Will removing 1 agressive clown stop agression?

jasonrusso · Mar 9, 2022

I have a 34 Gallon Red Sea tank. I've a pair of midnight clowns for almost 5 years. They are a mated pair and lay eggs frequently, and have a BTA to play in. Recently, they have become very aggressive towards all the other fish in the tank.

I recently added 2 firefish (to replace one I had for 4 years), they killed one (I assume, I can't find it) and the other one gets chased by both of them whenever he sticks out of a cave. I thought he was gone until I saw his head in a cave.

I realize now that in the current situation, I can't add any more fish. Even the established fish get chased from time to time.

Do I need to remove the pair or just the female? Would the male still be agressive? He is now. If I remove them both, I will only get 1 as a replacement.

Tamberav · Mar 9, 2022

When I removed a female from a pair and added a new one. The male turned female and they were laying again in a few months.

This is just normal attitude for a healthy pair of clowns so congrats on having them in peak condition!

Have you tried adding something less wimpy then a firefish? Or something less noticed like a bottom dweller?

Hawkfish perhaps may be a good try. Fast bold fish like a sixline perhaps or an orchid dotty.

jasonrusso · Mar 9, 2022

Tamberav said:
When I removed a female from a pair and added a new one. The male turned female and they were laying again in a few months.

This is just normal attitude for a healthy pair of clowns so congrats on having them in peak condition!

Have you tried adding something less wimpy then a firefish? Or something less noticed like a bottom dweller?

Hawkfish perhaps may be a good try.

If I removed the female, I wouldn't add another clown. Did the male calm down after she was gone?

I already have a blue spot jawfish, black blenny, royal gramma, and goby/pistol shrimp. They chase the gramma and blenny (with lesser results)

Tamberav · Mar 9, 2022

jasonrusso said:
If I removed the female, I wouldn't add another clown. Did the male calm down after she was gone?

I already have a blue spot jawfish, black blenny, royal gramma, and goby/pistol shrimp. They chase the gramma and blenny (with lesser results)

No.. not permanently anyways, he turned into a female with the present of the new juvie and they started spawning and defending again.

The only fix was moving them to a large tank. 80g. I kept them with fairly aggressive fish until the move. Now they are not so mean in the big space.

Their tank mates in the 20g was a dotty, sixline, starky damsel, and one mean as hell Midas blenny.

You could replace them both with two new juvies although the result should be the same if they spawn but that should buy you more time.

jasonrusso · Mar 9, 2022

Tamberav said:
No.. not permanently anyways, he turned into a female with the present of the new juvie and they started spawning and defending again.

The only fix was moving them to a large tank. 80g. I kept them with fairly aggressive fish until the move. Now they are not so mean in the big space.

Right, again I'm not adding another clown.

He would in theory stay male. Until he turned female, did the aggression stop?

Tamberav · Mar 9, 2022

Oh sorry I misunderstood. It should help since there are no eggs to defend. However there is no guarantee. My first clown was a occy kept alone and she was a ****. Lol some are more laid back though.