Does your clown bite?

[Mikro]

Every time I try to clean around the inside of the tank near the anemones and the clown, it bites me. And I can really feel it. Its almost like scraping up against the coral rock. The other clown I just added leaves me alone. The real difference is the new clown is not hosting any of the anemones yet.
Are the hosting clowns more aggressive?

 

[Henryreef]

My Tomato (also hosting) is very aggressive. He will come all the way across the tank and bite me. It is more startling than painful. I have heard of other peoples clowns biting them, in turn causing them to react smashing into a super hot metal halide: Not fun! It did seem that when I added an anemone my clown became much more aggressive and territorial. I don't really know if hosting clowns are more aggressive, but it will be interesting to see if you are right.

 

[EQCM2B]

I had a pair of hosting clowns and the only time the female would bite was if I was moving around to fast. If I moved slowly she would let me do anything I wanted but if I was to move to quickly she would let me know that I needed to slow down

 

[rioshilo]

I have a maroon pair and the larger 4" maroon has gotten more timid with the addition of the bta. Less time chasing other fish or me and more time hiding in or behind the nem. The larger clown I have had for 2 years and the bta I've had for a couple months.

It does seem to go against the grain with what I read about maroons...

 

[sedor]

Everytime I meet someone with biting clowns, they are in pairs. Mine is all alone and never even pays me much attention. I have seen threads with pictures where blood has been drawn. Does not look like much fun.

 

[WaffleWalffle22]

Mine used to just circle around my finger and nip a tiny bit when they felt threatened... and that was when they were a young bonded pair.
Now they are a pain and right when I stick my hand in the tank they both dart up and bite the flesh between my fingers. It startles me and it hurts...
THEY MAKE ME BLEEEEEED!

 

[Airwolf75]

My ocellaris pair bite me when I am close to the anemones, and even more so when they have eggs on the rock.

 

[t4zalews]

I had a tomato that bite me, a GSM pair (the female bit me), and a clarkii that would bite me. My perculas never bite me

 

[decent37]

I accidentally trained my clown to bite me. The way I did that was before I got my clown I read some thread here on RC where this guy would feed his fish by hand and I thought that would be cool to do. So I always feed him that way, now whenever I try to do something in the tank like move something or whatever I get attacked the whole time unless I have something in my other hand to scare him away. So I dont think my clown is territorial just hungry.

 

[droberts]

my cinnamon gos after me every time i put my hand in the tank. it has only gotten this aggressive since i got it a bta so as long as i don't get close to the bta im OK

 

[SleepyJ]

I have a lone ocellaris that goes after me every time my hand is even near the top of the tank. It follows me when I walk by the tank as well. I usually have to fend it off with the net, so I can do tank maintenance or clip some veggies for the tang.

 

[patriots81]

My ocellaris pair dont bite at all. They host a GBTA. They run away when I clean near the GBTA

 

[PolypHunter]

Yup my naked clown likes to bite me when hes hungry....Which is most of the time. but he does have 2 gbta clones and host both. Hrmm dont know...

 

[Jeff]

I have a large Maroon that bites hard when I stick my hand in his end of the tank.

 

[Patrick12]

Funny you should ask....

I have never had an ocellaris bite...until now. I have had Maroons and Clarkiis bite...even Tomatoes, but never an ocellaris until now. Granted she is just protecting the S. gigantea she is hosting....along with 2 other ocellaris and a pair of small clarkiis, but she bite hard.....and right in the skin between my fingers.

 

[Pigmonster]

My ocellaris pair are the nicest clowns EVER compared to the Gold stripe maroon pair that I just evicted.... the female gsm was the worst, making me bleed and pushing any coral over that got anywhere near her anemone.

 

[romanr]

Mine never had (5 years!) then last month I had my hand in the tank doing something, not paying attention to the fish but just concentrating on placing a coral and all of the sudden that bastard bit me out of nowhere! It really caught me off guard and hurt a good bit, enough to make me drop the coral, and spash a bunch of water outside the tank as I quickly retreated my hand. I guess I think he was trying to tell me not to put that coral so close to his anemone!

 

[The_cold_one]

Yeah I have been bit by a tomato but its nothing compared to being bit by a Niger Trigger fish!

 

[reefstew]

Do they bite,YES! I breed ocellaris, b&w & tomato clowns. They lay their eggs on clay pots & when I remove the pot for hatching a war breaks out. Even after I exchange clay pots they are cursing me out. I read their lips.