Normal clown behavior or aggression?

[ErikVR]

Hi all,

I've noticed that recently one of my two clowns has become dominant towards the other.
Is this within normal behaviour or should I be worried that it will lead to problems?

One of them has resigned to a corner of the tank and hiding for most of the day and eating less, while the aggressive one is swimming all over the place.
YouTube short/video

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Normal part of the pairing process. The larger, more assertive one is the female.

 

[Uncle99]

How long together?

 

[ErikVR]

How long together?

About three months now.

 

[Uncle99]

About three months now.

Thanks.
I see no damage in terms of fin nips or body bites.
I have no concerns at this point.

I have concerns if one “pins” the other in a corner, and constantly harasses the other.

The behavior I see is very normal.

 

[ErikVR]

Thanks. I'll keep an eye on them for any signs of damage.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all,

I've noticed that recently one of my two clowns has become dominant towards the other.
Is this within normal behaviour or should I be worried that it will lead to problems?

One of them has resigned to a corner of the tank and hiding for most of the day and eating less, while the aggressive one is swimming all over the place.
YouTube short/video

Clear sign of male succumbing to aggression from female. This is referred to as clownfish hierarchy where the female clownfish are much more dominant than the males. The female becomes greedy and tries to eat most of the food that gets into the tank (which is one reason the males don't grow as large). They aggressively protect their area whether an anemone, nesting site, or the entire 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. Often if you separate the female for a week or two into an acclimation box or sump, there may be a change in her behavior, and you will quickly see the male come out in the open.

 

[ErikVR]

Clear sign of male succumbing to aggression from female. This is referred to as clownfish hierarchy where the female clownfish are much more dominant than the males. The female becomes greedy and tries to eat most of the food that gets into the tank (which is one reason the males don't grow as large). They aggressively protect their area whether an anemone, nesting site, or the entire 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. Often if you separate the female for a week or two into an acclimation box or sump, there may be a change in her behavior, and you will quickly see the male come out in the open.

Thanks. I already read up on the (fascinating) subject.
I just didn't know what kind of aggression/dominance levels were normal.

 

[Peace River]

As others have said, this appears to be normal behavior. I typically look for body damage (more than a fin nip), or a very thin fish if it is not being allowed to eat at all from extreme bullying.

 

[Max Ohm]

Clear sign of male succumbing to aggression from female. This is referred to as clownfish hierarchy where the female clownfish are much more dominant than the males. The female becomes greedy and tries to eat most of the food that gets into the tank (which is one reason the males don't grow as large). They aggressively protect their area whether an anemone, nesting site, or the entire 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. Often if you separate the female for a week or two into an acclimation box or sump, there may be a change in her behavior, and you will quickly see the male come out in the open.

It's funny, in my Darwin/Snowflake tank, it's always the Male that goes after me.

I know that in our breeding system it's always the snowflakes/frostbites that are determined to get a piece of my hand.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It's funny, in my Darwin/Snowflake tank, it's always the Male that goes after me.

I know that in our breeding system it's always the snowflakes/frostbites that are determined to get a piece of my hand.

Snowflakes are just biters in nature and mine can express an attitude

 

[ncfalco]

I have a pair of spotcinctus (red sea) clownfish. They will occasionally beat each other up pretty good, I'm talking torn fins, but after a few weeks they work things out. This is a normal part of clownfish behavior, the larger female asserting her dominance over the male. Just keep an eye on them and I'm sure in a few weeks you'll be past this. Remember that clownfish are actually part of the damselfish family and are fairly aggressive.

I found that adding an anemone, in my case a bubble tip, really helped calm their aggression. They'll still fight over who has the best spot on the anemone, but don't seem to beat each other up as bad. They have an interesting love triangle - ménage a trois.