Clownfish behavior

TonapahNorth · Nov 28, 2013

New clown fish arrived two days ago. They eat pretty sparingly but ate brine cubes as I've delivered it.

Both fish are rubbing up and down the sides of the tank and do this up and down jiggy dance thing. They dug a hole in a corner of the tank sand and sleep on their sides in the sand most of the night.

I'm concerned by the almost neurotic up and down rubbing on the inside of the tank. They both do it and rub each other the whole time. Constantly. Seldom are they freely swimming in the tank. Other than that, they appear healthy and eating albeit sparingly.

Only other tank inhabitant is a very peaceful Midas Blenny and some corals and CUC.

Thoughts?

RalphsReef · Nov 28, 2013

Are they actually rubbing against the tank? The jiggy dance is normal, as is the other behavior you noted.

TonapahNorth · Nov 28, 2013

It sure looks like the female is rubbing against the tank. Maybe she's just really close. They also go up the rounded inside corners as if she is rubbing both sides at once.

RalphsReef · Nov 29, 2013

I have 2 pairs and a single clown in my tanks. The pairs hang out in the corners all the time. I don't have an anemone for them to host in, so they improvise. If yours are indeed rubbing, I would only become concerned if there is obvious signs of injury as a result. One of my pairs decided they would host in a giant toadstool leather I have. They are good at adapting. Another pair likes to hang out in a smaller spaghetti leather style coral. That pair also likes to fan the sand bed with their tail fins, as yours do.