Concerns over clownfish behavior

reefnewbee · Sep 29, 2013

Hi All,

I have new 38 G tank about 7 week old. It is cycled and all parameters looks good. Last week I purchased one juvinele oscellaris clown fish from LFS. Fish is fine but it has developed this strange swimming pattern of swmming from bottom of the tank to top and quite often towards the torchus snails on glass walls near the top of the tank. Yesterday. I found one of my torchus snail dead. I am not sure if clownfish behavior to consider as harassment towards other tank mates (Cuc) and snail was his victim or it was just the chance occurance. Any advice on how to handle this tiny little fish?

Connie · Sep 29, 2013

I don't think the clownfish killed the snail. As far as its swimming behavior, it is just doing what it has done all its short life. It has never been in the ocean. Once it gets acclimated to your tank, it should change its behavior. It took my pair of tank raised clowns almost a year to stop sleeping at the top corner of my tank.

GeoHawk · Sep 29, 2013

Connie said:
I don't think the clownfish killed the snail. As far as its swimming behavior, it is just doing what it has done all its short life. It has never been in the ocean. Once it gets acclimated to your tank, it should change its behavior. It took my pair of tank raised clowns almost a year to stop sleeping at the top corner of my tank.

I had a similar experience, except mine never quit sleeping at the top corner until I switched to a larger tank. Now for some reason it decided the frogspawn was suitable (was in the smaller tank as well).