True Perc. help

[Solitaryensis]

Hey guys,
I know there are some clown experts in here, so i was hoping someone could help. So i picked up a pair of true percs over the weekend and im a bit concerned about their behavior. They have both been hanging out in the corner of the tank; it looks like they are attracted to thier reflections. Ive covered the corners with some cardboard, and they are now dangerously close to the overflow. The reason i did this, was to "force" them to the center of the tank where the rose anemone is. It seems like they are looking for refuge but they dont seem to notice the anemone. The male has gone close to the frogspawn but hasnt taken to that. Should i cover the entire back and sides? Any suggestions? Oh and they are eating, and look perfectly healthy.
Thanks

 

[Natterjak]

My first pair of occelaris did that - they used to sleep right by the overflow. I think it's pretty normal for clowns - they'll probably move out a bit more once they've settled in. I'd probably just let them be until then.

ps - my brother goes to Hastings!

 

[OldmillXxX]

Covering the glass from the outside will only reflect more. Go outside and look at windows with the shade/curtain drawn and then without and you should see a big difference.

They may just be adjusting and trying to swim to the safety of "other clowns".

 

[Kinetic]

my clowns host the corner of my tank =) it's been 6 months =P

 

[xinumaster]

My occeleris didn't moved to my rbta. After a few months I end up removing the rbta cause it stinging some of my corals.

 

[OldmillXxX]

I bought my false percs the same day I bought my carpet. They were hosting it in the LFS so I figured it would be an easy match all around. After gettting them home, they were doing their thing at the top of the tank and had no idea the anemone was in the tank. I put my hand in there on the second day and scared them down towards the carpet.

They have been in it ever since.

Not to be cruel, but the false percs have got to be some of the dumbest fish. They always seem to hang out at the top of the tank or host a powerhead. They never seem to find the bottom on their own. A little coaxing always seems to help them.

 

[Kinetic]

when I was trying to catch my flame angel, my ocellaris constantly swam into the net thinking it would have food or something. I swear I caught them and my skunk cleaner shrimp 10 times and didn't catch the flame angel once. I've since given up.

 

[sanjosereefer]

My clowns do the same thing. At night, they hang around the overflow or the power head on the other side of the tank. During the day, they're mostly at top....though, lately they've been hanging around my frogspawn a bit. In my old tank, one of the clowns hung around on the inside of a colt coral most of the day. All my clowns do come out to the eat and they know where in the tank that food is dropped in and head that way if I approach the tank.

As long as the clowns look happy and eat, you're fine. They're not "swimmers" that go back and forth from what I see.

 

[Solitaryensis]

Great. Thanks for the replys everyone. I will leave them be for now and maybe coax them a bit in a couple of weeks. Does anyone have percs hosting a Rose? I know this isnt "customary" but is has been done.

Natterjak - funny, small world. So im sure your brother has told you how miserable of an exsitence law school is right? HAHA

 

[Kinetic]

some clowns never host an anemone that's right in front of them =( it could go either way. goodluck!

 

[raddogz]

My true percs host in anthelia.

 

[Natterjak]

My two occellaris host in a green BTA...one of them was in the tank before I introduced the BTA, and I think it took her about a week to find it. The second one I just got, and he went straight for it, although I think he was drawn more to the female than the anemone, and ended up there by default.

Natterjak - funny, small world. So im sure your brother has told you how miserable of an exsitence law school is right? HAHA

He has, many times. He only has two more months to go - of course, then he gets to study for the bar.

 

[fingerwrinkles]

Although I haven't tried it myself, supposedly posting a picture of a lionfish or some other predator on the side of the tank will cause the clowns to run the other way. Of course this could end up like a Gary Larson (Far Side) cartoon ..... you with a two dimensional cutout of a lionfish pasted on a popsicle stick ..... popping up here and there around the tank to scare the fish in the direction you want ...

One other option if you have a small quarantine tank is to put just the clowns and the anemone (presumably on a rock) in the tank for a few days so they bond with it. Then, when you move all three back to the tank the clowns will stay in the anemone since it is "familiar" and the tank is "strange".