Vicious ocellaris

[ACBlinky]

I'm absolutely amazed at how incredibly vicious my female occy has become lately. This species is generally said to be one of the most laid-back, but she's an absolute terror! She's friendly as heck with her tankmates, never bothers anyone, but since she started living in my colt coral she has definitely started to bite the hand that feeds her. I'm not sure if it's her age and size (she's about four years old, 3" or so), the fact that she has a host, or just territorial behaviour that comes with being settled in a mature tank, but she's a very different fish from the little clown I adopted a year or two ago!

Working in the tank today was an exercise in pain. I usually wear gloves but I was kalking majanos and mounting frags and wanted the dexterity of bare hands. Lucy followed my arm through the tank, taking a bite every few seconds. I was up to my shoulder in water at one point, and she bit the back of my arm -- it's almost as though these fish know where the tender spots are! I have bite marks between every one of my fingers, on the underside of my forearm, on the inside of my elbow... She's cute, but she sure is mean!

 

[Toddrtrex]

My B&W Os are the same way. I was doing a water change ( with hand in the tank ) last night, and the female was relentless. And of course the male had to get into the fun too.

Funny enough my clarkii pair ( in a different tank ) are huge wimps when it comes to attacking me.

 

[5speedT]

My Occelaris is the same way. I made the mistake of etting her used to eating right from my hands.....NOW everytime my hand goes in the tank she thinks its dinner time. Shes like a pitbull.

 

[Zaita]

Sorry to say but clowns (even Occ.) can become very mean and territorial when hosting. Our female Occ is no problem, but the male gets VERY agro when you are working in "his" tank.

He even jumped out of the water to bite my partner one day and landed on the carpet. This behaviour is unlikely to change.

 

[Kinetic]

i'm glad my ocellaris are very nice

 

[DazedandConfuse]

My son used to have two yellow tail damsels that were like that. Never were aggressive to other fish; but would attack a person in a heart beat. I was glad when he gave them away!

 

[cbr600rri]

I noticed mine started to "attack" me after my pair started to lay eggs.

 

[salty316]

I had three occ's that were very doscile and a single one in a seperate tank that was viscious. I added the three in with the mean one and now they're all crazy mean. Blinky's right they do seem to where the tender spots are.

 

[trdofwrkin]

my true perc bites me everytime i put my hand in the tank anywhere near her frogspawn...she actually drew blood once

 

[salty316]

I forgot to mention how mean my Clarki was. When he was big he could draw blood as well.

 

[Lmecher]

My ocellaris were very timid untl they started hosting a hairy mushroom. They bite once in a while not very hard but I have a maroon who draws blood, she is nasty mean.

 

[Swanwillow]

oh great, I get a pair of occ... and come to find out I may as well bought a trigger? GREEEAAATTT

just kidding...

 

[trdofwrkin]

lol I think its funny how protective they get.....I have a pair of tomatoe clowns at work and the female gets really vicious...she wont even let the male near her nem......At least my true perc shares with her partner

 

[ACBlinky]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12190546#post12190546 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zaita
Sorry to say but clowns (even Occ.) can become very mean and territorial when hosting. Our female Occ is no problem, but the male gets VERY agro when you are working in "his" tank.

He even jumped out of the water to bite my partner one day and landed on the carpet. This behaviour is unlikely to change.

I don't expect it to -- which is why I normally wear gloves!

It's interesting that some of your clowns started when they took a host, or started laying eggs. I guess it's something that comes with maturity; they stake out a territory and just don't want that giant hand coming anywhere near! I thoughtlessly put a hand into the tank today to retrieve something (dropped a plastic lid in at feeding time) and POW!! There was Lucy, fins flaring, eyes blazing, barreling towards me at 100mph with her teeth bared. As she bit me I could almost hear her -- "I thought I told you never to come back! Didn't you learn your lesson yesterday? Well, THIS will teach you!" Yep. Bleeding. Good thing I love her

 

[dc]

Mine are very well behaved. It's my dang maroon I'm afraid of.

 

[sunhair]

my tomato pair was like that viscous, I had the same prob with the female not letting the male near the bta she a royal ya get the idea.

I switched up for some ocellaris they are luckily very mellow at the moment I am knocking on wood that they stay that way