Firefish tail nipped

[John A!10]

My firefishws tail is a little nipped today and was wondering what I should do. It isn’t too bad, but I’m scared it could get worst. It is still eating. It is in a 30 gallon tank with two clowns. It is because of the two percula clowns.
What could I do?

 

[John A!10]

Pics to clarify my horribly written message:

 

[John A!10]

I feel like the clowns are chasing it around the tank very often. The clowns have been in the tank for around a month. He is well fed and looks healthy other then the tail nip.

 

[Uncle99]

Very shy fish, if he’s just recently been added I’d do nothing but watch to see if they continue to harass/bite.
Sometimes the initial meeting does not go well.

If the fish is being constantly harassed to the point where the fish hides in corners, then, you can put the aggressor in the accl8mization box for 48hrs and then introduce again.

Many of these bad meetings are one offs.

 

[John A!10]

Very shy fish, if he’s just recently been added I’d do nothing but watch to see if they continue to harass/bite.
Sometimes the initial meeting does not go well.

If the fish is being constantly harassed to the point where the fish hides in corners, then, you can put the aggressor in the accl8mization box for 48hrs and then introduce again.

Many of these bad meetings are one offs.

The firefish has been in the tank 8months alone and the clowns a little less than a month. No other fish in the tank. If I add a royal gramma(fish I want) will it help reduce agression? There is no way I’ll be able to get the fish without destroying my scape. When I walk close to the tank he darts into the rocks in less than a second.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Clowns can be nasty territorial buggers and you will have to either give culprit clown a timeout in acclimation box or sump.
best way to determine is to set your phone in video mode for about 30 mins and walk away. If you stay by tank, they know and will behave their best.
Come back later and review video- You will know which fish it is.

 

[ariellemermaid]

Are you sure the clowns nipped his tail? I had a firefish and thought hermit crabs were harassing him, only to later discover it was a fin disease:

Trying to save Firefish

I’m hoping someone can give us some guidance on what to do with a ? sick firefish. He’s generally been doing great until the last couple of weeks. Normal behavior is free swimming when the lights are on and tucking against a rock on the bottom at night. Lately though we’ve noticed the following...

www.reef2reef.com

Since then, I had a similar issue with a Royal Gramma, and thought my tang was harassing him. Moved the RG to an isolation box and discovered the issue to be flukes.
Good luck!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Are you sure the clowns nipped his tail? I had a firefish and thought hermit crabs were harassing him, only to later discover it was a fin disease:

Trying to save Firefish

I’m hoping someone can give us some guidance on what to do with a ? sick firefish. He’s generally been doing great until the last couple of weeks. Normal behavior is free swimming when the lights are on and tucking against a rock on the bottom at night. Lately though we’ve noticed the following...

www.reef2reef.com

Since then, I had a similar issue with a Royal Gramma, and thought my tang was harassing him. Moved the RG to an isolation box and discovered the issue to be flukes.
Good luck!

Tail rot will be raggedy. This is a clear bite on tail

 

[John A!10]

Clowns can be nasty territorial buggers and you will have to either give culprit clown a timeout in acclimation box or sump.
best way to determine is to set your phone in video mode for about 30 mins and walk away. If you stay by tank, they know and will behave their best.
Come back later and review video- You will know which fish it is.

When I sit by the tank I see the clowns chasing him so I’m almost certain it’s the clowns.

 

[John A!10]

Are you sure the clowns nipped his tail? I had a firefish and thought hermit crabs were harassing him, only to later discover it was a fin disease:

Trying to save Firefish

I’m hoping someone can give us some guidance on what to do with a ? sick firefish. He’s generally been doing great until the last couple of weeks. Normal behavior is free swimming when the lights are on and tucking against a rock on the bottom at night. Lately though we’ve noticed the following...

www.reef2reef.com

Since then, I had a similar issue with a Royal Gramma, and thought my tang was harassing him. Moved the RG to an isolation box and discovered the issue to be flukes.
Good luck!

Yup not disease I had him for 8 months and my clowns where in qt for a month treated with copper and prazipro.

 

[John A!10]

Can anything really be done? I don’t have a qt set up at the moment and even then the problem will still persist. Will adding more fish help reduce aggression?

 

[ariellemermaid]

Can anything really be done? I don’t have a qt set up at the moment and even then the problem will still persist. Will adding more fish help reduce aggression?

It sounds like you’ve seen a good amount of aggression so hopefully that’s all it is. I agree with other folks the easiest solution with or without a QT ready would be to simply throw an acclimation/isolation box on the side of the tank. That’s what I would try first. Lots of cheap options available on Amazon if you can’t get one at an LFS. Having had several fish with issues now I’m glad I have one on hand. Some folks have suggested in the past rearranging rock work (if that’s an option) to deal with aggression. The idea being that the fish lose their claimed territory and all reacclimate to new landscape.

Keep an eye out for secondary bacterial infections.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can anything really be done? I don’t have a qt set up at the moment and even then the problem will still persist. Will adding more fish help reduce aggression?

acclimation box or sump as mentioned earlier

 

[John A!10]

acclimation box or sump as mentioned earlier

How long should I keep my clowns In the sump? Will this help? I doubt they will ever know what they are in their for.

 

[vetteguy53081]

How long should I keep my clowns In the sump? Will this help? I doubt they will ever know what they are in their for.

If you did video suggestion, you would know which one and move that one only. 7-10 should be sufficient. Move a couple rocks around in tank when you return them and they will not be familiar with tank

 

[vtecintegra]

Two clowns in a 30 can easily decide to claim the tank for itself. I had two in 130 and one was hell bent on killing a fire fish. He would do patrols looking for it several times an hour even when he was suppose to be tending eggs on the opposite side of the tank. I'd remove the fire fish and be prepared to not be able to add any other fish. I tried the "time out" twice, with the clowns out for over a month, and the moment I put them back in the male went straight over to the corner and rock the fire fish lived under looking for it. 30 gallons needs truly peaceful non-territorial fish, which clowns often are not.

 

[John A!10]

Two clowns in a 30 can easily decide to claim the tank for itself. I had two in 130 and one was hell bent on killing a fire fish. He would do patrols looking for it several times an hour even when he was suppose to be tending eggs on the opposite side of the tank. I'd remove the fire fish and be prepared to not be able to add any other fish. I tried the "time out" twice, with the clowns out for over a month, and the moment I put them back in the male went straight over to the corner and rock the fire fish lived under looking for it. 30 gallons needs truly peaceful non-territorial fish, which clowns often are not.

I’ve always had success with my past clowns. This is annoying.