hypertech August 2, 2012 August 2, 2012 I have a pair of true percs. About two years ago, I acquired two small percs. Now, one has grown much larger and I assume that means I now have a pair. The smaller male at first would just follow me around when I was cleaning up the tank. Some might have called it "cute." Then, the head butting started when I got too close to his anemone. Then, little nips. Now, he has recruited the bigger female and they aren't content to just protect their anemone - they go into full attack mode as soon as I put my hand in the tank. They are seriously after blood - especially the female. She looks for the biggest piece of skin she can find, grabs it and tries to rip it off. More than once, I've just grabbed her, and put her back in her anemone on the other side of the tank. She was so busy attacking me, she forgot to swim away. I've never had a perc this aggressive before, but I've not had a mating pair either. Is this behavior a precursor to mating and eggs?
Fishie August 2, 2012 August 2, 2012 My maroon tries the same with me...I just try and flick the fatty ...it feels like a shock them they do connect to flesh tho lol
mling August 2, 2012 August 2, 2012 I never put my hand in my nano that only has a mated pair of clowns. Only the female, about 8 years old, attacks me all the time. And yea, they have teeth, drew blood before.
Origami August 2, 2012 August 2, 2012 Sometimes, if you keep a net in the water close to where you're working, they'll see it and leave you alone.
treesprite August 3, 2012 August 3, 2012 My occelaris clowns are small, but the tiny 1" male flies across the 4ft tank to bite me and it HURTS! That little beast has razors on its mouth or something! A few days ago the femal which is about 2" started a habit of coming along some for some of the attacks, though hasn't yet attacked me... I think it is only a matter of time. These are the meanest fish I have ever had.
Spelter August 3, 2012 August 3, 2012 Mine isn't so much aggressive as it is indestructible. Survived full out electrocution (Fiance dropped the light in the tank) sparks shooting out of the water and everything, everything else died. Survived 2 four day power outages, the first time with only a small air stone on day 2. She even made the move here to Maryland like a champ, cant say the same for the rest of the tanks inhabitants.
RicSG August 3, 2012 August 3, 2012 Man you guys are so lucky. I wish my matted Maroon clown showed some of their true characteristics. They have gone through a lot (Crashed tank, moves) but they are the most well mannered fish i ever had. They are weird, they dig in the sand, they hide and go under rocks. I think they are just confused and do not know their true personality.
mling August 4, 2012 August 4, 2012 .... They are weird, they dig in the sand, they hide and go under rocks. I think ..... My Maroon does the same, always digging with his tail. His my sand shifter ! It has dug a cave under a rock which is loves to hide in. When his anemone split recently, the new half actually moved into that cave.
Steve175 August 5, 2012 August 5, 2012 The colonies around my maroon's 'nem are each fragged monthly (as I involuntarily jerk after being nipped). Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
jawfish August 5, 2012 August 5, 2012 my maroon is a monster, he'll bite me whenever I clean but he will also head butt live rock twice his size until it falls - I'm just waiting for him to destroy some coral colonies
TonyD August 6, 2012 August 6, 2012 I start eating goldfish crackers in front of my clown. They don't like the sight of you eating an orange fish in front of them and leave you alone.
John August 6, 2012 August 6, 2012 I start eating goldfish crackers in front of my clown. They don't like the sight of you eating an orange fish in front of them and leave you alone. HAHAHA
treesprite August 8, 2012 August 8, 2012 I start eating goldfish crackers in front of my clown. They don't like the sight of you eating an orange fish in front of them and leave you alone. I think I'll try that.... You are very funny
Viktoriia August 8, 2012 August 8, 2012 Our clown Sunny loves to bite my hand when ever i start to move things around. luckily I would say if i have my ring on he will attack the ring and spare my skin. He almost jumped out of the water chasing my hand leaving the tank!
BigWyll August 8, 2012 August 8, 2012 I thought it was only my clown. When scraping the glass my yellow tail damsels will attack the scrapper. Only the clown waits until I'm cleaning the lower glass and bites at my knuckles. Luckily it's just over an inch. I didn't know they can draw blood.
Origami August 9, 2012 August 9, 2012 I didn't know they can draw blood. Oh yes. One of my clowns started getting aggressive with me a few weeks ago. That's when I remembered somebody's suggestion (I think from our club) about dipping a net in close to where you're working. I only had to feign catching the clown with the net before it realized it was a bigger threat than I was, and it stayed back in the rockwork until I'd finished what I had to do. Since then, I've had to reach in several times, but it's not taken a pass at me - even when the net's not there.
icecool2 August 9, 2012 August 9, 2012 My clown is named Jaws and for good reason. She's a little monster. She goes right for the webbing between my fingers. I've since trained her to stop. If you flick towards them every time they come near your hand they learn (VERY slowly) to stop doing that.
hypertech August 9, 2012 Author August 9, 2012 OK, nets and goldfish crackers. I can do that. I knew some of the bigger clown species could be mean, but I didn't know true percs would get this aggressive. I've kept at least one true perc for years and never experienced it. That's why I was curious if it might be related to mating behaviour. I guess they are just plain old regular mean.
hypertech August 9, 2012 Author August 9, 2012 My clown is named Jaws and for good reason. She's a little monster. She goes right for the webbing between my fingers. I've since trained her to stop. If you flick towards them every time they come near your hand they learn (VERY slowly) to stop doing that. Tried that. Mine apparently learned to bite harder and faster instead of staying away.
Integral9 August 9, 2012 August 9, 2012 Sometimes, if you keep a net in the water close to where you're working, they'll see it and leave you alone. +1 If just putting it in the tank doesn't work. chase them around with the net a little bit. If they still go after you. Just put them in time out. Net em and leave them in net while you are working. Suspend the net from the top of your tank leaving the bottom part (where fish is) in the water of course. If you are afraid they'll jump out, leaving the fish less room will stop that. They need a running start to get very far out of the water.
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