Clownfish has flipped out

RavenSF · Dec 4, 2015

My Percula clownfish pair has been together for 6 years; they came bonded at the LFS. They've never had any trouble before and have laid eggs at least once before. Today I reached in to fix a Vortech that had gone haywire and I realized my female was ticked off. The female began chasing the male relentlessly so I caught her and put her in an acclimation box to separate them.

After she was safely locked up, I took a closer look at the male and he seemed a bit stressed. He had some mildly frayed fins, but no major injuries. The male has since eaten and seems to be back to normal. The female is still in the acclimation box.

What's the best course of action right now? Let her out now or give her a day on her own?

Mike in CT · Dec 4, 2015

I have heard that every once in a while females go crazy and reinstate their dominance over the male, not sure if that's going on here. Maybe getting close to the 7 year itch? Lol

RavenSF · Dec 4, 2015

I dunno, I did notice residue or whatever from where they laid eggs within the last day or so. Maybe that has something to do with it?

RavenSF · Dec 4, 2015

She escaped the acclimation box and seems fine now, but insight into the behavior would still be appreciated.

MT. Reefer · Dec 4, 2015

RavenSF said:
I dunno, I did notice residue or whatever from where they laid eggs within the last day or so. Maybe that has something to do with it?

Are the eggs still there?

RavenSF · Dec 5, 2015

Larry Linne said:
Are the eggs still there?

No they're gone, just that stuff left behind by them on the glass. I dunno when they laid them, but the eggs probably got eaten quickly.

MT. Reefer · Dec 5, 2015

RavenSF said:
No they're gone, just that stuff left behind by them on the glass. I dunno when they laid them, but the eggs probably got eaten quickly.

Ok, not understanding this about the eggs. When they are laid they are bright orange. After about two days they turn dark and then around the 7th or 8th day they look silver which is their little eyeballs showing and then they usually hatch that night. Are they taking care of the eggs or just leaving them once they are laid? Are there any other fish or inverts that could be eating them? If the Clowns themselves are eating the eggs, you might want to increase the amount of food you are feeding them. It's not unusual for the parents to eat some of the eggs that don't look right to them, but they should not be eating the entire batch.
If they are not getting enough food, that could be another reason for the female to get more aggressive.