggression (physical damage) you need to separate the clowns - this is never part of bonding (and if you do have warring females is unlikely to cease after the time frame above). Hope that helps, and good luck. Mike I>

Cinnamon clowns... beh., comp.      2/21/08
I checked to find a similar situation on forums and other articles but could not..
<ok>
I bought a pair of cinnamons...I would say identical in size which is maybe 1 1/2"...
?<lovely clowns>
I can tell them apart because one had less black on the pelvic fins. I'll call this one #1. After a few days I did see #2 submit to #1. #1 decided to host in the xenia and wouldn't let #2 share the xenia so #2 slept in the feather duster. Now 2 weeks go by and there is a role reversal. #2 has now claimed the xenia AND the Ricordea and #1's tail is shredded a little.
<Hmmm>
That happened in like 24hrs. #1 is definitely petrified of #2 and the submissive behaviour is much more extreme than what I saw when I first got them when their roles were reversed. Is role reversal common in what I assume is 2 juveniles?
<Not uncommon during the immediate settling of 2 fish>
Will the tail fin get better?
<Almost certainly, given good water conditions>
Thank you! Donna
<Hi, Donna, Mike I here. At this point in time I wouldn't be too concerned. The initial bickering period is all about defining who's going to be boss, and it's not unusual for one fish to come out dominant after being submissive initially. Do remember that this process can take months to complete. What does concern me a little is this shredded tail. If you're confident it couldn't have been done by another inhabitant, then you need to keep a close eye on these two for a while. There should never be any physical aggression to the extent of injury when bonding takes place. it could have been accidental of course, so monitor. In all probability, over the course of the next few weeks, they'll settle well; if they is more physical aggression you may need to separate. Hoping they fall in love, and give you happiness for a long time! Mike I>

Tomato Clown with issues - 2/20/08
Hi,
<Hi there!>
I have a tomato clown who spends 90% of his daytime at the top of the tank in the bubbles facing downwards, swimming against the updrafting current. Occasionally he/she gets swept out of the bubbles, but immediately swims back in. It comes out to eat but now sometimes takes coaxing to get out of the bubble stream, and once it has eaten some........right back in. Have another tomato clown who acts a 'little' more normal. Is this clown looking for more oxygen or have other issues, or has it just become 'addicted' to the 'spa'.
<Heheeee! It’s a clown with issues! Actually, I’ve heard of this before, especially with systems lacking host anemones. In these circumstances, clowns will often choose a substitute. Sometimes it’s a coral (I have one that’s taken up residence in a Frogspawn) and other times it’s a column of bubbles. I can only guess that for some clowns, the sensation of all those bubbles must compare to the stimulation they receive from anemone tentacles. At any rate, these clowns seem to revel in their substitute “hosts”, defending, and sometimes even attempting to feed them. All in all, the clowns seem very content. Hope this helps! Take care, -Lynn>

Re: clownfish help... using WWM... please!    2/19/08
Dear WWM, I emailed you about adding another clownfish to my other one. I did today and it is smaller. they are chasing each other around the tank violently and each are doing the dominance dance with the other. what is, and will happen to my clowns. will they take to each other or will I have to get rid of one. will they keep doing the dominance dance until one is proven more dominant and that one will become the female. please help I don't want to get rid of my clownfish and I really want two or a pair.
<Eddie, again, I must point you to the information already there for your picking in our archives. Please, learn to use the search function, as you can in most cases, find your answer in a few minutes. However, in a very small nutshell, providing you have 2 small individuals (I remember your remaining clown was 1 inch, so this size is fine) they will likely have some skirmishes for a while until they sort out which is more dominant, and therefore female. The process can take from weeks to months to complete fully, so give them time. Full aggression (e.g. fin tearing) should not happen and if it does, is a sign that your initial pair may be incompatible. Mike I>

Introduction of Clown Fish into a new aquarium. Beh.    2/17/08
Hi
<Hi, Mike I with you today>
We set up our 60 gallon aquarium 11 days ago with a protein skimmer and added some live rock 3 days ago with 2 hermit crabs.
<Ok>
Today we got our water tested and added two clown fish one black and white and the other orange and white
<Maybe a little too soon, but with you so far>
while the orange and white one has settled in the other seems to be swimming frantically up and down the one side of the tank. Is this normal practice for newly introduced fish? The hydrometer reads 1.022 and the temperature is 27oC. Thanks Becky
<Well Becky, I answered a similar question the other day, but having trouble tracking it down. So, yes, it's perfectly normal behavior for a newly introduced clownfish. They are pretty nervous fish when newly introduced, especially if they don't have the protection of an anemone (This doesn't mean you should go buy one, they will live happily without). Given time (maybe a week or so) it will learn there is nothing to fear in the tank and settle down. Hope that reassures you. Mike I>

Percula Clowns not wanting to be cleaned   2/13/08
Hello there,
<Hello!?
I have recently been reading over the material on your site for several reasons and I must say I am very impressed.
<Pleased to hear that?
I have been keeping saltwater aquariums since I was very young (about 20 years or so) and almost always Fish Only. Until this year, I collected all my animals from the waters of South Florida. (well in accordance with laws) I usually have a lot of success with these animals, and very rarely have trouble acclimating them or having outbreaks of disease. From experience, I have always avoided store-bought fish. First of all, all my species are Caribbean and Atlantic, and most store bought fish are from other oceans. Every time I've done this in the past, you almost always have compatibility and disease issues (even with QT), so I just always avoided it. However, in the past few years it has been increasingly more difficult to collect, as the areas legal for collection have been getting smaller and smaller.
<indeed>
So, this year, I decided to set up a "Store bought" tank. It's a 40 gallon tank, good water quality and temperature. (I don't want to go into numbers here). It's been up and running for about 2 months, with pieces of "dead" coral to provide the sculpting. I have in the tank
(2) 3 Stripe Damsels
(1) Blue Damsel
(1) Red Firefish
(1) Neon Goby
(2) Tank Raised False Percula Clowns
(1) Blue legged hermit crab (Collected from bay)
(1) Cleaner Shrimp
and a Sally Lightfoot crab that I moved to another tank after reading on your site about him eating fish.
In the first few days I lost a couple damsels (Not listed) to bacterial infections due to wounds received from fighting in the tank.
<Indeed; you speak of compatibility issues earlier, but have 3 of the damsel family in the tank - one of the more pugnacious species so not surprising>
After that, everything was fine. All the fish settled on their territories and there weren't any more problems in that respect.
<Hope it stays that way!>
After a month I added the Cleaner Shrimp, and even from day one most of the fish made a point of getting cleaned on a daily basis. The blue damsel even had a spot on his tail (which I assumed was Ich) that the shrimp removed completely within the first few days. He now spends his time (the damsel) attacking his reflection.
<So vain!>
However, two days ago I noticed a few white spots on the fins of my clownfish. They are still eating, but have been slowing down a little bit. It's not a large infection and no spots are apparent on the body of the fish and it should be able to be cleared up by the cleaners in the tank, however; they show no interest in being cleaned. Is this because they are tank raised fish? I was hoping to clear the infection naturally and already raised the water temp to 83F. Is there anything I can do to induce them to visit the cleaners?
Thanks in advance
Cory, Miami
<I don't believe it has anything to do with being tank raised. In my experience with the species, clownfish just don't seem to appreciate cleaner shrimps. I'd be happy for any of the other WWM to chip in with any experiences to the contrary, especially observance from the wild, but in my opinion, they just don't use them like say for example, pelagic fish. I cant see a way to encourage them either. Maybe it harks from their lifestyle, living in commune with anemones, and hardly leaving their tentacles, it's not a behaviour replicated in the wild. If your clowns may have an illness, I suggest you have a look round WWM and try and identify what is may/could be and take that advice on a course of treatment. I wouldn't rely on a cleaner shrimp helping. Hope that helps, Mike I>

Clownfish Coloration 2-8-08
Hello.
<Hi. Yunachin here.>
Two months ago, I bought two Ocellaris clownfish. They sales person at the store had taken the fish from two different tanks; however the fish were about the same size (I couldn't tell which one was bigger).
When I brought them home and put them in my 20gallon tank, everything was normal. In my tank I have about 15 pounds of live rock, one inch of aragonite sand, one orange spotted sleeper goby and a red scooter blenny. All the fish got along fine.
<Good to hear.>
Over the month, one of my clown fish, the one that gets chased, is losing its color. In fact, it’s lost the majority of its color. It use to be bright orange and now it is dull and dark. It is also significantly smaller than the other clown fish now. Just recently he started hiding a lot except for when I feed them, and then he comes out. Whenever he gets spotted by the other clown fish, he gets chased. Is he scared of the other clown and losing its color because of that? Is he starving and shrinking in size?
<The size differentiation is because your clownfish have changed sex. When you first acquired them, they were of the same size and both no sexed juveniles. Now as time is passing, there is aggression from the larger fish (female) to the smaller fish (male). So in fact he is not shrinking, your female is growing. The color change is from the smaller one being stressed from the fights. Hiding is normal and time will give way to much less aggression once the female has showed her dominance. If the fighting doesn’t cease after a period of time you can do some rearranging of your tank to switch up some territories or you can remove the more aggressive clown for a couple of days and reintroduce her into the tank to see if the bickering stops. Check out some more clownfish information here on the site: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clownfis.htm;>
Thanks,
<You’re welcome. –Yunachin>
Merlinda.

Clownin' around, beh.  -02/06/08
Happy Tuesday to you all. Hope all is good.
<And to you - all well here thanks!>
I just had a quick question about my clown behavior.
<Fire away!>
I've read most of your amazing archive and all the great info you have on clowns but could still not find what my answer. I just purchased a clown pair (false) for my 72g reef. Its a month old tank, however most of the water came from a 46g 6 months old. I got great live rock so no cycle. No corals yet...just lots of rock and swimming space. The new (and first) fish in the 72 are doing great. They eat A LOT!.
<OK, so far>
The small male had settled down and enjoys taking his time and swimming over the reef inspecting stuff...great personality. The much bigger female ( I'm talking almost 3 1/2'') she's big mama for sure. Sorry, anyways the female just does fairly fast laps around the tank ALL DAY. They same route. All Day.
<OK>
I'm pretty much convinced its her reflection she's going after and the male is pretty much over his. Will She? is it okay she just does her laps.
<This is normal behaviour in newly introduced clownfish. For all you see of them, they are actually pretty nervous fish initially, and it'll take some time for the fish to settle. The way I see it, it has no protection (anemone) so is staying away from things that may come out of the reef and eat it! Laps are caused because the aquarium walls are as far away as it can get so follows that route. Once it learns there is nothing to fear, this behaviour will cease>
I plan to get a nice size frogspawn for them. Will they take and will that calm her down. Hint:
<They do take to them sometimes, but would advise against you buying it specifically for that purpose as clowns can be quite rough at times, and can damage this type of coral>
She doesn't appear to be hurting or injuring her self, just swims with "herself" all day.
<The life of a fish sounds idyllic!>
PS. the frogspawn was part of the plan from the get go, so it'll do well. Your help with the crazy female is needed. Thank you.
<Help hopefully given, Mike I>

Aggressive Clownfish Behavior After Anemone Split – 1/21/08
Hi guys,
<Hello Ron, Brenda here!>
I got a question regarding anemones today. Recently my anemones split for the second time in about two years. About six months ago I moved them into my 75 gallon fish only tank with reef type lighting t5's 230 watts, live rock, and skimmer and refugium. When the anemone split about two weeks ago I notice that the Percula clowns were more aggressive with there tank mates which are a yellow tang, potters angel, leopard wrasse, Swissguard basslet, and yellow goby.
<This is not unusual. The clownfish are stressed because of the change. Their home has been disrupted. It is likely a temporary behavior.>
I was wondering if it was possible to move the anemone into a smaller tank like a cube tank with the clownfish, say about a 30 gallon tank by them selves.
<It is possible, but may not be necessary. I believe the behavior will go back to normal. If you do decide to move them, the new environment needs to be an established environment, 6 months old minimum, with the proper equipment. A 30 gallon tank is usually not recommended for keeping anemones, unless you have experience. Since you are already experienced, be sure you keep a good eye on your water parameters in such a small environment.>
Thanks Ron
<You're welcome! Brenda>

False Perc Clown pair recently fighting 01/09/2008
Hi!
<<Hello, Andrew here>>
I have a pair of ocellaris clowns (tank bred) I bought about 3 months ago who were the same size. Since then, one has gotten twice the size of the other and I assumed they were paired and going to start mating. Recently though, the female has been attacking the male and chasing him around, with small fin tears resulting. They have never fought before (she would sometimes chase him away and the male would 'tremble' around her) but nothing like this. She still lets him swim with her sometimes, but mainly she chases him around all day. Also I have noticed the sometimes trembles around him too, is this normal? Will they ever make up and be happy? They are in a 20 gallon with a small scooter blenny which has been with them since I first got them. Thanks!
<<All that is happening is the female clown is stamping its dominance on the smaller male, quite common, will be fine>>
<<Thanks for the question, A Nixon>>

Clown Fish Behavior 12/11/07
We have a Deltec Micro Reef (using T5 lighting) which has just celebrated it's 1st birthday.
Everyone is fine and healthy.
<Great.>
Our Percula Clown pair took to sleeping near the return pump, which is near the covered overflow. Sadly, in his sleep, the male (Pongo) had ended up too far up onto the overflow cover, panicked, and in his efforts to flap back into the water, fell down the dry box which is behind it (many tears).
It was a freak accident, which I didn't want repeated, so the dry box entrance was covered with egg crate. It now only has a small gap, around the return pipe, which is too awkward to fill, possibly still big enough for a small fish.
Perdy, the female, still insists sleeping there, during which she often ends up on her side on top of the overflow cover - too near that dry box hole.
Is it possible to encourage her to sleep elsewhere, without using a real anemone?
I'm told I worry too much : )
<I'm afraid your clownfish is going to decide where it wants to sleep. I know of no way to discourage her from sleeping there. I have two Saddleback Clownfish that make their bed on top of a powerhead. On another note, if tankmates include aggressive fish, this could cause the clownfish to resort to this location as a safe haven. As to the anemone helping...if your clownfish is tank bred/raised, it more than likely would not go to into the anemone as they were never raised with one present.>
Thank you.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>

Black Clown turning orange?  – 11/17/07
Hey there!
So I have had a Black (false) clown for about a month now. He battled ick and recovered strong. He has an anemone that he absolutely loves! He stays in it all day long and they are best friends. Lately, I have noticed that he has been fading in color, so I have started feeding him a little more a day, thinking it could have been a nutrition problem. All his food is soaked in GVH garlic soak. The black that is predominant on his body is slowly turning orange. Is this a natural change?
<Can be, yes>
Could this be a sign of a fungus or parasite brewing?
<No>
Ever since I started feeding him more, he has become more energized, and he is obviously still eating. He seems very happy, except for the fact he is turning orange. Thanks for all your help, you guys truly rock! Jane
<Some "races" do just change color... some turn back dark. Not a worry. Bob Fenner>

Battling clown fish... really reading/using WWM    11/3/07
Hi Thanks for the all the help. I read your site a bunch.
<Me too>
I set up a 65-gallon aquarium approximately 3 months ago. I have an Ocellaris clown fish, a Bicolored angel and a 6 line wrasse. My Brother moved, so I bought his orange and black and White False Percula clown fish. He had them for roughly a year before I took them. I quarantined them for 2 weeks and last night I dripped them into my tank 65-gallon aquarium. The 2 orange clown fish instantly went to war, nipping and biting each other (I had 2 clown fish in my 30 gallon back in the day and figured it wouldn't be a problem to have 3 in a 65 gallon).
<To be expected...>
I just turned off the light so they would hopefully leave each other alone.
<Not likely>
Is there anyway they will get along or are they going to fight each other to death? Just as a note, I have 250-watt metal halides, a 20-gallon sump; water perimeters are pretty good calcium is slightly low but nothing large. It is a coral and fish tank, I just hope that these guys can get along? Is there anything you can suggest?
Thank you
Kyle
<All posted... Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/clnfshcompfaq3.htm
until you understand... BobF>

Battling clown fish... really reading/using WWM pt.2 11/3/07
<Hello, Kyle. GrahamT this time around.>
I have read on the site and decided that I will probably remove the old clown fish and put him in the Quarantine tank.
<To what end? Will you keep him there indefinitely?>
I am wondering if I get a smaller clown fish to put him in the quarantine tank (30 gallon) with the older one is there anyway they might get along?
<Yes, but to what end? >
If they do will this increase the chances of them getting along with the others in the display tank or is my older clown just destined for the Quarantine now ?
<Well, I think if you read WWM like you said, then you already know the answer. Yes, you *may* end up getting the QT fish and a new clown to be friendly toward each other. Yes, you *may* end up re-introducing them to the main display without fighting. Do I think this likely? Nope. The two (female) clowns are already fighting. To give one of them someone to fight for will probably not help matters any. I would plan to remove the QT clown from the equation altogether. Two clowns is enough.>
Thank you
Kyle
<You are most welcome.
-GrahamT>

Clownfish Behavior 10/30/07
Hi all,
I had two quick questions regarding two 2" Perculas in my 65gal.
1. They both are trying to host a Mushroom (its about 4" across), and since they began that a few days ago, it hasn't properly opened. Any suggestions on this, are there any other corals that serve clowns better that I could get?
2. Also, they both have taken to hanging around a flat bottomed cave in my LR, and lay on it day and night for the most part, but still come out to eat and swim around occasionally, and to bug the mushroom. I haven't seen any eggs in there, is behavior normal?
Thanks,
Dan
<<Dan: The Perculas are irritating the mushroom. That said, mushrooms are hardy and there is probably no long term impact. Perculas will also host in a Frogspawn, and Hammer Coral (members of the genus Euphyllia). Because your clowns are the same size, it seems doubtful that they are breeding. Females are usually larger than the males. They might like the cave because it reminds them of the protection they would get from an anemone. Many clowns that don't host tend to swim at the top of the tank and sleep next to powerheads. I think its more natural that yours are hanging out around the cave. Best of luck, Roy>>

Percula Sizes - 10/5/07
Hello,
<Hi Clint>
Just a quick question, I thought you might be able to shed some light on. <Hope so!> I have a 55 gallon tank which has housed 2 Percula clowns for about 5 months. They were small when I got them but have grown nicely. <Great> I was under the understanding that once they decide which between them was going to be the female, there would be a difference in size. <Typically, yes.> The thing is, I think this has been decided now as one was picking on the other and now they seem a proper pair. <Sounds good. You’ll notice the male occasionally showing his submission by tipping over somewhat, and quivering when the female approaches.> Yet there is no difference in size. <Not yet, anyway.> Is it possible that there may never be a difference in size? <Will most likely develop over time.> They are both well fed, about 10 different frozen foods, and 5 different types of pellet. <Awesome!> They have no competition for food and have a good amount of tank space to swim around in. < = Happy clowns!> Do you think this might be why there is no difference in the size of male and female? <Could be part of it, yes. Another possibility is that the decision for who’s who occurred fairly recently. I do think that the size difference will become more pronounced over time.> I know Clarkii Clowns can stay the same size...I'm not concerned about this, but just wondered if you'd come across it much.
<I personally haven’t come across it, or read of it, but anything’s possible. Take care and have a great weekend! -Lynn>
Clint Hamilton

Hyperactive Clownfish – 10/4/07
Hi,
<Hello, Brenda here>
I recently purchased a Black and White Clown (tank raised) from my local fish store. He seems really healthy, eating (sometimes spitting out what he ate), free from any skin blemishes or differences.
<This may be part of the acclimation process. What are you feeding?>
When I put him into the tank, he acclimated really well. When I watch him, he becomes really excited and swims around the tank REALLY fast. It's like he doesn't get tired. He darts around and just swims the perimeter of the tank. Is this normal for a new clown? It's almost like I feel he's swimming to fast. Let me know what you think.
<It is possible he is just adjusting to the new environment. Are there hiding places available? Is the clownfish in quarantine? Can you give me more information on your tank size, equipment, water parameters, and tank mates?>
Thanks!
<You’re welcome! Brenda>