Why does my clown hate the corals???

[BUDS8KICKS]

I have a Gold Stripe Maroon Clown that is about 2 1/2 inches long, and he keeps butting my sun polyps and knocking them over. He also keeps picking at my elegance coral. Is there a reason for this? He used to be in a tank by himself with live rock and I just recently added corals. Is he being territorial? Do you think he will stop, because I don't want him to kill my corals.

 

[Anemonebuff]

He is probably a she. And she will decorate the tank as she sees fit. My tomato kept knocking over my torch, which never recovered. Just recently I saw her take a bite out of my bubble coral. Fortunately, it healed after about 24 hours.

 

[Dubbin1]

My female GSM clown does the same thing. I find it amazing at how big of a rock she can move.

 

[gflat65]

Maroons are notorious for being degreed interior designers. Mine is a major PITA. If I glue something in place, she almost immediately comes behind me to knock it off the rock. For their size, they are strong little monsters. Mine has moved 1-2 pound rocks around from one side of the tank to the other. She also attacks me if I get too close to her anemone. When I glue something in place, I keep my hand near it for a few more minutes to try to discourage her from knocking the newly glued coral off the rock. I can sometimes divert her attention with a pinch of flakes. Doesn't always work, but has been helpful lately. Try not to get too aggresive towards her, though, as she has a good memory and will increase aggression towards you (I've gotten a few thumps in when she really ticks me off and it takes a while for her to forget...).

 

[TJ]

hehe... me too gflat- (getting in a few thumps on the maroon). Just last night while doing a water change and cleaning a few rocks, she about chewed me to bits! I've had this one since almost day one (about 7 years), and she's a toughie- been through everything imaginable. But yeah, whenever I'm doing any aquascaping, placing something new, especially around her "habitat", she goes nuts and decides to challenge me on the interior designing!

 

[11fishes]

i'm glad i only have 5 little ocellaris

 

[gflat65]

I can't image a tank without her (had her longer than I've known my wife-10 years now), but they can be a PITA. They are tough little suckers.

 

[Angel*Fish]

Re: Why does my clown hate the corals???

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6823731#post6823731 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BUDS8KICKS
Do you think he will stop, because I don't want him to kill my corals.

I don't think she will stop- IME it only gets worse

 

[Azurel]

I will have to agree with the post here...I have a 4-5 inch GSM and she is absolutely a pain. I have been battling her for the last few weeks with my zoanthid colonies. I put them where I want them and she puts them where she wants them usually upside down in the sand. So I have tried to move them over a bit away from her space and it has tamed down a bunch. They sure will cause you to pull out your hair.

 

[gflat65]

I've not actually lost any corals due to her redecorating, but I am usually pretty quick to upright a coral if she flips it. She has lost a lot of her aggression since the anemone moved to a side of the tank away from where I usually have my hands. If I get within 2 feet of her area, she will knock them down right away 70% of the time. Once they are glued in place and she tries to move them a few times and fails, she leaves them alone. Not to say she won't try again at some other time, but for the most part, once they are glued in place, they stay there nowadays.

 

[zimmy1979]

WoW. My true percula pair are nothing like that. The female will only bite me when I don't bring food when doing work.

 

[steve the plumb]

my maroon alwalys bites me when my hand goes in the tank.Loves my flower pot,is always inside so I moved the coral.Its not as bad now doesn't guard it as much.Still bites me dam clown doesn't get scared on anything.

 

[Jamie2337]

What is a GSM?

 

[mcegelsk]

Gold Striped Maroon (Clown)

 

[BUDS8KICKS]

Thanks for the info on the clown. My husband wants to trade her in after he saw her pull a piece of our elegance and spit it out. We went and bought her a Sebea Anenome last night, and I am hoping she will take to it. She was here before we started the reef tank, and I would hate to loose her.

 

[clkwrk]

My full grown female maroon always did that . However since I gave her a darn anemone she has stopped 100%.

Over the years she has has a couple of anemone's and each time she had one she would stop . But she killed them because she was too darn rough. My solution was to get a large 16+dia anemone for her and all has been well since.