six line and clown fish aggression

[LAN4]

So, I added a six line wrasse to my tank about two weeks ago and I seem to be having the opposite problem of many other people on the internet. My Ocellaris clowns have been harassing my six line (I've seen many forums about six lines harassing clowns, but not the other way around). Anyway, I made sure to get a six line smaller than my clowns as I had read that this helps since six lines are normally the aggressive one in the clown/ six line grouping. The six line has been chased around a lot by the clowns these past two weeks, but until now has suffered very little damage seeing as he is much faster than the clowns, however it seems that the clowns may've gotten the best of him and he is now torn up quite a bit and looks to be rather stressed and hiding in the corner.

I am considering adding more rock and using it to changing the aqua-scape up to hopefully confuse the caressive clowns because I assume that the aggression is due to them feeling like they own the tank.

Any advice would be wonderful!

 

[ace_92101]

What size tank are they in? Any other fish?

 

[LAN4]

They are in a 50 gallon reef tank, currently there are no other fish, just two peppermint shrimp.

 

[ace_92101]

I like your idea of more rock/different aquascape. Lack of hiding places can bring out aggression. Keeping them well fed can help some. You could always remove the clowns and reintroduce them later.

 

[scallywags]

poor little guy! hope they mellow out! I am planning on a 6 line and clowns so I am interested to hear others opinions. With enough rock/hiding i would have to imagine 50 is plenty of room for everyone!

 

[BigBlueTang]

I don't think adding the clowns first was the smartest idea. A bonded pair of clowns will easily claim 50 gallons as their territory. Shutting the lights off and rearranging the rock should work wonders.. Hopefully. How big are the clowns? Mating? How big is the sixline? Eating?

 

[BigBlueTang]

poor little guy! hope they mellow out! I am planning on a 6 line and clowns so I am interested to hear others opinions. With enough rock/hiding i would have to imagine 50 is plenty of room for everyone!

If your profile info is correct, a 35g will not be sufficient for mated pair of clowns and a 6 line wrasse.
Sounds like anarchy to me.

 

[scallywags]

If your profile info is correct, a 35g will not be sufficient for mated pair of clowns and a 6 line wrasse.
Sounds like anarchy to me.

thats depressing :sad1: I figured having only those 3 would be fine. Guess i will be reevaluating my future livestock.

 

[LAN4]

One clown is aprox. 2 inches, the other clown is aprox 2.5 inches. They are not mating. The six line is about 1 inch and has been eating.

 

[LAN4]

I do think that in the coming days I will be turning out the lights and re-arranging the rock work, likely adding rock and maybe a few new large corals as well. I am considering taking the clowns out completely when I do this and re-introducing them to the tank once the new aqua-scape is set, but I also don't want to stress the clowns by doing this, though these guys are tough so I have no doubt they will be fine.

 

[ThRoewer]

I think the notion that the sixlines usually harass clownfish is based on a misconception.
In my experience the aggression always originates from the clownfish as they see sixlines as a threat to their eggs.
The misconception may come from the fact that sixlines usually not give in easily and are always trying to stand their ground.
I had it quite a few times in the past that a sixline was minding it's own business picking pods near the clownfish's nest and the clownfish attacking it. Though the sixlines always fought back and if you had missed the start of it, it would appear as if the sixline had attacked the clownfish.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[MondoBongo]

I think the notion that the sixlines usually harass clownfish is based on a misconception.
In my experience the aggression always originates from the clownfish as they see sixlines as a threat to their eggs.
The misconception may come from the fact that sixlines usually not give in easily and are always trying to stand their ground.
I had it quite a few times in the past that a sixline was minding it's own business picking pods near the clownfish's nest and the clownfish attacking it. Though the sixlines always fought back and if you had missed the start of it, it would appear as if the sixline had attacked the clownfish.

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my sixline harassed my clowns mercilessly, even causing one to jump out of the tank.

not a misconception at all. six lines are jerks.

 

[d0ughb0y]

I have a mated pair of clown and just added a 6 line and they all just mind their own business. Tank is 60 gal.

 

[LAN4]

OK so update time.
I did buy more LR and a very large new frogspawn coral (finally one of my all time fav corals) and used these to re-do my aqua-scape. (I'm very happy with the new look BTW)

Anyway, I took the clowns out for a few hours while I re-arranged my tank and then reintroduced them with the lights off and the tank covered. Unfortunately this didn't really help their aggression much. Though it did confuse them for a few hours, they quickly went back to bullying the other fish and unfortunately ended up killing my poor six line wrasse by the end of the day. Any more suggestions on how to curb these guys aggression? I really want to add some other fish to this tank as it is a bit lonesome looking with just the two clowns in 50 gal.
So, any suggestions on other ways to control these clowns or even suggestions as to other fish that may have a stronger chance holding their own against these guys would be well appreciated!

 

[SecretiveFish]

Your poor little sixline.... If taking the clowns out and re-arranging the tank did not help, I am not sure if anything apart from separating them (maybe permanently) would curb the aggression. For whatever reason, the clownfish have claimed your entire system.

You MIGHT be able to add a goby as it occupies a different area of the tank, but I would be afraid the clownfish would go after that fish too. And if you managed to get a fish tough enough to stand up to the clowns, I would then be afraid it would pick on your clowns. Sorry you are in this position.

I have had strange experiences with clownfish.
- I have an evil naked clownfish that is living in a 16g because there is nowhere else to put her. She was paired with a snowflake clownfish for 6+ months until she started actively hunting him. I removed him and she then was the only clownfish in my 65g with a blenny and long nose hawkfish. She terrorized them and kept attacking my platygyra. I have caught her picking on the big left handed hermit crab that is in the 16 with her, but the cleaner shrimp plays referee there so it has not been a problem yet. If it becomes a problem, she is going to the LFS. I don't care if I get credit or if they use her as a feeder fish.
- I purchased a pair of snowflake clownfish from LA, and as time went on I joked they were separated but not divorced. They spent their time at opposite ends of the 150 and only came together when scared. I lost one of them (suspect the giant bubble coral) and the remaining one keeps jumping in the overflow. With only a tomini tang and a marine betta in there, it is not like he is being picked on. He is in the overflow as we type because I haven't made the time to fish him out.... again

 

[oseymour]

I had a pair of black saddleback clownfish in a 50 gallon that attacked a fully grown coral beauty, when they were moved to another tank they attacked everything including a purple tang who easily killed one of them and then the other has been a model citizen since.

 

[LAN4]

Okay, so I decided to try one more time with these clowns and I went out and bought a new six line (this one is bigger than the last) and this time if I see aggression get out of hand I will be bagging the clowns and taking the pair to my LFS for store credit and get two new clowns. The new six line is feisty and is quite promising. The way I introduce the fish was also slightly different from the last time. I separated the clowns from the rest of the tank by putting them in something similar to a mesh breeder, this way the clowns couldn't attack the six line and they were able to get used to the six line while he was getting used to the tank. once the six line seemed happy in his new tank and had plenty of time to explore, I released only one of the clowns into the tank, there was a small bit of chasing but nothing out of the norm, once the two fish were acclimated to each other I then added the second clown. Now everyone is happily in the tank. There is some minor chasing going on but the clowns are a million times better than they were with the other six line and aren't harming him. Plus I have witnessed this six line defend himself and chase the clowns right back, whereas the previous one just surrendered to the clowns completely.
So everything is well right now and I have high hopes for these guys. But again, as soon as these clowns decide to take it one step to far, back to the LFS they go!