Yellow-tailed Damsel Misbehaving (& Percula Clown/BTA ?)

[CC-Star]

Just out of curiousity sake before I take this darling back to the LFS, I was wondering if it is possible now that I have had him separate and alone in the QT tank for 2 weeks while my firefish golby and 2 false perc. clowns were acclimatizing in the display tank, if he will behave and leave them alone if I put him back in the 55? 2 weeks ago when I added the little tiney clowns he started chasing them around and nipping at them so I caught him right away and took him out and put him in the QT..and just now he has come out of shelter and starting eating...so he was pretty shook up. I was just wondering if anyone has had a similar situation and could offer opinions. I am sure he will have to go back to the LFS which is unforunate bc he adds that contrasting nice blue colour to the orange and red of the other fish.

Other fish I was thinking about was the Royal Gramma...and a tang (Regal or Yellow)...and someday when we get the larger tank look into having both types of tangs (if its big enough like 150+). At least one of those would add some colour to the tank...but I have also heard that if you are ever to have two tangs in one tank that you have to add both at the same time in which case I would have to wait until this "someday" for the big tank to ever get a tang.

 

[Anonymous]

Having been removed for a time and it's territory disrupted, you may have a chance for peace, but as a caveat, be prepared to remove the damsel again. They are one of the more peaceful species but if established, display the traditional damsel attitude towards smaller, more peaceful fish. Adding them last can dispell some of the aggression. I've kept a fiji blue devil, and curently have another blue devil, which is getting along with the others, but it was also the last fish in the tank, and the mates are all larger and more assertive. I think any small fish added down the road will see the same aggression, so either get rid of the damsel, or stock further with large, more aggressive fish.
hth.

 

[jamreef]

Hi personally i would get rid of the damsel,they are just too territorial,i can almost guarante within a couple days of putting him back in your tank he will be back to his nasty ways :roll:

 

[CC-Star]

Alright thanx...hopefully a tang can bring some diversity/colour into hte tank for the time being.

 

[SnowManSnow]

you may have an outside chance of peace between the clans, but I doubt it. If there would be peace from a damsel it would be a yellow tail. They aren't nearly as aggressive as some damsels are, but they still are quite agressive.

Good luck.

 

[CC-Star]

I took him back to the fish store....my clowns are just to tiney...

They are extremely small...one is a tad bit bigger than the one and it always every so often charges the other...I dunno i dont see nicked fins etc...and the little one still swims around all happy and with the big one so you would htink if the little one was bothered it would leave/hide...so i dunno...I just hope that its some sort of mating silly thing in they will be fine with each other, not one eventually killing the other.

I have read so many things that said getting them when they are juvinelles, and put together one will take on the female and grow larger and the other will take on the male role and be smaller...I hope that is the case and will happen with these guys.

I already knew that the chances of a Pink Tip Cond Anemone being a host for these two clowns were slim to none...and so far after 2 weeks that has shown to be the case as they have not even checked it out once. So I am hoping to get an anemone sometime soon that they will take shelter in...then again they seem so restless constantly swimming I doubt they would take the time to hunker down silly guys.

 

[Anonymous]

Just a friendly word about anemones...they are awful tough to keep, no matter what the skill level of the reefer.

 

[CC-Star]

Ya I have read that as well. All I can just hope for the best. Being it only a FOWLR tank for now I love the texture, life it brings to the tank. I also would love it if my wee little clowns had a place where they could call home. But like you said they are hard to keep so I have been reading and reading and trying to find the best anemone for my false percs. Between fish store, and online sources there is just no straight answer, then agian is there ever straight forward answers in this hobby ehhe. I just would hate to go buy one, find out the clowns do not even bother with it. That or they require something I do not have, etc etc.... Sometimes it feels like no matter how much you read, just when you feel like you know the requirements and compatibilites, you get home with the new addition and you find out it grows to be really huge, it is not compatible with one of your fish, it needs stronger lighting then PC's, etc etc .... Ahh! eehhe

 

[CC-Star]

I have recently purchased a beautiful rose bubble tip anemone, and I was wondering if my two little (false) percula clowns will ever decide to take up residence in it???? Has anyone had any sucess and if so how did it take for your clowns to decide to go in?

Since getting it they have been swimming only near it, and the bigger one of the two, once tried to put his face in, but came out right away. And that has been the last time he has done that (in 24hrs). Is there any tricks or tips of the trade on trying to presuade them to go in???? I read something about buying one of those clown lettuce clips and placing it close...but that is all.

 

[Juck]

That's a nice looking anemone. If one of your clowns has poked his face in a couple of times then you're halfway there,,,,, Oscellaris are not hosted by BTA's in nature but it's not uncommon for them to take to BTA's in a reef tank,,, no guarantees of course but just be patient,,,,,I had a pair of oscellaris that took a few months to warm up to their BTA,,, now they never move more than 3 inches from it..

 

[danmhippo]

Maybe and maybe not. As stated above, BTA is not their natural host. Ocellaris' natural host is actually carpet. But there are reports that they would take on a variety of substitute host.

 

[CC-Star]

Ya i know carpets are their natural host, and BTA's are Maroon's (or Clarkies) but I figured because they are tank raised the chance of them taking a different host other than their natural one is higher.

I was more just wondering more if others had sucess with BTA as their host and if so did they take to them right away or have to wait a certain duration, or did they have to do some tricks to intice them to try it...

If all clowns took to their anemone in 24hrs then I would know it would never host...but seeing what Juck wrote there still could be a chance.

I was also wondering if it could be because there is no bigger fish in the tank to make them feel insecure so they do not feel the need for security...and at night they seem to sleep btw the powerhead sponge and the wall of the tank.

 

[mattstewart]

my false percs took to my bta in like 5 minutes. but i had the anemone first. the clowns just swam right to it.

 

[SnowManSnow]

Beautiful BTA Great purchase.. he looks wonderful. I'll be willing to bet that your clown will take to the BTA with no problem I know that they aren't their natural hosts, but clowns don't seem as picky as some make them out to be. When considering the "natural" environment keep in mind the the "natural" environment for a LOT of marine fish are glass boxes.

I'll say they will be in it by the end of the week... just my bet though

Good luck!
B.

 

[CC-Star]

Thanks
Ya definitely a lovely big looking BTA.

I would of thought so...but the silly little clowns seem to be sleeping just below the sponge of the Power Head everynight...grr so i dunno ...unless there is some way of convincing them not to be there. Maybe geting something like a coral beauty or something that is larger than them, which in turn will make them re-think their "safe" zone...i dunno grasping for ideas so if anyone has some let me know. Such a large BTA such a shame....i do not know how sleeping under a sponge along the wall is more comfortable than the big, soft BTA.

 

[Juck]

Getting a coral beauty to make the clowns feel insecure is about the worst reason I've ever heard for buying a fish.

Stop fretting about it. If the clowns want to go in,, they'll go in. Otherwise,, well,, tough luck.

 

[CC-Star]

I did not mean that I would want to bring harm to them ever (i luv my little cute clowns).

I was thinking Coral Beauty or Royal Gramma next in my tank because of their bold beautiful colours (purple, yellow) that will contrast my red/orange clowns and firefish. I would luv to get a Regal Tang (blue) but my tank is way to small for the lovely fish, so I was trying to think of something that was a little larger than my clowns or golby. But something that was peaceful and got along w. firefish, golby, clowns, gramma, and corals.
I was just thinking that with the clowns being the dominant fish in the tank that they probably dont feel the need to go into the anemone. But I wouldnt get it in the hopes that they would be stressed, bc that would lead to my little clownies dying. So i guess in my last post i had selected a poor choice of words.

Regardless of the outcome (hosting/not) I luv my anemone. I knew when I bought the BTA the chances of it hosting my clownfish were not 100% in the least, just thought it would be koo, and was wondering if anyone had similar situation or ideas. If not I will still have a koo looking anemone, and happy clownfish. If i was so hung up on having anemone/clownfish relationship I would have a maroon clownfish instead, or a different anemone.

They seem content w. the powerhead, what will be will be who knowz they might just change their minds.

Thanks for the input, much appreciate everyone!

 

[danmhippo]

You know, you can also consider fairy wrasse. They are also brilliantly colored, active, and most are coral safe.