Question no sure this is the right forum to ask???

[Vicky Hartman]

Hi,
I have a question but I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask. I have a percula clown that was being very aggressive to it's fellow tank mates.
I added an aneomie but that didn't help at all. The clown ignored it altogether.
So I set up a seperate tank for the clown and he's in there all by himself. He doesn't seem too happy and I'm considering getting him a couple of tank mates but the problem is that he was aggressive to his other tank mates in the first tank so------ I might be setting up another potentially unhappy tank because this clown refuses to be a good neighbor.
One answer to my problem is to take it to the local pet store just to get it out of the tank but that's not the answer I'm looking for.
Does anyone have any ideas what I can do about the aggressive nature of this fish or do you think adding just like 2 tank mates for him will help in the new tank or what ideas do you have about this fish?????
I'd appreciate any help and if I posted this in the wrong spot please know I'm sorry. And if it needs to be moved that's fine by me. Thanks for any help you can offer me. Vicky Hartman

[jwm2k3]

Hi Vicky, sometimes a particular fish is just fiesty. You should be combining like size fish. Was the anemonie an atlantic species? If so, the clown will NOT take to it. Only a Pacific species will host a clown. You can tell the difference usually by price alone, with the Atlantic much much less expensive. Just go slow, whatever you do. I would say feed him well (two to three times a day, small feedings) , then add him to the display tank last. The other fish will have time to stabilize and get accustom to their new home without being picked on, then 30 days after you added the last fish, place the clown in there. If nothing changes take him to the local fish store and either trade him in or give him back.

Welcome to Reef Central and keep asking questions!

John :)

[lilswanwillow]

yup, heres a welcome from me too

I had a pair of aggressive clowns. I decided that my other fish were more important....

but, leaving him/her out of the tank for a week or so, like mentioned above, will give the other fish time to settle and divi out areas for themselves. then, add the brat, and see what happens.

[mattiej]

Unfortunately clownfish belong to the same family as the damsalfish. This means by nature these fish are fairly aggressive. Even cute little Nemo (common clown) can be a demon in certain circumstances. There are a few things you could try but there is no certainty they'll work. When adding new fish slightly rearrange the rock work. This way the clown is a 'new' fish and will have to adjust along with the newbies. The above mentioned removing the clown to another tank for awhile is another good idea to try. Sometimes having a mate will cool the bully's jets but this could also cause more problems as the two might try to compete for territory. If none of these suggestions work the only recourse would be to send the clown packing, especially if you want other fish in the tank.

Oh yeah you could also dedicate a tank to just the clown and an anemone. A word of caution, anemones require a prestine tank and proper lighting to survive. Think long before going this route.

Good Luck

[Mad Scientist]

Increasing feedings alot may help.

But, like everyone is saying, clowns can be very chippy fish.

[Vicky Hartman]

Hi All,
This clown was never aggressive to begin with. He got along with or ignored his other tank mates. Then he decided that he didn't want to get along any more.
The anemone I got is a bubble anemone and the pet store owner said it would work for the clown but that doesn't mean anything because some of the pet store owners don't know much about the fish they sell but I took his word on it.
And yes they are buggers to feed and keep happy and healthy. I've just about decided if the clown really isn't going to form an attachment to the anemone I'm taking the anemone back to the store.
Since the clown really doesn't seem to be adjusting to the new tank by him self, I think I'm going to go get a couple of damsels to put in with him and see what happens. I'm not sure I'm prepared to put him back in my big tank. I've got fish starting to come out of hiding that have been under rocks since the clown decided that he wasn't going to get along any more.
And if I keep the clown and like 2 damsels by themselves it shouldn't be too much for the smaller tank I set up.
This little clown is my daughters fish (or so she believes) and I'd like to keep him if possible. And yes she named it Nemo!!! She's 21 years old folks--- I guess they never really grow up.
Thanks for all the help. I sure do appreciate it. Vicky Hartman

[jwm2k3]

I vote on taking the anemone back. They need tons of lighting and a very well established tank. More often than not they just start to shrivel up and die. They are hard to keep. See if you can get credit for it at the store.