maroon clowns

luvnpc69 · #1 12/12/2007, 03:03 PM

i have read that maroon clown can become fairly aggressive and territorial...will i have problems introducing a dragonet into my 55 gallon a couple of months after having placed a pair of juvenile maroons in it?

dsn112 · #2 12/12/2007, 03:17 PM

possibly, there is no way to know for sure, but marroons are the meanest little buggers.

seapug · #3 12/12/2007, 03:38 PM

They usually don't have any problems with bottom dwellers. They get PO'd at swimmers that wander into their territory but most fish pay no attention to the dragonets, in general.

usmc121581 · #4 12/12/2007, 03:40 PM

My maroons never bother my mandrin. Its the tangs they hate.

keith1974 · #5 12/12/2007, 08:13 PM

i have no problem with my maroon clown hes with 3 other clowns and i put stuff in with him

usmc121581 · #6 12/12/2007, 08:22 PM

The only thing I hate about my maroon is that no matter were I put my hand in the tank he bits me.

ACBlinky · #7 12/12/2007, 08:24 PM

I had a pair of saddlebacks (nearly as aggressive as maroons) that killed a pair of sandsifting gobies after living peacefully with them for months. The clowns matured, paired up, and one day just decided the entire 65g was their own. With no prior sign that they would become aggressive, they started bullying their tankmates. They killed off several fish in the two days it took me to buy and set up a new tank for them, despite keeping them in the dark and numerous efforts to catch them and partition the tank in the meantime.

Maroons can be VERY nasty, but some folks have success keeping them with other fish - I think it depends on the individual pair, their age, the size of the tank and the decor.

Personally, I'd never house a small, peaceful fish like a dragonette with my maroons. My GSMs belonged to several different owners before I bought them; they were evicted over and over because they were too aggressive. I keep them alone in a 30g and they're absolute pussycats, until I get too close to the glass or try to work on the tank - then the teeth come out. These little fish can be surprisingly aggressive, and they're actually quite fast and strong. When my female decides she doesn't like a certain rock or shell she will move it (usually via the head-butt method) to another location and then beat it into submission with her tail. I have no doubt she'd kill any other fish I tried to add to the tank within minutes, be it bottom dweller or otherwise. YMMV, this is just my opinion.

BangkokMatt · #8 12/12/2007, 08:51 PM

You should be fine with a mandarin. They rarely get hasstle from other fish. I think the colours must warn them off.

jerryvan · #9 12/12/2007, 08:55 PM

Hello--I have a Maroon Clown in with my Green Mandrin, Yellow Tang and Coral Beauty and have not had any problem. I got my Tang first and then my Maroon Clown. I bought the clown from a fellow who had a small tank and he outgrew it. (the clown not the fellow) so I dont know how old it was.
If any one is the boss it is the Tang.---Jerry

tb27272 · #10 12/12/2007, 09:03 PM

I was given a maroon as she was terrorizing her previous tank, also bite her keeper every time he was in the tank. Put her in with larger, tangs, grouper, lionfish, triggers, puffer, lunar wrasse. She minds her own business in her corner. Per my gallery, she sleeps beside the lion.

usmc121581 · #11 12/12/2007, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tb27272
I was given a maroon as she was terrorizing her previous tank, also bite her keeper every time he was in the tank. Put her in with larger, tangs, grouper, lionfish, triggers, puffer, lunar wrasse. She minds her own business in her corner. Per my gallery, she sleeps beside the lion.

No not mine it still runs the tank, even with all my tangs. But my wife had him since he was 1/2" no hes almost 2-3".