Female Clownfish Are Jerks

[mistergray]

My female clownfish hogs 2 anemones. She hangs out in one and if the male clownfish is out of site too long she zips to the other side of the tank. If she finds him in the other anemone she chases him out.

He’s only allowed to enjoy an anemone after she’s settled into one for awhile and then he feels comfortable settling into the other one. Worse part is she can’t see one anemone while she’s in the other but she purposely roams over to the other to verify he’s not having fun in the other one. Crazy! They have a volatile relationship.

 

[fachatga]

It’s a soap opera that’s actually fun to watch

 

[LAX Noob Reef]

Aint all female jerks once your married? That's part of reason why we love them.

 

[mistergray]

It’s a soap opera that’s actually fun to watch

So true! It’s the most gripping drama that’s not on television. Lol!

 

[mistergray]

Aint all female jerks once your married? That's part of reason why we love them.

Hahahahaaaa! I can’t confirm or deny or I won’t be able to sleep in my anemone tonight. Lol!!!

 

[JCTReefer]

My female clown killed her mate. She would also attack my hand relentlessly when servicing the tank. The whole tank was hers. Funny thing is, if I had gloves on she wouldn’t attack. I think she just had a taste for flesh. Especially between the webs of your fingers. Lol!!! Needless to say, she didn’t make the cut when transferring livestock to the new tank. I have know clue how clowns got their cutesy reputation.

 

[mistergray]

My female clown killed her mate. She would also attack my hand relentlessly when servicing the tank. The whole tank was hers. Funny thing is, if I had gloves on she wouldn’t attack. I think she just had a taste for flesh. Especially between the webs of your fingers. Lol!!! Needless to say, she didn’t make the cut when transferring livestock to the new tank. I have know clue how clowns got their cutesy reputation.

Wow! She was super aggressive. I guess I should be happy my female isn’t that aggressive.

 

[JCTReefer]

Wow! She was super aggressive. I guess I should be happy my female isn’t that aggressive.

Yes, I’d be very happy yours is “somewhat” less aggressive!!! I can’t prove that she killed her mate, but I have a sneaking suspicion. Came home and he was dead out of the blue. It’s amazing how fast a fishes fins and appearance deteriorates after they die. Really sad to have lost him. No other livestock would mess with him but her. Sad thing is, in the beginning he wouldn’t attack me when working in the tank. But there towards the end, he learned from her that that’s what you’re “supposed to do” when someone sticks their hand in your territory! Haha!

 

[mistergray]

Yes, I’d be very happy yours is “somewhat” less aggressive!!! I can’t prove that she killed her mate, but I have a sneaking suspicion. Came home and he was dead out of the blue. It’s amazing how fast a fishes fins and appearance deteriorates after they die. Really sad to have lost him. No other livestock would mess with him but her. Sad thing is, in the beginning he wouldn’t attack me when working in the tank. But there towards the end, he learned from her that that’s what you’re “supposed to do” when someone sticks their hand in your territory! Haha!

Poor guy. Are you going to introduce another clown to the tank at some point or wait for her to go to that little saltwater tank in the sky?

 

[JCTReefer]

Poor guy. Are you going to introduce another clown to the tank at some point or wait for her to go to that little saltwater tank in the sky?

She went to the LFS yesterday. Bittersweet. Likely no more clowns for me. Time for a change. Seems I’ve always had some sort of clownfish over the last 20 plus years keeping saltwater tanks. I felt bad for taking her up there. After all is our responsibility to commit to our pets. Having said that, I didn’t feel right having her stay in the sump forever. I’ve seen way to many people banish their fish to the sump. To be their forever home. I figured she’d be better off with another home.

 

[anemoneanatomy]

The female clown in my nano tank wouldn't let her mate in the RBTA I purchased for them for months. Over time, however, the anemone has grown quite a bit (and I introduced a new fish), and she relaxed her "anemone is only for me" rule. I think the combination of an external threat + the anemone being big enough to easily share helped her accept that it could be a home for both of them.

 

[mistergray]

She went to the LFS yesterday. Bittersweet. Likely no more clowns for me. Time for a change. Seems I’ve always had some sort of clownfish over the last 20 plus years keeping saltwater tanks. I felt bad for taking her up there. After all is our responsibility to commit to our pets. Having said that, I didn’t feel right having her stay in the sump forever. I’ve seen way to many people banish their fish to the sump. To be their forever home. I figured she’d be better off with another home.

Sorry to hear that, I didn’t know putting your fish in detention (the sump) was a thing. I’m still learning a lot in this hobby. That’s interesting. On a side note, does the store give you credit?

 

[mistergray]

The female clown in my nano tank wouldn't let her mate in the RBTA I purchased for them for months. Over time, however, the anemone has grown quite a bit (and I introduced a new fish), and she relaxed her "anemone is only for me" rule. I think the combination of an external threat + the anemone being big enough to easily share helped her accept that it could be a home for both of them.

Glad to hear a happy ending! I can only hope that happens for me one day. My two will only touch the 2 green bubble tips I have. They won’t try out the rbta. I was hoping the male would try it out and then he’d have something for himself. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[vetteguy53081]

Female clownfish are much more dominant than their male counterparts. They greedily try to eat most of the food that gets into the tank (which is one reason the males don't grow as large). They will often aggressively protect their "home", whether that be an anemone, a nesting site, a clay pot or the entire fish tank. If it attacks your hand when you're trying to clean the glass or it won't let any other fish near its spot, you most likely have a female clownfish.