Clown sturing sand up... What to do...

[GilliganReef]

I have Paris who is a maroon clown fish now for 8 months. She is in her new home now for 9 weeks. I have 40 g breeder tank I am slowly turning into a reef. Problem I am having is she dusts up all the sand right in front of her spot and all around the front of my live rock. I tried placing a clay pot tray by her area since I read they are looking for a solid spot. Now she just makes more of a mess around it and even tries to move the clay tray. Its pretty entertaining watching her at work. Picking up the empty crab shells, rocks, and dumping them on the other side of the tank. Even on top of the live rock. Other day I watch her move one of my tiny hermit crabs across the tank. Now my question is buying a anemone would that help put a stop to her whipping up sand? Or is there any other advice someone could give to try and get her to stop it?

Paris

 

[trackhazard]

Maroons are notorious for aquascaping. They will topple rocks, move sand around and generally do whatever they want. Getting your maroon an anemone may help with the moving around of stuff as they will generally stay really close to it but nothing is guaranteed.

-Charlie

 

[xanthurum]

All Maroons do this and that is why I decided not to get one in my new tank. Nothing you can do, sorry

 

[NZXTGUY]

Well at least i know not to get one now. lol

 

[dc]

I didn't get maroons the second time around either. My percs have never dusted the sand.

 

[Reefvette]

Clowns

Clowns

It is pretty much every clownfish that will do this.

I have had maroons, akinydnos, tomatoes, chrysogaster, leucokranos, blue stripe, and every kind of skunk do it.

 

[Ocfishguy]

They will always move sand and debris around even with an anemone. I sold my maroon clowns after 5 years because of this. My pair a F. Pec clowns I have now don't move anything around.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

My female percula will "clean house" around their star polyp rock from time to time. She uses her tail fin to sweep the sand. Nothing you can do about it.

 

[Dean Ladd]

Nem will not help. I have had a gold stripe maroon with a rbta for years. I gave up on sand and went basically BB. But recently added a wrasse so added sand to system and the sand blasting returned immediately. GSM is going to a new home. Love the anemone fish relationship but I am tired of the bulling attitude of this fish. Complete thug!

 

[GilliganReef]

Yeah I wished I would of stayed with Percs like I had before, but even they would do the same thing. Paris just too much fun to watch, and I figured a way with my power heads to cut down on the sand getting every where.

 

[dc]

It is pretty much every clownfish that will do this.

I have had maroons, akinydnos, tomatoes, chrysogaster, leucokranos, blue stripe, and every kind of skunk do it.

Probably true, I've only had Ocellaris and Perculas. Neither even came close to the sand.

 

[ClownNut]

yeah, ocellaris do that too, they wont do that every day, but once a while the female will do that for a day or two then stop.

 

[bellis31]

My black and whites do this, I literally have no sand in the back side of my tank it's all been moved! They seem to move sand looking for pods...