Strange strange behavior

[fstar25]

I recently upgrade my lighting to LEDs, you can see my thread in the nano forum for info. Whenever I turn the white lights off and have only the royal blue lights on....two things happen every time. I have tested this at many different times of day to proof it out.

1st and not so strange, my mystery wrasse and blue-green chromis head for their sleeping places among the rocks. Guess when it's dark they just want to sleep. I wonder if I left my tank dark for a few days if they would just veg the entire time?

2nd thing that happens every and the reason for this post....My clowns, who are the very best of partners and don't leave each others immediate space begin a frightening ritual. They head to their softball sized brain coral (which is their home). they swim around the brain for a few seconds in what looks like an attempt to find a cozy spot like they do at night....Then they see each other, and start to fight. I don't mean the normal 1 clown is the boss and you are in my sleepy hole fight. I mean you walk around the corner and see the person that killed your dog and got away with it kind of fight. They square off, shake a little bit, then one pounds the other into the sand, and I'm pretty sure they would not stop until the lights either go out or the white lights come on.

I don't leave them like this for long because that would be cruel but I'm going to be setting up my reefkeeper this weekend and was planning on doing the blues on before the whites and staying on longer (sunrise/sunset etc.). I am wondering if anyone has any idea on this strange behavior.

Oh and as soon as the whites are back on our the lights go out they snuggle up together on the brain like nothing strange just happened.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[fstar25]

I'll try and video this behavior tonight so you all can see what I'm talking about.

 

[rkelman]

That's really strange. Clown behavior can be really peculiar. My guess is its one of them that starts it and the other is just reacting to it. My best guess is that the blue light is changing the appearance of the clowns to each other or even just one to the more aggressive fish thus causing the fight. If they were mine I'd start with the led's very dim and introduce them slowly to it so they recognize each other in the different light. I assume you can dim the blues and / or fade the whites into blue slowly. Even if you had to do it manually for a bit.

Good luck.