Female Snowflake is bitting me!

[GPhiAce]

My female snowflake started bitting me last week. Everytime I put my hand in there, she gives me a nip. She may get thumped at some point. At first I thought she was hungry or protecting a clutch of eggs, but she is just mean. The male doesn't bite me. They are both bullies and control the other fish in the tank (2 flame wrasse, Golden rhomboid, and yellow tang). And she bullies the male too. Just felt like sharing and posting something.

 

[ezhoops]

I noticed mine started biting just before they started laying eggs. Usually a good sign that they could be ready to spawn soon.

 

[2Addicted]

Mine do it too.

 

[reelfishy]

It's pretty normal for clowns to get territorial near their nems or whatever they are hosting. My old clown used to host a powerhead and everytime my hand gets near it she'd attack.

 

[davocean]

Pretty much most clowns will bite/nip, some pretty bad.
My maroon drew blood pretty often.
By accident I discovered that wearing a shiny watch, she would bite that instead of me, probably at her reflection.
Wearing that watch eventually became routine when reaching in tank, and eventually she mellowed, probably dulled her teeth!

 

[GPhiAce]

Pretty much most clowns will bite/nip, some pretty bad.
My maroon drew blood pretty often.
By accident I discovered that wearing a shiny watch, she would bite that instead of me, probably at her reflection.
Wearing that watch eventually became routine when reaching in tank, and eventually she mellowed, probably dulled her teeth!

That is kinda funny. I may just give her a good flick or 2. It is startign to hurt. The first time I did not realize she was bitting me, but then she started using teeth.

It's pretty normal for clowns to get territorial near their nems or whatever they are hosting. My old clown used to host a powerhead and everytime my hand gets near it she'd attack.

I thought it was territory too, but then I realized her territory is the whole tank. I wish she would host my duncans like my percs did.

I noticed mine started biting just before they started laying eggs. Usually a good sign that they could be ready to spawn soon.

I wish. Then I would have to :dance: then :reading: . Maybe have to :beer: with a friend, but then she would want them. And I would be :furious: . All that is if nothing eats them.

 

[bues0022]

If she is bothering you that much, you can always just sell her to me

 

[NirvanaFan]

My ocellaris started to do that and laid eggs a few months later. The female drew blood multiple times. She latched onto my hand and went for a 5 foot drop a few times too!

 

[davocean]

Flicking her won't do anything except maybe define that you will be the enemy, trust me, been there...
Try wearing a shiny bracelet, other have said it works for them too.
It's no big when they bite that, but my maroon made me break corals just from the shock of her sneak attacks startling me.

 

[GPhiAce]

If she is bothering you that much, you can always just sell her to me

That is one option.

My ocellaris started to do that and laid eggs a few months later. The female drew blood multiple times. She latched onto my hand and went for a 5 foot drop a few times too!

funny- the drop that is.

Flicking her won't do anything except maybe define that you will be the enemy, trust me, been there...
Try wearing a shiny bracelet, other have said it works for them too.
It's no big when they bite that, but my maroon made me break corals just from the shock of her sneak attacks startling me.

flicking her may make me feel like I am doing some negative reinforcement. She is easy to catch, so if I need to do alot of work, I will just box her. Otherwise, this is the best method to keep me from mucking around in my tank.

 

[Mavrk]

She is easy to catch, so if I need to do alot of work, I will just box her.

Haha, put her in time out.

 

[t4zalews]

i had a couple clownfish that would bite me..and quick flick would chill them out. Don't be afraid to discipline ur fish

 

[O'Man]

My female perc did that for years and then 1 day she stopped. She would go for the skin in between the fingers & draw a little blood. The only thing that has changed is the rbta has split a bunch of times & spread so there are more places for her to go to when I reach in the tank. I haven't been bitten in a long time. I don't know if it is because she is older or the increase in nem space.

 

[DustinB]

I have one in a nanocube and every time I clean the tank she tries to bite me a flick me with her tail. Flicking/Intimidation does nothing for me, she just comes back even more PO'd and more aggressive.

 

[davocean]

I have one in a nanocube and every time I clean the tank she tries to bite me a flick me with her tail. Flicking/Intimidation does nothing for me, she just comes back even more PO'd and more aggressive.

Exactly, instead of negative reinforcement, why not try positive?
I did this by letting her see me feed her nem, not sure she got the point or not, pretty sure she was just tired of hitting my watch, but I can pretty much gaurantee aggro actions will only be met w/ more aggresion.
They are not puppies, hoping to be petted, and therefore reacting or responding to discipline.
They pretty much see you as an intruder invading their territory.

 

[NirvanaFan]

Mine don't like the taste of latex. Anytime I use gloves, she'll bite once and not do it again. She also can't get my skin with gloves on.

 

[alexandernewell]

Exactly, instead of negative reinforcement, why not try positive?...

Negative is to remove a stimulus and Positive is to add a stimulus, reinforcement is to encourage an action or behavior and punishment is to discourage an action or behavior. Flicking the fish would be adding a stimulus (the flicking) to punish the behavior (the biting). It is positive punishment. Negative reinforcement would be to take away things to encourage the fish to bite you more.

Give a treat when she plays nice and doesn't bite, Positive reinforcement. Time out when you get bitten is Negative Punishment. You are taking away the nem and territory. I don't know what their capacity is to LEARN behaviors and its probably all just instinct so I would go with something shiny. Ohh, give a friend a laser pointer.

Sorry, was a psych major for a while and the profs would get sooooo mad about this stuff. Drilled into my head alot better than some of the other nonsense.