My Clown Tang Turned!

[Kirblit]

Well it finally happend. My Clown Tang decided to bully my female Clown fish (turned on his own circus buddy LOL) and put a pretty good gash in here side and now she isn't eating much. Needless to say I'm PSSSSSSST off. I didn't want to get the tang in the first place but my wife talked me into it. It's a shame really because it's a really healthy fish and a beauty. They are all in QT right now in hypo, again (didn't work the first time due to me going out of town and trusting someone to use a refractometer and keep the salinity constant in my place, whole other story) so I can't trade in the Clown Tang until it's finished so I used some egg crate and separated the tangs from the Clown fish so that she can hopefully heal. I have had the Clown Tang for 7 months and he has been a model citizen up till now. I guess he's just getting older and staking out his territory. I knew going in that it was an aggressive fish and watched him like a hawk.

 

[Woodstock]

Sorry to hear about the injured clownfish but don't give up on him!

I once had a blue damsel (loved this fish) in my reef and it too got a very, very deep gash (probably also from a tang). As a matter of fact, the injury was SO bad I tried to catch it so I could humanly euthanize it. Luckily I could not catch it because eventually it healed up with just a scar to show for it The fish didn't eat for over a week and was very lethargic (unless I tried to catch it) for several weeks. I would have bet a lot of money it was going to die... but it lived! So, don't give up on your clownfish

 

[Kirblit]

I won't give up. I have had this pair for almost 2 years and they are my babies. I will do anything I can to nurse her back to health. I think that she will pull through the wound already looks better after just a couple of days. At least the hypo will have a good benefit for this as well, glad I didn't use copper. I just wish that I could have been one of the lucky one's with this tang as it really is a cool fish.

 

[Kirblit]

Well my Clown fish is eating again as of Sat. and she is swimming around more normally. The cut is still pretty bad as there is a gap between the flesh and it will probably take some time to heal.

I think that I will add a less aggressive tang for my next fish after the Clown Tang is gone. I think I'm going to go with a Naso. The only other tang that I have is a Kole and I think that they should get alone fine. Any input from anyone about this choice?

 

[SubRosa]

The fish will get along fine until the Naso out grows the tank.You can't really blame the Clown for being a (WORD DELETED).It's what they are!Another fish that like the Naso really needs a BIG tank, albeit for different reasons.

 

[zy112]

Glad to hear the clown is eating again. Good luck with the recovery

 

[BoomerD]

Sadly, you're NOT going to change the clown tang's nature...They're as bad or worse than Sohal tangs for aggressive behavior, and often, have to be the ONLY fish in a tank...(or they'll make it so)
Beautiful fish...but those stripes should be horns...they're evil monsters...

 

[Kirblit]

Well my Clown fish is all healed up now and everything seems to be back to normal, aside from a scar to remind me never to get another Clown Tang. I'm still looking for a 200g+ so that I could keep the tang in his own tank, I really like this fish despite what he did.