Frustrating Maroon

[djc1026]

I just upgraded from a 75 to a 150 almost 2 weeks ago. My Maroon female, which I've had for over 2 years has decided to clear out under a pillar of rocks. She spends hours blowing sand out from under the rocks. She occasionally did this before, but now it has been never ending for the past 5 days. I have to un bury corals and had to stabilize the rock structure.

Anyone know what this behavior is and/or why she is doing it? Is there anything to get her to stop. It's really aggravating to have to rearrange an entire side of the tank for her.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[craig813]

is there a male in there with her?

my friend had one do the same thing before she laid eggs.

He lost a few corals on the sand bed also.

gl, craig

 

[djc1026]

There's a male ocellaris in the tank that I've actually had a few months longer than the maroon. They've never paired to my knowledge, although they are on the same side of the new tank now, whereas before they stayed at opposite ends only occasionally meeting in the middle.

Dave

 

[Tahlequah]

I would be she is doing it as a territorial thing. I have a female maroon that does it all the time. As sand slowly builds back up near the rock her anemone is in she will use her tail to blow it away from "her rock". And if my goby happens to be in the way she seems all the more content with herself. She will also do it at me when i am setting at my computer, which is by my aquarium.

If I was to make a guess I would say she is thinking she is in a new place and needs to stake out her territory.

 

[djc1026]

That's what I was thinking, but it's a lot of territory she staking out.

Dave

 

[Slakker]

Maroons have a huge territory...that's why they can't really be put in tanks with other pairs of clowns even at 300 or 400 gallons.

 

[dc]

I have a single female for over 6 years now, and she still does it.

 

[Zaita]

Put a white tile just below the sand where she is digging, once she reaches the tile she will be happy with herself for cleaning it all