Extremely aggressive Ocellaris

[jhawkor]

I purchased a pair of Ocellaris a couple weeks ago that are doing very well, but there is one problem. I cannot put my had in the tank without them trying to tear it to shreds, lol. the male's bites don't hurt too bad, but the female really holds on, and her bites feel like a continuous hard pinch. They are the only fish in a 30 gallon long. Does anyone else have this problem?

 

[BigCountry74]

Interesting. Were eggs recently laid perhaps?

 

[AquaReeferMan]

I have yet to own a pair of clowns in 10 years that the female didnt do that to me when I went into the tank. They are feisty little buggers. They are just defending their territory.

 

[Ostara]

I recently got rid of a lone female B&W ocellaris about 2 1/2" long that was the same with me. No matter where I put my hand in that tank she would immediately charge over and attack me continuously. She would actually clamp down and thrash like a dog. She was relentless too; when I rearranged the rockwork in that tank it took me about an hour to an hour and a half. She must have bitten me three hundred times. After that I realized that I just couldn't tolerate that much harassment from a freaking fish, especially one that wasn't even paired or spawning yet, so I traded her in and got a pair of perculas for that tank. Thankfully they never leave their magnificas. :lol:

 

[BiGPiNK]

wierdly nemo seems to have gotten used to me and tends to stay in his nem when i'm in the tank. it's a different matter if my wife goes in to re-arrange however, she usually calls me through after 10 mins to net him as he just will not leave her alone!

 

[shred5]

Yea the same here all my clowns have done that. Try a pair of clarkiis.

 

[reeferstace]

They are clowns. It's what they do.

 

[westohooligan]

All of my clowns do that. I just got a pair of ocellaris from a buddy and they couldn't be more gentle. All of his have always been "pets", but mine have been the spawn of the devil.

*edit* By the way: where in Kansas are you from? I grew up around Dodge City...

 

[jhawkor]

All of my clowns do that. I just got a pair of ocellaris from a buddy and they couldn't be more gentle. All of his have always been "pets", but mine have been the spawn of the devil.

*edit* By the way: where in Kansas are you from? I grew up around Dodge City...

I go to school at KU, so I'm in Lawrence.