Black Ice Clowns

[Justintegra]

I tried the search function, but it is horrible on this site. Does anyone have any specific experiences with Black Ice clowns? I am planning livestock for a tank we are starting and asked the closest reef store to us if they are able to source them and he said they refuse to because they are extremely aggressive, to the point of not be able to put your hands in the tank to move things, clean, etc. He said there is something about the genes that provide the black coloring that also brings high levels of aggression.

Is this just one guy who had a bad experience, or is this common for this particular strain of clown?

 

[gar732]

A black ice is just an occy like any other and will behave like any other occy. Any clown can become territorial and defend its territory by biting and such, it depends on the individual clown. My particular black ice is a model citizen to me and other tank inhabitants. Of all the clowns I have (about 12+ baby clowns) the only one that bites is my frostbite male and only while I'm pulling eggs.

 

[fishy boy]

Yeah same here when o cleaned around my anemone one of my clownish would nip at me

 

[hotelbravo]

a black ice clown is no more aggressive than any other clown its an ocellaris and they are one of the more docile of the clowns if your LFS truely said that then find a new lfs thats horribly incorrect. i have had multiple ocellaris a few percula and maroon clowns there is a huge difference in the typical aggression between the ocellaris and/or percula and the maroon clowns. clarkiis and tomato clown are also more aggressive species.

i currently have a black ice and a picasso pair in my DT and both nip at me from time to time but its nothing short of a tickle. the maroon i used to have made me bleed anytime i stuck my hand in the tank

 

[D-Nak]

I don't think the color of the clown is an indicator of aggressiveness. Though my Darwin pair are very aggressive and the female bites me when I put my hand in the tank.

 

[juniorrocketdad]

I have a black ice pair and they are awesome and very peaceful

 

[BuzzPion]

Put that on the list of dumb things the LFS has said.

 

[hotelbravo]

put that on the list of dumb things the lfs has said.

+1

 

[ThRoewer]

BTW: The black clowns from Darwin that are currently traded as "black ocellaris" are with near certainty a so far not described new Amphiprion species of the Actinicola complex.
This article outlines it pretty clearly: Clownfish Species Hiding in Plain Sight?

Base on that Black Ice are actually interspecies hybrids.

 

[mbemount]

My female will nip at me when I'm moving coral in my tank but not aggressive towards any tank inhabitants.

 

[dsmooth]

Mine pair will only nip at me if I am suctioning the sand bed. Other than that I can have my hand in the tank without any problems.