questions about gsm

[Guest bill33]

ive had a gsm clown in my 12g dx its about maybe 2inchs long got gold stripes. anyways i herd they get very nasty when they get gold on them ive seen bemmers gsm turn and move sand at the glass with its tail. and ive stuck my finger i nthe tank and the spikes didnt flair or nothing it actually eats out of my hand. is it cause she/he is still young or maybe i got a good one.

 

o ya its captive bred

 

 

Bill

[ErikS]

As you know there are no certainties with fish..........I mean someone always wins the lottery, right? (about the same odds for a peaceful GSM)

 

I'd guess too young to be mean - my maroon is a bit bigger and flairs at me when I go near the tank, they're also masters of aquascaping.

 

Truth, I'm biased - if I had a mini speargun I'd shoot it in a second - only fish I've had in countless years that I truly detest.

 

Of course mine is the rule, your's maybe the exception.

[Guest bill33]

thats good, do you have a pair of them or no?

[ErikS]

Just one, I'd be afraid of two (I hear they get worse)

 

But...........you never know, each fish is different - there are no rules. Mine exhibits typical behavior, yours may be atypical. On the plus side mine isn't too aggressive with other fish - just me & any aquascaping I try to do (I think it knows I want it........ ).

 

But that's today, who knows about tomorrow.

[Guest bill33]

hahah ya does it flick sand at you?

[ErikS]

No sand, but when it was in a sand tank it emptied the entire corner of sand - daily sandstorms.

 

It has however snapped a monti-cap frag in 1/2 AND broken off epoxied frag mounts :D

[Guest bill33]

wow

[fishface]

I happen to think that Maroon clownfish are great! The key, as with any animal is to undstand their behavior and you can therefore work with it. They grow large, and no one should have let you add it to a 12g tank. You should plan on a moving to bigger tank later or trading her in. I recall that you have a bigger tank in the process...

 

Putting that point in the past, you should always research the fish, clam, coral or critter before buy them. And until you have a trust built with you local store, don't take anything home until they have proven that they have the experience needed and won't steer you wrong. Never buy on impulse either.

 

The Gold Bars have a lot of personality, however they guard their territory and their host with great seriousness. You will be surprised at their strength and the size of things they can move if it is placed in their territory or seems "wrong" to them.

 

In the end though, consider that she is only doing what thousands of years of evolution has come to. So let her arrange things the way she want them, because in any case, you are responsible for the care, well-being and "happiness" of this creature. Good luck.

 

FF

[Guest bill33]

well i got her when she was like 1 3/4 inch and she is about 2 1/2 and yes i have a larger tank in the future.

 

 

bill

[bededog]

I have a pair that was very docile for a while. They are hosting in a clay pot but they treat it like it is their anemone. They even feed the thing. They were both quite nice until I got them fattened up to the point that they decided to start spawning. I use a mag float to clean the glass in their tank and the female can actually move it. She bites at it the entire time I am cleaning the glass. Oh...and she will draw blood if I put my hand in the tank without a glove on. They are both very aggressive when they have a nest and they are both someone skittish when they have no eggs.

 

I believe all clowns get very territorial when they are spawning, but some species are more likely to get physical with you. I have a pair of ocellaris that sort of bluff charge me when they are tending a nest. They eat out of my hand when there is no nest. My clarki female has drawn blood a couple of times too. They were very docile for a long time and then one day I put my hand in to change their pot and she nailed me. It startled me to the point that I pulled my hand out very quickly and nearly flung her across the room. After that I am very careful to watch the fish in the tank if I am going to put my hands in it. I would have been very sad if I would have killed her because I was being careless.

 

If you are thinking about pairing your female GSM you should be sure to get a small young juvenile so he submits right away. I believe female GSM's are the toughest to pair once they are mature.