Confession: I freaking hate my clownfish. Any fish you love to hate?

Kzang

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They are beautiful 2 year old flurry clownfish, but they bite. They cause bleeding without gloves. With gloves, it still hurts. I keep them because they look great but I would really love to throw them in a garbage disposal and watch them suffer. With my new 125g they attack my elbow. dang I hate them
 

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Okay... I gotta see 'em - post a photo of those clownfish

I desperately wish I could catch the 4 Azure Damsels I have and throw them to the ground and squash them with my foot.
I would actually love it.
They are like sweat bees of the aquarium... NON-STOP agitation of all other tankmates. UGH
 

LovesDogs_CatsRokay

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I keep them because they look great but I would really love to throw them in a garbage disposal and watch them suffer
Woah, thats harsh. Poor fish. Mine bite too, but I don't hate them that bad! Try flicking your fingers at them when they attack (but don't actually hit them!) It works with mine!
 

LadyMac

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Mine bite too but my betta pallifina. Rip! The clowns nibble nibble. The bettas will latch on and try to tear skin off. I hand feed all my fish except them. But just look at this sweet face. I love them anyhow.

68FAC636-9940-4E86-B73A-6E4D5EB0B575.jpeg
 
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Hate is a strong word but I feel you.

No, I don't have anything like that in my tank. I did have a pair of clowns years ago would would bite to no end. My suggestion is to get a pair of heavy duty shoulder length gloves. I have a set when moving heavy rocks in the tank or some corals. I also have a foxface rabbit fish while it doesn't bother me, ever, sometimes I put them on just in case I startle him/her.

If you don't want to work with heavy duty type gloves a simple pair of powder free nitrile gloves will prevent the breaking of skin. You can also get different colors which may help. Maybe they are into bling, fashion, or like birds of a feather with certain colors meaning STAY AWAY. I bite back.

Gloves are your friend though.
 

Jynxgirl

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I had a pair of maroon clown fish for six plus years in the 2000s. Loved them even though the female bit quite hard.

Decided to throw a pair in my 45 gallon bit more than 2 years ago. Had to separate them. Had a little cage inside the tank for EIGHT months trying to get them to like each other. The power went out and the little guy died as the cage was on the bottom. Tried again after six months. Same thing with the female being a complete jerk. I would let it out, and she would be ok for a bit, and turn into the devil after a day or two. Got to the point I thought we were good. Left the guy in there a few days and she would be a bit mean to him but let him around her and overall happy. Came home to a dead little one. One year later (this past weekend), got another little guy. I bought a clearview lid because she keeps chasing fish around and making them jump out. My roommate found my engineer gobies multiple times on the floor and put them back in. Eventually, someone wasn't home and both were killed. She was getting so bad she didn't even want snails near her rock or glass on the back wall, picking them off and throwing them. I don't know why I thought she would be better. Two years, way past the 'change' to a female and the hormones I assume were raging. She was ok with the little guy the first day. I was watching the second day and she just grabbed him by his stomach. I thought when she released he would be dead and his tummy would be spilling out. I grabbed him out, put him in a little container. She came swooping up to him, and I grabbed Big Bertha. She is now in my sump. I am done with her in my tank. She is getting her own tank. No other fish will go into it but the male GSM clown. Will have a divider for a while for them. Like while, I mean a year.

Beautiful fish. But I hate her.
 

DMG Reef

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I have a love/hate relationship with my 7-inch damsel. He's the tank boss and he runs a tight ship. I have to glue frags down very well or he drops them behind the reef. When I rearrange the rocks, he moves them where he wants them. He doesn't like change at all. :rolleyes:
 
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Kzang

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Woah, thats harsh. Poor fish. Mine bite too, but I don't hate them that bad! Try flicking your fingers at them when they attack (but don't actually hit them!) It works with mine!
I have. They don't care. They still attack me. They don't fear anything. They even attacked me when I tried to net them to put in the new 125g
 

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From someone who has kept clowns, and Maroons in particular for a long time, may I offer the following advice. Hopefully a better alternative than the garbage disposal :)

Get a pair of these exact gloves. Best $20 you will ever spend with bitey clowns


They are heavy enough by themselves to keep Occelaris bites painless and they go up to your shoulder. If you have a really big Occy, or one of the bigger species, wear a long sleeve sweatshirt and a knit winter glove beneath the Aqua Glove. Your hand and elbow should be pain and blood free with any clown...
 
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Kzang

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From someone who has kept clowns, and Maroons in particular for a long time, may I offer the following advice. Hopefully a better alternative than the garbage disposal :)

Get a pair of exactly these gloves. Best $20 you will ever spend with bitey clowns


They are heavy enough by themselves to keep Occelaris bites painless and they go up to your shoulder. If you have a really big Occy, or one of the bigger species, wear a long sleeve sweatshirt and a knit winter glove beneath the Aqua Glove. Your hand and elbow should be pain and blood free with any clown...
Definitely have to get these. They hurt through normal gloves, and they arent even full grown yet
 

Earl Karl

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Clownfish bite? That's nothing compared to getting bit by this guy.
IMG-0905.jpg

Dream animal, but can't do anything with my tank such as gluing down coral, fragging, maintenance, etc. with this monster giving PTSD of that one time...
Can't even go on vacation without having someone to feed my eel, or he eats his tankmates.
Whenever he "frags" an acro, and it falls into his den, F THAT. No matter how high quality that frag is, that frag is good as dead. Not worth my hand.
Still love him tho ;Cat.
 

LadyMac

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Clownfish bite? That's nothing compared to getting bit by this guy.
IMG-0905.jpg

Dream animal, but can't do anything with my tank such as gluing down coral, fragging, maintenance, etc. with this monster giving PTSD of that one time...
Can't even go on vacation without having someone to feed my eel, or he eats his tankmates.
Whenever he "frags" an acro, and it falls into his den, F THAT. No matter how high quality that frag is, that frag is good as dead. Not worth my hand.
Still love him tho ;Cat.
Hes SOOOOOO cute though! Bitey fish are fun!
 

vetteguy53081

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Theyre evil and annoying. This next holiday, both traps come out and I want every clown out of my display tank as the breeder pair is making a mess with the sand and trying to destroy my 9" elegance and the smaller ones are making caves and knocking plugs out of their holes SMH
 

vetteguy53081

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