how hazardous are bubble tips to reef fish?

[Uhu]

I just purchased a bubble tip for my 50 gal and would like to add a few small tank-raised fish like a dottyback, bangai cardinal in addition to the ocellaris pair I already have.

my question is whether these smaller fish are likely to be eaten by my anemone.

Thanks.

ps) I was also wondering if people have had problems introducing new fish to a spawning clownfish pair given how territorial they are. As mentioned above I have 2 ocellaris in a 29 gal tank now, but am upsizing to a 50 gal soon, so I figure I'll have more room for a few more fish. Thanks again.

[ September 25, 2001: Message edited by: Uhu ]

[ September 25, 2001: Message edited by: Uhu ]

 

[Len]

BTA (E.quadricolors) rarely capture fishes. Hosting a pair of A.ocellaris, I highly doubt any other fishes being consumed by your anemone. Carpet anemones (Stichodactyla sp.) would be the only ones I'd be concerned about.

Concerning aggression, the pair of clowns, even while spawning, shouldn't pose much thread to the cardinal (of which, ime, they usually completely ignore). And dottybacks (Pseudochromis sp.) are virtually unharassable; it's usually the other way around

 

[JennM]

I concur with Leonard. I've got a pair of tomato clowns that I've had for over a year, and they are going through the motions but haven't spawned yet (that I've seen), and I recently moved a Pyjama Cardinal into their tank (55 g) as I was taking down the tank that the PJ had been occupying since March. I was a bit nervous about adding this fish to a tank established with its residents 1 year plus, but the clowns have ignored it. The coral beauty showed it who is boss, but they are all fine, and no damage done.

Jenn

 

[davelin315]

The biggest threat you'll face is with an aggressive clown grabbing other fish to feed to it's host anemone. I've only seen maroons doing this, and only once or twice (once was with a sea horse), but it's always a possibility with aggressive clowns. That said, ocellaris or false perculas are not aggressive, and I think adding another pair would result in your ocellaris clowns being kicked out of their anemone and possibly getting killed to boot. Otherwise, unless you have a really clumsy fish that is a poor swimmer, you don't need to worry about your bubble tip eating it.