Clown...Spooky Fish?

[Cjazinski]

I purchased a black clown fish. The LFS told me that it wasn't an agressive fish. He also sold me a shrimp with 2 different tiger looking strips and pinchers. Daily i would see legs, pinchers missing off of him. The only fish that i have big enough to attack such a thing would be the clown. Is this normal for them to be agressive. Also i don't have an anonome for it to live in. I've noticed that it will lay under neither rock, is this okay or does it need to have a home to live to guarantee a long life. Thanks.

 

[steve-s]

I purchased a black clown fish. The LFS told me that it wasn't an agressive fish. He also sold me a shrimp with 2 different tiger looking strips and pinchers. Daily i would see legs, pinchers missing off of him. The only fish that i have big enough to attack such a thing would be the clown. Is this normal for them to be agressive.

They can sometimes be aggressive but rarely for no reason. Black clowns (A. ocellaris) are usually quite docile as a rule. What other fish/mobile inverts do you have? Can you post a pic of the shrimp?

Also i don't have an anonome for it to live in. I've noticed that it will lay under neither rock, is this okay or does it need to have a home to live to guarantee a long life. Thanks.

Clowns by no means need an anemone to do well. The best suggestion is actually getting it a mate. Paired clowns do amazingly well in contrast to a solo specimen. Just be sure if you do get an additional clown it is ½ the size and the same species. Introducing a clown of the same or larger size will set off a fair amount of fighting.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Cjazinski]

Unfortnantly the shrimp is already dead, and i'm unable to find a picture. However i would like to know if i can add a different color of clown fish. such as a red or organge? i also have 1 damsel in the tank and inverts i have 1 turbo snail and 1 hermit crab. Is it true that the snail will reproduce by it self? Thanks for the help.

 

[sicklidkid]

usually mixing clowns does not end upp very well. How big is your tank?

 

[Cjazinski]

It's only a 19 gal. It's small.

 

[electrikat]

I would have suspected the damsel before the clown. They are known to be aggressive.

 

[steve-s]

I would have suspected the damsel before the clown. They are known to be aggressive.

Agreed, damsels are usually quite nasty and quite capable of picking on mobile inverts.

Sorry for the loss non the less.

As far as your clown question, you should be fine provided it is from the same species. The coloration wouldn't be a concern. A black and white perc is still an ocellaris after all.

Cheers
Steve

 

[sicklidkid]

Also in a 19 gallon mixing different clowns would probably end in one killing the other. You may want to try and get a mated pair.
HTH

 

[youngreefpro]

black clown fish

the black clowns are sometimes very aggressive, and no, they dont need an anemone to survive, i have one for a long time with out an anemone and he lived until he jumped out of my tank