Nemo: the real story

[SwampyBill]

My pair of black/white occelaris are the most passive clowns I've ever owned. The female of my perc pair would nail me everytime I was doing tank maintenance & got too close to her anemone (but the male was meek). Gold stripe maroons & tomatos are the most aggressive, IMO....

 

[Wannabe29]

Those are some awesome facts about clowns. I'm planning on getting one percula clown for my tank when I set it up.......after establishing it and getting an anemone...most likely a RBTA. Now, if only their aggressiveness could be paired with laser beams on their heads......

 

[billdogg]

I have had many clown over the years of several different types. +100 on the maroons!

Although I have only been pecked at a few times, the first sure did catch me off guard. Now it does not really bother me too much, as long as I remember that I'm in the 'happy' tank, not the one I keep my 4' undulated moray in!!! You want a bite??? I'll show you a bite!!! Well, not yet...................20 years and counting

I have video of a dive from a few years ago - I was busy getting close up footage of some shrimp, when BAM! on the side of the video housing - the biggest maroon I've ever seen, and she was MAD!!! Turned the camera on her and got some great footage! It sounds like someone was smacking the housing with rock.

 

[eric@tampa]

My female occelaris bites my hand every time it goes in the tank,even draws blood at 2". Not a laid back fish.

 

[stormrider27]

I have 4 Ocellaris and all of them are model tankmates to the other fish and always come up to me when I am near the tank but have yet to bite even when my hand is near their Nem.

 

[charnkiat]

What would you recommend between keeping one lone occelarius or a pair of them? Would keeping just one make it more laid back?

 

[jenjen]

Thanks for the info.

I have an occellaris pair in my 180g and they stay in their corner unless there's food in the tank. I have a clarkii pair in my 55g and Mrs is the biggest chicken there is... my daughter LOVES to walk by the tank and watch her dive for her cave. I would imagine it's just a matter of time before they become evil... I'll be extra careful with selecting future tank-mates for them.

 

[pr12]

I have a pair of occellaris that are mean as can be, biting and slamming into my hand when doing any maintence. The female even jumps from time to time when im feeding and goes for my hand. I am very glad I didnt get the full grown clarkii pair my fiance wanted.

 

[trb]

LOL at some of these comments! We have a clarkii that is about 2" long and it got banished to the bottom tank because it took a bite out of our new flame angel's tail. Ever since then it has attacked me whenever I put my hands in the tank. I guess it is mad at me.

A week ago, when I turned off all the pumps to clean and the water level rose to the top, it even jumped out of the tank to attack me! It bounced on the floor and flopped around, luckily it was only about a 20" drop. But I should have tortured that little bugger some like it does to me, before I threw it back in the tank! LOL!

 

[SwampyBill]

Get a pair...One is good, but the behavior of a mated pair is facinating, IMO.

 

[DOTZ]

Sorry, but I disagree that they're rone to get ich. Clowns are very hardy and no clown I have ever owned has gotten ich even while in a tank where a other fish had ich.

I agree with pretty much everything else though. =]

 

[Saltwat3rAddict]

i have a pair of false percs. my first fish in the tank. they are amusing and welllll laid back. anything i put into the tank is fine and gets along great. so i think differently upon this post. but also every fish IS in fact different in different tanks and surroundings.

 

[Sk8r]

I've never seen a clown that had an anemone have ich. I think once they 'slime-up' for residence in a nem, it protects from ich as well. I have, however, seen plenty of clowns with ich. Part of their problem is they're often the first fish, with a new hobbyist, in an unstable tank---and that is a status that can cause stress. That's one reason I advise waiting. There are fish that are less susceptible. And the clowns are definitely happier if they have something nem-like to live in. So I maintain if you want one, wait until your tank can support a nem and then bring in a healthy (qt'd!!!) clown pair, and you'll have a happy experience (until the lil beggar decides to defend!)