OCD clown fish.

[Dbigfish]

I have rescaped my 20 long aquarium and have begun to add corals to the rock work, some zoas, xenia, and a green trumpet. My 3 year old ocellaris is having none of it. He tail smacks the xenia he flips the xoa frag. I watched him grab the coral plug in his mouth and swim upward to dislodge the trumpet. He lived for about 2 years in a smaller tank that was mostly zoa garden gsp and an acan. He never bothered those corals although he did vehemently hate and murder a duncan in that tank.
Now if I move a single rock even an inch since the rescape he freaks out and starts trying to "put it back"
New corals have been in this tank 5 days and he has harassed them to where the trumpet and zoas stay retracted.
Anyone know of any tricks I could try I like the fish and don't want to re home it but I also don't want to live with bare rockwork.

 

[Brookster123]

Clowns are funny like that. You can try moving a couple things, nothing major and then blacking the tank out for a day. The darker the better. Small chance it will help, my clown has aggressively attacked my hand everytime it's in the tank since day 1.

 

[Sniperhank]

Remove the fish and rearrange the rocks. Replace fish in its 'new' home.

 

[Dbigfish]

I might have to try catching him. Luckily he doesn't care one bit about tank makes shrimp dotty back clown goby fire goby. He's lived with them at various points and never cared a bit

 

[Chris A.]

I have rescaped my 20 long aquarium and have begun to add corals to the rock work, some zoas, xenia, and a green trumpet. My 3 year old ocellaris is having none of it. He tail smacks the xenia he flips the xoa frag. I watched him grab the coral plug in his mouth and swim upward to dislodge the trumpet. He lived for about 2 years in a smaller tank that was mostly zoa garden gsp and an acan. He never bothered those corals although he did vehemently hate and murder a duncan in that tank.
Now if I move a single rock even an inch since the rescape he freaks out and starts trying to "put it back"
New corals have been in this tank 5 days and he has harassed them to where the trumpet and zoas stay retracted.
Anyone know of any tricks I could try I like the fish and don't want to re home it but I also don't want to live with bare rockwork.

Sounds like he's preparing the tank for mate and because he was born in in the sea, he's expecting to attract a female or another male so he can change sex. I recon if he had an anemone to pamper, he'd probably setting down. The only problem with anemones is they wonder and blunder into flow devices. Carpet anemones usually stay put they can sting humans badly and will eat other fish. They get very, very large. Perhaps get him a larger ocellaris and see what occurs. You cannot let him kill a Duncan.

 

[bribo12]

Sounds like he's preparing the tank for mate and because he was born in in the sea, he's expecting to attract a female or another male so he can change sex. I recon if he had an anemone to pamper, he'd probably setting down. The only problem with anemones is they wonder and blunder into flow devices. Carpet anemones usually stay put they can sting humans badly and will eat other fish. They get very, very large. Perhaps get him a larger ocellaris and see what occurs. You cannot let him kill a Duncan.

If this fish has been alone for 3 years it would be a pretty large and if there was ever a second one this one probably transitioned. Most ocellaris are captive bred as well so I doubt it came from the ocean and thus would probably also be a crap shoot if it would use a nem or not. Clownfish behavior is definitely where they get there name from as they tend to be ridiculously funny fish behavior wise. Clowns are just as likely to host a nem as they are to host a power head or a heater.

 

[Chris A.]

I am not sure if most clowns are captive bread. Their colours do not tend to be as vibrant. They do raise many, but I have no idea where they all go. I’ve always bought wild. However, I have never experienced a clown behave as you describe so yes, he or she maybe captive bread example with a severe personality disorder. I think fish behaviour has much to do with their genetics. At least 50 percent. Nature or nurture? Clowns I think should still instinctively associate with a Cnidarian. I think the rest is just rumour/hearsay. I've heard convincing testimony of them behaving like wild specimens. They will usually be F1 from wild parents. Perhaps dad was a dragon wrasse.

 

[bribo12]

Most clowns in lfs tend to be drab unless it is a high quality store. Usually after taking them home and getting them fed properly in a high water quality system they color up nicely. I’d say 90% of ocellaris in stores and online are captive bred now. Maybe 15 years ago this wasn’t the case but with companies like Ora and other larger scale aquaculture facilities more and more sw fish are being captive bred. Ocellaris clowns were the one of the first to be. Before I broke down my old tank I had a 3 year old pair of ocellaris in it with a rose bubble tip. They never went to it ever. Other species like Clarkiis, maroons or even Perculas usually host more readily in captivity from what I’ve seen. Ocellaris are hit or miss.

Like others have said earlier op I’d rearrange some rock work and reintroduce. Getting a smaller clown may divert its attention to but then you risk potential aggression with a fish whose well established.

 

[Dbigfish]

He seems to be alright if I move things at night once the lights are off and hes in his prepared sleeping area. If he sees me place something he goes to investigate and remove whatever change I made. If he wakes up to a change he doesn't seem to notice. My trumpet and zoas are open and growing but he will still tail slap the xenia every once in a while. Ill out the late night add-ons a few more times before I get anything particularly delicate or expensive just in case.

 

[Chris A.]

I’ve seen mature pairs at TMC. From what I recall A. oscellaris males end up with a nodule on their chin. I bought an A. oscellaris wild caught around two months. Ago. They are unmistakable personality wise. Breeders are experimenting wildly with crosses. It makes no sense for them to not attempt to enhance their ornamental appeal albeit some of it is very much a matter of taste. I prefer as nature intended. I hope the image of him is attached. The photograph does not do him justice. He does not stay still or say cheese.