clown fish habits

[MsBeanCtr]

I have a pair of clownfish and I'm trying to figure out what they are doing. I wasn't sure if this was the correct place to ask this question but I'm hoping someone will move it if need be.....

My clownfish stay up in the top corner of the tank and only come out for food. It's always the same place in the tank.....is it possible that they are truly hosting a corner of the tank?? They rarely come out from that corner and it's way in the back of the tank.....if I wrench my neck enough I can see them but I'm not getting a lot of enjoyment watching them that way.

What's the scoop with them? Is this a natural behavior? (yes, I know, they aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer)

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Sounds normal to me, assuming mine is "normal"! I've assumed they take a corner because it's a good defensive position and nothing can sneak up behind them. Luckily, mine chose the front corner!

Seems like mine was in my tank for at least a year before it started venturing around the tank for extended periods. It now wanders around from time to time, but for the most part sticks around it's host corner.

 

[Sadielynn]

Meh that is normal . Ours are abnormal in that they are out of their "hosted" area about 95% of the time and in it at night , our male has started hosting the GSP and the female is looking at a few other long tenical corals to host it took ours just under a month to utilize the full tank (tho it is a 10 gallon nano not hard at all LOL ) Yep it is normal that they do that in nature they rarely venture more than 3 feet around from their host anenome/coral from what I have read up on ...so for those who have them that stay in a corner give them time they are not strong swimmers and will take time to explore

 

[MsBeanCtr]

Meh that is normal . Ours are abnormal in that they are out of their "hosted" area about 95% of the time and in it at night , our male has started hosting the GSP and the female is looking at a few other long tenical corals to host it took ours just under a month to utilize the full tank (tho it is a 10 gallon nano not hard at all LOL ) Yep it is normal that they do that in nature they rarely venture more than 3 feet around from their host anenome/coral from what I have read up on ...so for those who have them that stay in a corner give them time they are not strong swimmers and will take time to explore

So I have a couple of dorks....Great!!

So...one more question....sometimes the male clown will swim up close to the female and do this "shimmy" kind of thing to her (it almost looks like a shiver of sorts)....is he trying to "get his freak on" with her?

 

[ccCapt]

I think that's more common with perculas and ocelllaris. What do you have? My clarkii's never leave their host sebae except to eat.

 

[MsBeanCtr]

I think that's more common with perculas and ocelllaris. What do you have? My clarkii's never leave their host sebae except to eat.

they are perculas.....I bought them over a year ago and they were matched up at that time.

 

[melosu58]

Mine used to hide in corners also but yrs later here they are. I think they will eventually come out and host some of the corals.

 

[pat8you]

So...one more question....sometimes the male clown will swim up close to the female and do this "shimmy" kind of thing to her (it almost looks like a shiver of sorts)....is he trying to "get his freak on" with her?

Mine do the same thing and I've been wondering about that. If you figure it out let me know.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

So I have a couple of dorks....Great!!

So...one more question....sometimes the male clown will swim up close to the female and do this "shimmy" kind of thing to her (it almost looks like a shiver of sorts)....is he trying to "get his freak on" with her?

That shiver is so bizarre... first time I saw mine do it I thought I was having a brain aneurysm because it looked like one of those movies that they drop out every other frame and it looks all jittery. I had to blink several times and by that time, it was over. I've always equated it to mating behavior, but I only have a single Ocellaris. Maybe it really likes its reflection?

 

[fijiwigi]

So I have a couple of dorks....Great!!

That made me laugh thanks. My clowns cruise around the top of the tank and rarely venture to the bottom at all. they usually circle the top of the tank every time the circle the front where the powerhead is pointed they do the shiver like some kind of way to shake off the water flow. and don't really host anything really.

 

[MsBeanCtr]

That made me laugh thanks. My clowns cruise around the top of the tank and rarely venture to the bottom at all. they usually circle the top of the tank and don't really host anything really.

I now find out that I have dorks and perverts too (see Kurt's post)......

Super!

 

[fijiwigi]

My clown did the shiver when solo I guess that raises a few questions hopefully it wasn't trying to attract me, LOL

 

[Sadielynn]

Yes they are getting their freak on . It is a submission thing where the male (as it should be ) submits to the female , it can also be followed with the female nipping (equate this to the female saying "not tonite I have a headache" or "thats right I am the female" )

 

[fijiwigi]

It is a submission thing where the male (as it should be ) submits to the female , (equate this to the female saying "not tonite I have a headache" or "thats right I am the female" )

Not with ya 100% on the analogy but I am sure this is true with the fish.

 

[Sadielynn]

The woman is always right , Right?
The female clowns are the more agressive of the 2 the male will shimmy to say they are still male or something in clown talk it is kinda their way of acknowleging the "alpha " clown fish ..

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

The woman is always right , Right?
The female clowns are the more agressive of the 2 the male will shimmy to say they are still male or something in clown talk ...

Ahhh... so it's trembling in fear of the female. Either that, or it's a reaction to its spine slowly disintegrating as it comes under control of the female.

And yes... you're right.

 

[Sadielynn]

Ahhh... so it's trembling in fear of the female. Either that, or it's a reaction to its spine slowly disintegrating as it comes under control of the female.

And yes... you're right.