Reef Discussion

[Susan Bates]

Hi, The guy is coming today to pick up my tank, there are 2 x clown fish in it that i would like to keep but in my other 4foot tank i have a pair of black and white clowns and in my small 70lt tank i have 1 large Maroon Clown, is there anyway i can safely do this please

 

[Chris Robertson]

I've been reading up on clowns, and here's my suggestion. In your 4 ft tank create a nice hiding place at the end o pposite from the black&whites' favourite area. Move the maroon clown to that tank and watch 'em closely. Move the other pair into the 70l tank -- they should be fine. Although the maroon is almost certainy a female, she will be in a new environment with an establised pair and should not be too aggressive. On the other hand, since she is almost certainly a female, she should be aggressive enough to fend off the established pair while she settles in. It will help if you make the nice hiding place very well protected. If there's too much fighting, move the black&whites to your quarantine tank (if you can catch them, sigh) for a few days to let maroon settle. If you can't catch them, add more divinding rock, coral, etc.

Good luck!

 

[Chris Robertson]

If the maroon has an anenome, you should definitely move that too. Likewise for the ones from the tank you sold.

Hope you have enough money for your medical stuff now.

 

[Susan Bates]

If the maroon has an anenome, you should definitely move that too. Likewise for the ones from the tank you sold.

Hope you have enough money for your medical stuff now.

Thanks, but the ones in the tank i have sold are a pair and the the black and whites are a pair

 

[Chris Robertson]

Thanks, but the ones in the tank i have sold are a pair and the the black and whites are a pair

That's why I think you should give your ocellaris pair a tank all to themselves. With lots of cover, the maroon should be able to hide from/fend off the black&whites successfully.

Alternatively, put the maroon and the ocellaris in the big tank, and move the blac&whites to the 70l. Then everyone is starting off on a level foot.

 

[Chris Robertson]

How's it working out with all the clownfish? I myself have just got a pair of tiny ocellaris, so very cute. I have anenomes, but not really the sort they like to host. BTW, any idea how that idiom came about? The anenomes are the hosts, the clownfish are actually tenants (in plain English), or commensals (in science-speak :-) ).

 

[Susan Bates]

How's it working out with all the clownfish? I myself have just got a pair of tiny ocellaris, so very cute. I have anenomes, but not really the sort they like to host. BTW, any idea how that idiom came about? The anenomes are the hosts, the clownfish are actually tenants (in plain English), or commensals (in science-speak :) ).

Hi No I had to let them go to a new home, I am sad about it but hope they are happy, I kept a yellow tang and have put it in with my other ones but they are fighting so much I am worried someone will die, so to take so long to get back to you but I fell and broke collar bone and some ribs

 

[Chris Robertson]

Hi No I had to let them go to a new home, I am sad about it but hope they are happy, I kept a yellow tang and have put it in with my other ones but they are fighting so much I am worried someone will die, so to take so long to get back to you but I fell and broke collar bone and some ribs

Gosh, you have been in the wars! Nasty -- ribs hurt all the time. Hope you're feeling a bit easier now. Sorry about the clowns -- I hope things will settle for the tang. I'd love one, but my tank is too small, alas.

One of my little clowns (and a blue-green chromis) turned out to have a parasite, embedded just behind the pectoral fin. I managed to cure the clown, but lost the chromis. I actually tried extracting the parasites with tweezers -- didn't manage to remove it from the clown, but I think I managed to squish it to death under the scales. Poor chromis was much worse off -- I hoped the hole in its side would heal, but no luck. I also suddenly lost the little blue tang I got from the same place after 5 days -- it also arrived itchy and distressed. Not buying from Eastwood Aquariums again. All my other fish are fine, but I killed two anenomes I'd collected while trying to cure the chromis. They don't like Melafix.

Hope all your other beasties are doing well. You take care of yourself -- no more falls!