14 biocube / clownfish fighting too much

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brunosm3179

New Member
I have a 14g biocube been up and running for 5 years now. Some coral I have is mushrooms and zoas. I have a oyster that is covered in mushrooms I also have two phantom clown fish.
I just recently got the clowns. I love looking at my tank and finding new hitchhikers every day even though it is an established tank



I have two phantom clowns in my 14g biocube. They were the same size when I bought them a few weeks ago, around an inch. The other morning I noticed them kind of bickering and one would start to shake, I was excited yay they might become a mated pair!!! Well when I came home that night I noticed tons of little white dots on one and none on the other I freaked out and thought ich!!! so I put them back in the QT, Well I got the ich-attack and started to treat. well I noticed the next morning that it might not be ich but him getting beat up by the other. On day two in QT and he is getting worse she beats him while I sleep. He has bruising on his head and on his back and looks like he is missing part of his fins.
I don't know what to do they are so cute and I don't want one to die, is there something I could do to help him get nourished back to health while this is taking place? I am lost and don't want to lose him, any ideas please!!!!
 
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ReefApprentice

ReefApprentice

Well-Known Member
Re: clown fish fighting a bit too much!!!!

:welcomera to ReefSanctuary. I would keep the one who is getting beat up in the QT and the female in the cube. The white dots sound like ich but without a picture it can be a lot of conditions. Get 5 posts to post a picture. I would feed something with garlic to help boost his immune system so he stays strong. Hope he pulls through
 
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brunosm3179

New Member
Re: clown fish fighting a bit too much!!!!

Thank you for the reply. The dots have gone away and now he is just losing some of his black coloring and has parts of his fins missing and now the "bully" has a cut in her fin, I am guessing from him. I have them both in the QT but the one that is getting beat up is in the net and the other one "bully" is swimming around? do you think the white dots are from her biting and ramming into him rather than ich?
 
nivek

nivek

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
RS Ambassador
Re: 14 biocube

Welcome to RS. Looking forward to seeing pics of your tank :)
 
ReefApprentice

ReefApprentice

Well-Known Member
Its a possibility but I don't think ramming would cause white dots. When a fish is under a lot of stress their immune systems get weak and they get more vulnerable to diseases and infections. Also what other fish,corals, and inverts are there if any? Any thing recently added? Exactly how old is the tank "established" can mean a lot of different time opinions. And also water parameters might help.
 
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brunosm3179

New Member
Coral: a few different zoas, few different mushrooms bubble coral , and the bad aiptasia.
Inverts: a few bumble bee snails , a turbo snail, a turbin snail, and a few nassarius snails. blue legged hermits, red tip hermits, a huge clam/oyster? that was sold to me as a rock with mushrooms. some berghia nudibranches for the aiptasia. tons of feather dusters.
Fish: two clown fish sold to me as black ice but look like phantom clown? tank has been up and running for 5 years now
 
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brunosm3179

New Member
It is crazy over the years have never had any bad luck with problems in the fish tank and in the last few month I have added a few piece of coral and the two clown fish and everything is going hay wired!!! ( the aiptasia and the two clowns battling it out
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
I've heard that it's a better idea to buy a clown pair where one is a good deal BIGGER than the other. That may eliminate the struggle for dominance. In a tank that small, it's going to be hard to keep PEACE since they've started fighting.
Sorry about your troubles but I don't think there's an easy answer other than returning one of the clowns. :(
 
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brunosm3179

New Member
Well since they have been fighting the "bully" is almost doubled the size of the smaller one.? There is a lot of LR in my DT and plenty of hiding spots as well? I really want to keep them and they seem to be ok during the day it is at night when she beats him up. I would really like for both of them to be happy and mate but it isn't my choice. Should I just give up on my beautiful clowns or continue finding away to keep him alive until he gives up? I have never seen clowns like these before and I would love to keep them both.... I thought as long as i could keep him healthy enough during the battle he could make it through and they could be happy together or am I just being unrealistic?
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
welcomefish.gif

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members
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Start a new tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along - we love pics :)
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
brunosm3179 said:
Well since they have been fighting the "bully" is almost doubled the size of the smaller one.? There is a lot of LR in my DT and plenty of hiding spots as well? I really want to keep them and they seem to be ok during the day it is at night when she beats him up. I would really like for both of them to be happy and mate but it isn't my choice. Should I just give up on my beautiful clowns or continue finding away to keep him alive until he gives up? I have never seen clowns like these before and I would love to keep them both.... I thought as long as i could keep him healthy enough during the battle he could make it through and they could be happy together or am I just being unrealistic?
Click to expand...

It's a tough call :( I really don't know how aggressive that particular variety of clown is. You will notice that on liveaquaria.com Clownfish are rated peaceful, semi-aggressive to "aggressive" depending on the variety.
I'd love to see a very good UPdate on this tread so be sure & let us know.
Perhaps you could put something in the tank as a distraction to the female (bigger) clownfish. Or maybe a protective netting enclosure for the male until she calms her aggressive behavior.
I can certainly understand wanting to keep them both. Good Luck & let us know please.
 
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brunosm3179

New Member
I have been putting the male in a a protected net so she couldn't get to him. but then she gets sad and starts to swim right next to him by the net. So I let him out and she goes at again. I will try and get pics tonight and the male has continued to lose his black color.
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
I used a little terra cotta clay pot in my tank & it worked to stop my clowns from chewing the tail off of my Dwarf Cherub Angel. It gave them a "home" and they only chase her away, not all over the tank. Tail grew back & has never gotten nipped again. Your tank is very limited in size to add a clay pot but maybe you could try adding a small piece of clay pot or tile so the female will think about cleaning it & hosting it instead of trying to kill the male. It'd be worth a try. Here's a picture of mine in their little clay pot:
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brunosm3179

New Member
This is the only way I could figure out how to share my tank. I hope enjoy it and ask any questions about any of them. Thanks

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_VmNUSWR5NU5jb2c/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_RDJBYk5oNzhLaWc/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_aVlIUE1SVURrNUU/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_RldTT1hwaHVVUTQ/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_cG1RRGxNNlMtODg/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_T1JyZ2c0QjRNU3M/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_TWVJaFVlRHpyUkk/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_QUVhMXdxWDhJX3c/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_TE1UR2xwb3ZHYWc/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_cVo5TmVNTEl1b3M/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_Rl9DV1UxSUVEd2c/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_OXBUc0NxMWFrRjg/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_aGtMeGlXOHNIa0U/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_ZDFOdFFxc0JKR1k/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_TnF4S1dxdklKdXc/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwvOgF1UuOp_Um5nM0tfODJkUms/edit?usp=sharing
 
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