Clownfish Aggression

[jacobreynolds6883]

I’m in need of some advice so help is greatly appreciated. I have 2 clownfish and recently after having them for a month I have noticed one is aggressive toward the other. I know this is normal to create their hierarchy. The two constantly stay beside one another but when feeding the aggressive one will sometimes attack the side of the other causing it to swim sideways and shake alittle, imagine a fish seizing for 3 seconds while swimming on its side. Now I have seen this behavior several times in the past 2 weeks but today once I’m feeding and immediately afterwards.

Is this aggression normal?
Should I quarantine?
Is the other clown ok, why the shaking?

 

[Peach02]

I’m in need of some advice so help is greatly appreciated. I have 2 clownfish and recently after having them for a month I have noticed one is aggressive toward the other. I know this is normal to create their hierarchy. The two constantly stay beside one another but when feeding the aggressive one will sometimes attack the side of the other causing it to swim sideways and shake alittle, imagine a fish seizing for 3 seconds while swimming on its side. Now I have seen this behavior several times in the past 2 weeks but today once I’m feeding and immediately afterwards.

Is this aggression normal?
Should I quarantine?
Is the other clown ok, why the shaking?

I was in the same situation,

1. yes this aggression is normal
2. no
3. yes he is okay, he is shaking to show submission.

Essentially they are doing this is one is going to become female, likely the aggressive one will become female (this is the one that will chase you around the tank) Its perfectly okay if not good for this to happen as it means you have a clownfish pair in the making

 

[Xam]

I’m in need of some advice so help is greatly appreciated. I have 2 clownfish and recently after having them for a month I have noticed one is aggressive toward the other. I know this is normal to create their hierarchy. The two constantly stay beside one another but when feeding the aggressive one will sometimes attack the side of the other causing it to swim sideways and shake alittle, imagine a fish seizing for 3 seconds while swimming on its side. Now I have seen this behavior several times in the past 2 weeks but today once I’m feeding and immediately afterwards.

Is this aggression normal?
Should I quarantine?
Is the other clown ok, why the shaking?

Yep! Completely normal. Crazy huh? Sometimes though, the more aggressive one can really get nasty. Just keep an eye on the smaller one, check for injury. If you think it's over the top, or do find injury, dont hesitate to grab a pic and ask on R2R. Great peeps willing to help out.

 

[Dom]

This aggression is normal. They are trying to determine who is going to be the alpha. The bigger one is the female.

 

[jacobreynolds6883]

I was in the same situation,

1. yes this aggression is normal
2. no
3. yes he is okay, he is shaking to show submission.

Essentially they are doing this is one is going to become female, likely the aggressive one will become female (this is the one that will chase you around the tank) Its perfectly okay if not good for this to happen as it means you have a clownfish pair in the making

Thanks so much for addressing these questions, the shaking just really freaks me out. I will continue to monitor and I am hoping for them to pair. Wow the things I have learned in the last year is just amazing, the reef community is full of surprises!

 

[Peach02]

Thanks so much for addressing these questions, the shaking just really freaks me out. I will continue to monitor and I am hoping for them to pair. Wow the things I have learned in the last year is just amazing, the reef community is full of surprises!

I wouldnt hold your breath on monitoring it for a pair, mine have been doing it for a month or so and still no spawning

 

[midwifehellie]

So I have a similar issue going on. I bought a pair of clowns a few months ago (April) when my tank was quite new. A couple of months later I bought another pair. There were 2 darker/smaller ones (the first pair) and 2 bigger/lighter ones (the 2nd pair). Everyone was fine until recently and then 3 of them turned on one of the darker/smaller ones who I'm guessing is male. I'm guessing the other smaller one is also male and wants to "own" the 2 others who I'm guessing are female. I took him out and kept him in the QT for a week or so then tried to put him back yesterday - same problem and it was pretty ugly. So he's back in the QT but I don't know what I can do, don't want to keep him there alone forever. Any tips or should I consider rehoming him for his own safety? I did have him in an acclimation box in the main tank for a while but that didn't seem to change the dynamic. When the other 3 clowns pick on him sometimes the yellow tail damsels go at him too. Poor little Nemo