Strange Ocellaris pair behavior

[LJA]

My 29G reef is about 9 months established and I've had an orange Ocellaris clown in for about 7 of those 9 months and recently (about 3 months ago) added a smaller black Ocellaris clown to make them a pair. Everything almost went fine, initially there was some fighting which is normal and eventually stopped.

They get along great now, swimming togeather and sleeping in the same spot.

but...

When I feed, sometimes the dominant orange will attack the black one and prevent it from getting food. (The only sign of aggression in my tank). This is really nothing, not really fighting, more like just chasing for half a second and then leaving him alone.

but then...

The second that my lights turn off my orange clown turns into a differant fish, damaging fins on my black clown and viciously chasing him into the sand and not stopping until I shoot her with a turkey baster.

There is not a problem with any of my other fish and this only happens at night the second my lights go off, and its not just sometimes, its every night!


Tank inhabitants:

Coral Beauty
Black O clown Male
Orange O clown Female
Purple Psuedochromis

All parameters are great


Whats the problem? any way to solve this?

 

[secrest]

I wish I had an answer for you. My occy pair do the same thing once the lights go off, not quite as bad as it sounds like yours do though.

 

[LJA]

Anyone else?

 

[Guygettnby]

do you have a anenomne in your tank? How are you feeding them? do you feed frozen food? if so do you defrost it in tank water first?

i had a pair of GB maroons that the female was very harsh to the male when he tried to sleep in or around the anenomne. eventually everything worked itself out and life went on.

1 of my other perc pairs, the female would attack the male around feeding time like she was saying to him this is my food go find your own. so to remedy that i just spread the food out across the top making sure there is enough for all and room enough were they are not close when eating.