Reef Discussion

[rosechaser]

Wondering if anyone can comment on my clown pairs activities.

Couple of things, first every now and then the male almost convulses, doesn't last long maybe just a few fast twitches then stops and maybe a couple of times .... female seems to be all over him when this happens

Almost look like they're fighting at other times but then next minute they're side by side in the BTA like nothing happened.

Last thing is they go down to the sand and swish their tails and move all the sand around...not k=just a bit...lots!!!

Is all this normal?

 

[firebird]

male does this to show submission to the female-mine also does this

Don't know about the sand bit though

 

[MagicJ]

dr_schell can hopefully chime in here, but I think the shimmying is the male submitting to the female ;)

 

[Dr. Schell]

the convulsing is a form of submission, it acts to reduce agression in the dominant fish. Is common when pairs are forming, but once a pair is established, it is relatively rare. Occurs also when pairs are determining a nest site and just prior to the first breeding attempt.

 

[Dr. Schell]

behaviour is very common in oscillaris and percula clowns. Less common in tomato, clarki. Almost nonexistent in Premnant. Premnas show submission by the bright colouration of the male, and the male also puts is mouth on the cheek-spine of the female.

 

[rosechaser]

Mine are Barrier reef Clowns akindynos the shimmying really started once they got settled into the BTA

I was in the LFS today and saw a clown doing the sand swishing thing!

 

[alteclansing]

My clown is crazy, one of them just love jumping OVER the wier to the overflow section at the back of the tank... Why do they like to jump. Also my clowns are tank bred, not wanting to host at all. It is currently sleeping at the top left corner of the tank at night.

 

[MagicJ]

My two sleep in the top left corner as well ;)

 

[Dr. Schell]

My clown is crazy, one of them just love jumping OVER the wier to the overflow section at the back of the tank... Why do they like to jump. Also my clowns are tank bred, not wanting to host at all. It is currently sleeping at the top left corner of the tank at night.

if it is the smaller of the 2, it may be jumping over the wier to escape aggression. Alternatively if they are sleeping at the survace and get a fright in the night, this may cause them to go over the weir. As they mature, this behaviour should cease