BULLY FISH! What fish should you stay away from?

Do you have any "bully fish" in your tank?

  • YES (tell us in the thread)

    Votes: 258 61.3%
  • NO bullies just misunderstood...

    Votes: 137 32.5%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 26 6.2%

  • Total voters
    421

MnFish1

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
22,559
Reaction score
21,788
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Any fish (IMHO) can be a 'bully' - part depends on the size of the tank, the other inhabitants in the tank - and how those fish were introduced. I have heard that certain dotty backs can be horrible - I have one of the supposed 'bad ones' - doesn't bother anything. The true 'bullies' - to me are maroon clowns - and damsels (especially single).
 

AJP279

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 11, 2019
Messages
65
Reaction score
73
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
We've all had those fish that are just mean! I call them BULLY FISH! I understand it's in the nature of fish to protect territory and stuff like that but sometimes a fish is just a big bully! Sometimes they not only bully other fish but they bully YOU! HA! Today let's talk about the fish that have been a menace to your other tank inhabitants and which ones you would stay clear of!

What fish have you had bad luck with when it comes to being a bully in the tank?

What fish would you caution people to stay away from?



image via @Waynerock
ED98591F-E377-45DF-9459-D0BEBB5A32CE.jpeg

sailfin Tang

Breaze.jpg
 

N1Husker

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
Messages
194
Reaction score
71
Location
Olalla, Washington
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’ve had a bully fIsh, ocelaris clown. Sh didn’t bother the other fish, but she’d bite me everytime I put my hands in the water. So much, she’d flip right out of the tank. I had a maroon clown that bullied other fish, but never bothered me.
 

Cole.mormon

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 26, 2020
Messages
1,532
Reaction score
484
Location
Gainesville,texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Domino damsel was a terror 5 in long would destroy my hand, 2 in Juvy watchman goby had enough and smoked him, skin missing and a body floating around the tank with alsmost no fins left and the ones that were left were almost nothing, the goby is friendly, perches on my hand
 

BaysEndReef

Anthony
View Badges
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
2,732
Reaction score
14,077
Location
Waycross, Georgia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My largest pajama cardinal bullies everything in my home MD. I have put this fish in timeout multiple times. No help. He's going to find a new home in one of my frag tanks soon.
 

Karling

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 3, 2020
Messages
59
Reaction score
61
Location
Denver
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
6 line wrasse was a big bully to my dottyback until I got my yellow tang, who acts kind of like the sheriff of the tank (doesn't go after anyone but seems to keep an eye on the wrasse).

Thats funny, my YT protects my Sixline. The sixline is the smallest fish in my tank and if she is out roaming the glass, the YT will be between her and any other fish. Its actually kind of fun to watch!
 

SMSREEF

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 27, 2016
Messages
2,048
Reaction score
4,302
Location
Miami
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had an issue with clown goby eating corals. Was very hard to catch
I love my green clown goby, but I can’t imagine how I would ever catch him. I can hardly get a picture of him. I think he is too skittish to go into a trap.
I hope he doesn’t get a taste for corals!
 

SaltISlife

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 15, 2020
Messages
695
Reaction score
807
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Blue damzels. Hate those fish. They even attack me too. I have 2 i tossed in my 60g hexagon thats empty with just sand. So they can have that entire tank to themselvs. But if i ever need the tank they are going on a trip to the petstore.

They attack fish in my tabk that are new. They pick at new corals i put in. Ive seen em grab the coral and toss it on the sand. They dig in my sand bed tossing sand all over.

I like talbot damzels theyre a more mellow and much prettier. But those solid blue ones are jerks
 

LetItReef

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
2,922
Reaction score
1,446
Location
San Diego, CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Bangaii Cardinal fish. Little sneaky. When lights are out he picked a Springeri Damsel that forces it to hide. I thought he was dead.
My son found him hiding on a rock and I just finally caught it.
Caudal / Tail fins are damaged.
 

waterskiguy

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 23, 2013
Messages
265
Reaction score
248
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My labouti fairy wrasse is the only one in my tank that ever really aggressive at all, since I got rid of my lightning maroon clownfish (A&$h0l3!!!). Maroon clowns are beautiful and will take to an anemone in a mater of seconds, but they're complete jerks.
 

wolfthefallen

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
136
Reaction score
150
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The biggest bully in my previous setup was a clown fish the looked just like nemo.. He was a jerk, the smallest of the bunch, he chased, and harassed any new fish that went in. In the end I was putting him in a timeout box before I introduced a new fish, then let him out after about 5 days.. It was the only way I found to reduce his behavior
 

H3rm1tCr@b

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 25, 2018
Messages
650
Reaction score
1,103
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I used to have an Ocellaris clownfish named Tomato. After her mate kicked the bucket, she became an absolute tyrant. She bit so hard I'm quite shocked she didn't draw blood. Needless to say, back to the LFS she went! I also had a Black and Gold Chromis that wasn't very nice. He went back too. His colors faded as he matured and became a little jerk. My current Blue Chromis is pretty good, but he does chase my Lubbock's Wrasse around a bit. Other than that, he's fine.
 

BackToTheReef

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 8, 2020
Messages
1,228
Reaction score
6,092
Location
Wausau, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
honey striped damsel. starts out looking cute but grows big and not so friendly. Changes color to a blackish purple with a yellow tail . gets about 4 inches long and agressive. He got banished to the frag tank and sometimes will hit my hand when i am working in the tank.

1601318920142.png

Honey Striped Damsel doesn't give a...!
 

Flippers4pups

Fins up since 1993
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2016
Messages
18,499
Reaction score
60,635
Location
Lake Saint Louis, Mo
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Large tank- sohal tang.

Med tank- list is too long!

Small tank- list it too long!

Lol
 
Back
Top