Clowns chasing my gobies, what to do?

ACBlinky · #1 03/23/2006, 01:49 PM

I have a pair of 'panda' saddlebacks (Amphiprion polymnus I believe) that are driving me crazy. Every day when I feed the tank, I use a long pipette to bury some food in the sand for my sand-sifting gobies. It didn't take long for the clowns to sort out that when the gobies dig, goodies fly out of the sand. At first they would just hang around the gobies waiting for tidbits, but then they started guarding the food sites (it was hilarious watching them - they knew the food was under the sand but weren't clever enough to figure out how to get to it).
Unfortunately, now they refuse to leave the gobies alone! As soon as one pops its head out of the cave the clowns come running, I guess they think any time they see a goby it's chow time. The gobies are staying in their cave now, refusing to come out, and the clowns just keep stubbornly waiting.
I've tried to think of a solution other than removing the gobies or the clowns, but I'm stumped. I've resorted to putting food into their cave so the gobies won't starve, but it's not a permanent solution - I want to see these guys out and about, not stressed and hiding in a cave.
Any thoughts? If removing the clowns is best, what's the smallest tank I could get away with? I really have no room at all, but might be able to find a way to keep a 20 or 25g, would that be enough?

Here's a pic of the male so everyone knows which species I'm referring to:

SEAFLOWERS · #2 03/23/2006, 02:06 PM

unfortunately just like in the wild there is a pecking order as to who rules the general area, and as I'm sure you know clowns are very territorial. They probably will continue to harrass the gobies if they believe that there space is being invaded. If you want to see the gobies out and about leave the clowns where they are, they can hold there own in many tanks and situations and move the Gobies to a more peaceful tank. FWIW

ACBlinky · #3 03/23/2006, 02:57 PM

I just don't have room for another tank for the gobies - everything I've read tells me these guys need fairly large tanks. The other fish in the tank are semi-agressive and the clowns don't bother them at all, I'd hate to give up my gobies but maybe it's best to go that route.

Xtasia · #4 03/26/2006, 02:12 PM

Sometimes we have to make hard decisions on what is best for the tank and what we may want for the better of the current inhabitants.

Good luck.

ACBlinky · #5 03/26/2006, 09:49 PM

We decided to get the clowns a new tank, we're going to make lemonade out of our lemons. It'll be a FO tank done entirely in black and white, hopefully they'll like it and it will stop them terrorizing everything in the 65g.

Xtasia · #6 03/26/2006, 11:27 PM

Sounds like a good idea