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Tears of a Clown -- Advice needed

Bruce Spiegelman

Bruce Spiegelman

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I just moved/sold/gave-away to last of the SPS in the frag tank now that the new tank is fully up and running. There is a still a gold bar maroon clown and a couple of damsels in the tank, but all the coral is out. Yesterday after preparing the tank as an anemone tank I introduced a Black Widow nem. It's a small one -- about 3". The Maroon clown (after getting used to a mostly bare tank with just a bottom filled with MarinePure Balls) headed right to the nem and began biting it's tentacles. I know this is normal, but this nem is just too small for any rough treatment so I separated the clown into an acclimation box.

Now here's where I need advice. I love the clown -- he's gorgeous and my favorite fish as far as "personality," but it appears I can't keep him in this tank.

I have two options. Obviously keeping him in an acclimation box is not an option so I can either find him a new home or move him to the larger DT. That tank has Tangs, a Marine Betta, a large Coris wrasse, two Hawkfish and a large Anthias. The clown is still only 1.5-2". Do I risk an aggressive Maroon in that tank (that does have a large BTA) or re-home him?
 
My sand bed is a victim from the Coris already. As far as my hand goes it's one of the reasons I like this guy so much -- I get a kick out of the way the little guy hurls himself at a huge hand in his tank. He has a big heart. "It's not the Maroon in the fight -- it's the fight in the Maroon."
 
I'd consider leaving him in with the black widow before moving it into your large tank. Rehome if it does tear up the 'nem, which can take quite a beating.
 
I think ultimately keeping the nem + maroon in the same tank would be really great. A maroon hosted by a black widow sounds really cool.

I've kept my little clownfish in isolation boxes for up to a week. The boxes were 9"x4"x4" or so. They could care less after awhile really. Maybe if you let the black widow establish a bit, it can handle the biting. I've noticed that clownfish go a bit crazy just at first. They can't control themselves for awhile in a new nem. But the maroon should settle down at some point and stop tearing it up.
 
If it was in my display I'd agree that was an awesome combo, but this nem and a few others coming soon are destined for the razor blade eventually and not sure I want to try this experiment with a "hosted" nem.
 
What are your long term goals?
Do you want the second tank to be a mini-DT and fuge, a purpose fragging tank?
Can you permanently section off parts of the secondary tank?

Sounds like you want a real frag tank, which usually means a small wrasse and a small tang, or some other
specific choice for pest+algae control. Not a Maroon.
So I would recommend trying DT, but be ready to re-home.
 
rygh said:
What are your long term goals?
Do you want the second tank to be a mini-DT and fuge, a purpose fragging tank?
Can you permanently section off parts of the secondary tank?

Sounds like you want a real frag tank, which usually means a small wrasse and a small tang, or some other
specific choice for pest+algae control. Not a Maroon.
So I would recommend trying DT, but be ready to re-home.
Click to expand...

This is a "third tank" -- it has always been a frag tank that was used to grow out SPS for the new SPS dominant tank. It ran for six or eight months as that. Now all the corals are out and it's new purpose is a Nem grow-out and propagation tank. There's really no need for any fish which is why I'm hoping to move him to another tank. There are a couple of Damsels in the tank as well that I'll just re-home.
 
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