I think my clown fish are mean

[Jacquelyn_J]

I have a 36 gallon first ever fish tank and I figured I would go salt. Needless to say, I know nothing but what I want. I wanted two clown and something else (not sure what just didn’t want them alone). I started with a blenny bicolor. She didn’t last a week (never seemed to come out) but my nitrite levels were a bit higher than probably good so I blamed myself. But then I got a tailspot and he lasted a month, I thought he was good. He would come out and play with them but then he stopped and started hiding all the time. I thought I had crushed him as we went two days without seeing him and so I went looking. Something had already been eating him. So now I have a pink bar goby. She went through the initial hiding but then seemed be coming out. Now she barely comes out during feeding and is terrible hesitant. Is it me? My nitrite levels are spot on salt is 1.023 ph may be a little low at 7.8?
Or is it my clowns that just don’t want to share as they are growing?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Welcome to your new home for saltwater reef aquarium resources and fun! Welcome to the family! :D

 

[Peace River]

Welcome to Reef2Reef! Clownfish are wired for aggression. It sounds like you have a clown. That sounds to be more aggressive than normal, but still not uncommon.

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef! Good luck with your Clowns!

 

[kevgib67]

Welcome, glad you are here! I have 2 clowns and 5 other fish in my 32g that has been up over 3 1/2 years. What type of clowns? Did you see aggression marks on the deceased fish, fin damage?

 

[Utubereefer]

Welcome to the club

 

[Baylott224]

Blennys eat algae almost exclusively but some will eat other stuff too but they needs done sordt or seaweed or green pellets . We're u feeding the Blennys any green seaweed pellets. Or did you have any algea in the tank they could die of not eating

 

[Baylott224]

And welcome to r2r

 

[Ocean_Queenie]

I have 3 sets of clowns in 3 different tanks, which are bigger so my blenny’s don’t have any problems. We do feed our blenny sinking algae pellets and wafers too. But the female clowns are all aggressive, that I have. Welcome, hope it all works out.

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a 36 gallon first ever fish tank and I figured I would go salt. Needless to say, I know nothing but what I want. I wanted two clown and something else (not sure what just didn’t want them alone). I started with a blenny bicolor. She didn’t last a week (never seemed to come out) but my nitrite levels were a bit higher than probably good so I blamed myself. But then I got a tailspot and he lasted a month, I thought he was good. He would come out and play with them but then he stopped and started hiding all the time. I thought I had crushed him as we went two days without seeing him and so I went looking. Something had already been eating him. So now I have a pink bar goby. She went through the initial hiding but then seemed be coming out. Now she barely comes out during feeding and is terrible hesitant. Is it me? My nitrite levels are spot on salt is 1.023 ph may be a little low at 7.8?
Or is it my clowns that just don’t want to share as they are growing?

Clowns can be the worst tankmates often becoming territorial , chase other fish, take over a certain area of tank, bite other fish including their own and hog all the food. Theyre worse when they are a mated pair.

 

[Jacquelyn_J]

Welcome, glad you are here! I have 2 clowns and 5 other fish in my 32g that has been up over 3 1/2 years. What type of clowns? Did you see aggression marks on the deceased fish, fin damage?

I didn’t look at the bicolor but the tailspot had been eaten upon by snails and crabs I think. His tail and belly was gone by the time I found him but the goby is great at hiding so nothing that I can see

 

[kevgib67]

I didn’t look at the bicolor but the tailspot had been eaten upon by snails and crabs I think. His tail and belly was gone by the time I found him but the goby is great at hiding so nothing that I can see

Did you see any aggression? What type of clowns?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I didn’t look at the bicolor but the tailspot had been eaten upon by snails and crabs I think. His tail and belly was gone by the time I found him but the goby is great at hiding so nothing that I can see

This is typical of scavengers once a fish has perished

 

[Brisk]

Welcome!

 

[tzabor10]

Welcome. An acclimation box would help.
Clownfish are @&!%#

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

 

[mholubchenko]

Welcome, clowns could be very aggressive. I had 2 clowns and a tailspot blenny in my 20g cube. I bought them together and they were not in conflict, but after a while blenny died and the clowns lived about half a year on their own after which I decided to move damselfish in. And the clowns definitely wanted to get rid of the newcomer. I put them in a breeder net box for a month and it helped them calm down.

 

[Fish Styx]

Greetings and welcome to the reef!

 

[B&CinB.C.]

Hi . Welcome to Reef 2 Reef