Large Australian Clarkii's and Butterflies

[cayenne]

I have read in several places that Clarkii's do not often adapt to living peacefully with Butterflies such as Longnose or Copperband because wildcaught clowns see these fish as a threat to their anemone's feet...

I have a large pair of Australian Clarkii's, the female is 5.5" - 6" and the male is somewhere between 4"-4.5". In the past year she has taken down a Longnose, and now I suspect she killed my Copperband last night a day after they were introduced. I don't have proof as I didn't see it happen, but based on her past track record it's a guess.

Is what I have read accurate and I should give up on trying to keep these species of Butterflies?

 

[t4zalews]

From my experience, clarkii's when large and with anemone are very aggressive...I'd say to the extent of maroons. What other fish do you have in the tank? do they bother those fish?

 

[WDLV]

I witnessed several years ago a 3" clarkii grabbing a 4" yellow tang by the pectoral fin and helplessly dragging it from one end of a 6' tank to the other and into the waiting mouth of her host anemone. The yellow tang survived but I made sure I got one of them out of the tank shortly thereafter.

I don't think they give two schidts about species or size. If it moves and it's in their territory it's fair game. That includes 5'11" tall, 230Lb ex-military martial art toting humans... Just when I think I'm tough stuff, a tiny clown will put me back in my place. :hmm3:

 

[velvetelvis]

I used to have a pair of CB Clarkiis in a 75. The female was about 3" long and the male about 1.5". They had no anemone, just a toadstool leather the female used as a host. They killed a rabbitfish that was bigger than both of them within days of its being introduced to the tank, even though the rabbitfish was completely uninterested in their coral and tried to avoid them at all times.

On the other hand, they never seriously bothered my canary wrasse or my fangblenny, except to chase them away from the toadstool leather--go figure. They're beautiful, hardy fish--I still would have kept them, but I moved and don't have the room for a larger aquarium now--but very aggressive and territorial.

 

[Big E]

I've had a Maroon pair & a Clarki Pair with Butterflies with no isssues.

Maroons with a Mueller CBB.............only nipped if he got too close--120g

Clarkis 3& 4" --were with Semilarvatis BF's---180g

Putting new fish in a tank less than 100g is probably the reason problems happen with aggressive /established pairs.

 

[WDLV]

I should probably mention that mine was an individual.

 

[cayenne]

I've had a Maroon pair & a Clarki Pair with Butterflies with no isssues.

Maroons with a Mueller CBB.............only nipped if he got too close--120g

Clarkis 3& 4" --were with Semilarvatis BF's---180g

Putting new fish in a tank less than 100g is probably the reason problems happen with aggressive /established pairs.

Well I can say that this doesn't have anything to do with tank size unfortunately. This pair is in a 300g...

Other tank mates include:
Monroviae Tang
Fowleri Tang
Yellow Tang
Kole Tang
Midas Blenny
Lawnmover Blenny
Hawkfish
Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish
Bartlett Anthia's

Never had a problem with anyone except the Butterfly's

 

[LargeAngels]

I can tell you that my chrysopterus hates butterflies like my burgees and semi. They also hate emperor and chrysurus angels. My pair of GSM's hated emperors. My guess is that in nature these were more likely to attack their anemones. None of the other fish (angels, tangs, wrasses, etc) ever get this type of treatment from the clowns.

 

[WDLV]

It finally donned on me why you would think that butterflies might get different treatment than other fish in a clown's territory.

Anemone predation.... Duh.:idea:

 

[cayenne]

It finally donned on me why you would think that butterflies might get different treatment than other fish in a clown's territory.

Anemone predation.... Duh.:idea:

Exactly! I think it comes into play on larger, mature, WC clowns. It seems that I have definitely seen examples of it.