Who regrets getting a clown fish.

[OctaviusBrine]

There’s always one fish that wants to be a turd. Mine is my clown, I got him about a year ago as a tiny little fish. Had him in my fish only system, but he was so small he stayed by my powerhead. I would hand fead him to make sure he got food as my other larger fish would scare him. After a few months of him never leaving the power head I decided to put him in my coral tank as is is a calmer tank with smaller fish. That’s when the games began lol. Since then he has paired with my toadstool which is fine. However everytime I have to put my hand in the tank. he goes into straight jaws mode and bites the heck out of me. Luckily he is alright with my anthias and fire fish gobies otherwise he would be relocated again. Just wanted to hear some other peoples experience with these little terrors haha.

 

[The_Paradox]

They are the fish you love to hate for sure. I have an odd couple. Female has bit me maybe twice this year. The male has bit me twice this week both times drawing blood. As dickish as they are they both get bullied by a Lawnmower Blenny which is now my favorite fish for that reason.

 

[Paul B]

I bought this guy about 32 years ago and as a tiny fish I thought it was a red Hawkfish. It is not. It is a Fireclown.

His mate is a few years younger. They are constantly spawning but I have to wear gloves to do anything in the tank or they will take my fingers off.

 

[Regmanabq]

They are the fish you love to hate for sure. I have an odd couple. Female has bit me maybe twice this year. The male has bit me twice this week both times drawing blood. As dickish as they are they both get bullied by a Lawnmower Blenny which is now my favorite fish for that reason.

My female has started biting recently too.

My wife couldn't imagine that a fish drew blood on my hand, but that little girl certainly did!

 

[JoJosReef]

@Sharkbait19 might have stories to tell, although I can't imagine regretting having Luxo!

 

[I never finish anythi]

My pair of clowns have also paired with my toadstool, but mine are very calm and even let my starry blenny and sixline on the toadstool with them . Just proves all fish are completely different.

 

[Supa]

There’s always one fish that wants to be a turd. Mine is my clown, I got him about a year ago as a tiny little fish. Had him in my fish only system, but he was so small he stayed by my powerhead. I would hand fead him to make sure he got food as my other larger fish would scare him. After a few months of him never leaving the power head I decided to put him in my coral tank as is is a calmer tank with smaller fish. That’s when the games began lol. Since then he has paired with my toadstool which is fine. However everytime I have to put my hand in the tank. he goes into straight jaws mode and bites the heck out of me. Luckily he is alright with my anthias and fire fish gobies otherwise he would be relocated again. Just wanted to hear some other peoples experience with these little terrors haha.

Had to sump my clown when she don’t act right. But when she gets back out the sump she acts like a good girl again.

 

[Miami Reef]

My Clarkii clownfish is harmless, but if she started attacking me, I wouldn’t hesitate to remove her.

Fortunately, I’ve never had a clownfish try to bite me. I’ve had a domino damsel become the literal devil, so I stare at them with burning eyes when I pass by their cold cell at the LFS.

 

[Lizbeli]

Honestly I like their weird way of swimming. I think it’s adorable. I don’t keep two together anymore because I do prefer more colorful fish like wrasse. I don’t have a massive tank so need to plan stocking carefully.

I currently have a lightning maroon clown which I have always wanted. On tank #5 now so figured id finally get one. Hasnt gone after me yet- but I do expect her to draw blood once she settles in.

 

[OctaviusBrine]

I bought this guy about 32 years ago and as a tiny fish I thought it was a red Hawkfish. It is not. It is a Fireclown.

His mate is a few years younger. They are constantly spawning but I have to wear gloves to do anything in the tank or they will take my fingers off.

Funny you should say that I recently was at one of our lsf and saw a baby fire clown and thought the same. Then I was like wait a minute that’s not a red hawk.

 

[jkcoral]

There’s always one fish that wants to be a turd. Mine is my clown, I got him about a year ago as a tiny little fish. Had him in my fish only system, but he was so small he stayed by my powerhead. I would hand fead him to make sure he got food as my other larger fish would scare him. After a few months of him never leaving the power head I decided to put him in my coral tank as is is a calmer tank with smaller fish. That’s when the games began lol. Since then he has paired with my toadstool which is fine. However everytime I have to put my hand in the tank. he goes into straight jaws mode and bites the heck out of me. Luckily he is alright with my anthias and fire fish gobies otherwise he would be relocated again. Just wanted to hear some other peoples experience with these little terrors haha.

My meanest fish I’ve ever owned was my old female maroon clown. She would bite me hard enough to make me bleed. She was violent, but luckily she hated me enough to take all of her aggression on me and left the other fish alone for the most part.

Now I have a pair of gladiator clowns. And oddly enough, it’s the male gladiator that is far more violent and attacks. The female mostly just gets him wound up but stays back.

Clownfish are hateful little creatures haha

 

[OctaviusBrine]

Had to sump my clown when she don’t act right. But when she gets back out the sump she acts like a good girl again.

Definitely have threatened to do that more than once.

 

[Supa]

Definitely have threatened to do that more than once.

Just done it recently cause she was bullying a new addition extremely bad. Like lights on lights off still the same attack mode, but now the fish is acting good.

 

[The_Paradox]

Just done it recently cause she was bullying a new addition extremely bad. Like lights on lights off still the same attack mode, but now the fish is acting good.

Give it time. I never thought enough of fish to think them capable of malice until I owned clownfish. My first pair I had in a tank for 15+ years not so secretly wishing them to die. They survived an anemone completely going through the pump on two occasions. Total wipe of everything else but as I stood in horror looking at the milky mess of my tank, I saw real horror staring back.

Two weeks after the female died I bought two more… I question my life choices.

 

[Sharkbait19]

@Sharkbait19 might have stories to tell, although I can't imagine regretting having Luxo!

You mean that ray of sunshine…
I just love getting bit every time I stick my hands in the tank. But I definitely couldn’t imagine life without her. It’s nice to have a fish that stands out, even if it involves being a homicidal maniac. At least it won’t be so bad when I move her to prison - er, a new tank.

…dang I miss that torch…

 

[Narideth]

I have 4 clowns right now, and of them, one pair attacks me every time I enter the tank. They're 2+ yr old ocellaris, so they're probably close to full size and they don't draw blood, but they don't like anything coming into their tank. Fingers, tweezers, the vacuum tube. They get along with the Royal Gramma though so I don't regret these beauties as they were my first saltwater fish ever.

The other two are NOT paired and I had to separate them and will have to rehome one, but neither of them are aggressive towards me. I'm attempting to train the one I'm keeping to feed from my fingers, and so far she's taking to it well.

I did previously have another well-mannered paired set, but they passed in a near-collapse of their tank.

 

[Zero_Cool]

I am not liking these 2 right now. Aside from their high cost they have also cost me another $1k as my wife said they need their own house (warned her about the pair we currently have not liking/needing new feiends) and ordered a new nano tank and stand for them.

dang cute little buggers though.

 

[JayM]

I've got 5 ocellaris. The 2 bigger clowns are about an 1 1/2" and 2". They both bite when my hands are in the tank, but are 99% peaceful with all of the other inhabitants. The 3 smaller ones are all less than an inch and recently added. No biting as of yet.

No regrets.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

No regrets. Don’t keep them anymore for that reason. Lol

 

[aquatic26]

Both of mine bite the heck out of me. Thankfully they’re small enough it doesn’t do much damage now, but I’ll need to wear gloves in the future. Pretty sure I have two females. They were so tiny when I got them, no way of knowing. They really are total brats.