My Perc is gonna get a timeout!!

[EddieJ]

I have had my 90 gallon reef up for around 3.5 years now. The perc was the first one in and my first saltwater fish. He/she has been happily living in two anemones (one is the main home) and rather well behaved. There is also a Blue Hippo which has been in around 3 years as well. Got the hippo at about the size of a quarter and she has grown to a big ol 6-7 inch size. My 210 gallon is under construction and should go live in around a month. Anyways, I also have 2 cromis in the tank. Today I introduced a juvi yellow tang, 2-3 inches after her 6 weeks in QT. The perc is being really aggressive and going after the yellow tang relentlessly. Leaving the anemone and attacking across the tank. Now I had a yellow tang for around 2 years, but lost her due to a mysterious death.... now I wonder if this perc is the culprit!! The perc has never shown aggression to anyone except maybe when you get too close to the anemone. Has anyone experienced this?? if this continues the anemone and perc are gonna end up in timeout in the QT... any ideas?

 

[youpey]

clowns are territorial, but in a tank that size i am a little surprised. i dont know if you want, but maybe you can move the rocks around where he normally hangs out to confuse him

 

[Carriegiesler]

My clown started attacking a big 4inch clam that I introduced because it was to close to here territory. I just rearranged the placment of her host coral as well as the clam and so far there has not been any further issues.

I say give rearranging a try, as youpey suggest; before displacing them to the QT. If you have to do so, when tranfering everything over to the new tank I would make sure she and her nem are the last to be transfered over.

 

[EddieJ]

I get the territory thing, but this clown thinks the whole damn 4ft tank is her territory LOL!! The yellow tang will be chillin on the other side of the tank and the clown will go all the way across the tank to give her hell. Seems like she just hates yellow tangs as she never is aggressive to any other fish. I do see that her nem is attached to a smaller rock that I can relocate easily, hopefully that will take some wind out of her sails....

 

[velvetelvis]

I had a female Clark's that wouldn't tolerate any other fish in her territory except her mate and a canary fangblenny (she killed a rabbitfish that was bigger than she was), but I've never heard of a perc being that aggressive. Does she have a mate? Maybe they're breeding and that's making her extra-aggressive.

I used to rearrange rockwork all the time when I had African cichlids--everybody was too busy finding new territories and sorting things out to fight any newcomers. I hope moving the anemone rock works for you.

 

[EddieJ]

Well, I moved her nem and rock to the other side of the tank where I removed my monster Green Sinularia (one of my first corals, this colony weighs around 10 pounds now!! just huge) which I am going to sell. Funny thing is she is still just hovering in space where her nem was. I guided her over to the new location where she noticed the nem, but then headed on back to where she was.. Guess we will see if that put enough confusion in her to mellow her out..

 

[EddieJ]

The early results look good. The clown is swimming around with no aggression what so ever. Actually, the Hippo has been sort of intimidating the clown now that the clowns anemone is out of her area as well. So far so good...

 

[EddieJ]

Well, that didn't take too long. The clown is back to giving the Yellow Tang hell! It's not as bad now, as she won't come across the tank to find the YT for an attack. But the YT loves to swim laps and when she gets by the clown it will attack. I am monitoring the situation as I don't see the YT being terribly upset by this. The YT is still out and active and eats well. I am just concerned about damage from the attacks. Most times the clown just charges and doesn't cause contact. Other times she is a little more persistent.

Do you think a couple of weeks down in the QT will help? I was even thinking of putting the clown in QT for the next 4 weeks as I should just about have the new system ready then and when they all get introduced into the 210 nobody has the home turf advantage.

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

Well, that didn't take too long. The clown is back to giving the Yellow Tang hell! It's not as bad now, as she won't come across the tank to find the YT for an attack. But the YT loves to swim laps and when she gets by the clown it will attack. I am monitoring the situation as I don't see the YT being terribly upset by this. The YT is still out and active and eats well. I am just concerned about damage from the attacks. Most times the clown just charges and doesn't cause contact. Other times she is a little more persistent.

Do you think a couple of weeks down in the QT will help? I was even thinking of putting the clown in QT for the next 4 weeks as I should just about have the new system ready then and when they all get introduced into the 210 nobody has the home turf advantage.

If you are not currently happy with the situation of the clown then it most likely will always be that way. I had a orange perc who would go after no other fish besides my purple tang. He was so incredibly obsessed with playing 'tag' he would follow him constantly and even when the tang was minding his own bus he would be on the prowl!! I gave him to a friend where he would go to a good home and haven't had a problem since. Usually when you rehome a fish which isn't getting along with a certain fish, peace will be restored! I would look to rehome the clown and save you the heartache. If you're really attached to the clown then you could set up a 10/20 gallon for him permanently. hth

 

[bberg16]

the damsels will teach the clown how to be aggresive

 

[ScottCRRT]

+1 for bberg. My damsel is the smallest thing in my tank, and he runs the show. lol

 

[DeathWish302]

I get the territory thing, but this clown thinks the whole damn 4ft tank is her territory LOL!! The yellow tang will be chillin on the other side of the tank and the clown will go all the way across the tank to give her hell. Seems like she just hates yellow tangs as she never is aggressive to any other fish. I do see that her nem is attached to a smaller rock that I can relocate easily, hopefully that will take some wind out of her sails....

I hate to break it to you, but once they get it in their head they own the plot your done. I've rearranged a tank, but in short time they are back at 'owning' their turf. I'm not really a 'non-clownfish' guy, so I have only tortured a coupld yellow tail damsels before with my clowns for gits & shiggles.

Depending on my current pairs temperament, some of my females will charge across the entire tank to tag my hand when rearranging rock or when pulling/placing frags in the racks. Most of these same females will not charge out to the front glass when food is present, but will accept the danger to protect their ground. Plain and simple, clowns are not as much a community fish as everyone states. I would probably put a well fed trigger in a well-stocked reef before a clown from the Tomato complex or the Maroons. I've kept Percs too and they can be fairly nasty too. What the clown species doesn't have for teeth and speed, they make up for in attitude for sure.

JME...

 

[EddieJ]

Well, the clown is at it again. My fish have been in the 210 since October and all has been well. Wednesday I introduced my new Male Flame Wrasse and the clown just about killed him in a day. I came home Thursday just in the nick of time as the wrasse was lying on his side colorless and gasping. The clown didn't pay much attention the first day the wrasse was introduced, but then the hunting started. The clown who always just stays in her nem was on the hunt, relentlessly attacking the wrasse all over the tank. So I removed the wrasse and clown and placed them in a separated tank. The wrasse has started to recover nicely. Now, how long should I keep the clown out of the 210? I was planning on a couple of weeks, this way I can introduce the wrasse and have him fit in with the other fish before I bring back the clown. I would think after 2 weeks the clown would feel like the new fish coming into the tank and not act like an *******. If I want to keep the clown I guess this is how I will have to introduce future fish, remove the clown, intro new fish, bring back clown a couple of weeks later. Thoughts??