Semi aggressive cinnamon clown

[Evensong]

Simple question -- will adding an anemone tend to make a cinnamon clown MORE aggressive, LESS aggressive, or neither?

Situation: 120g mixed reef that came with a somewhat grumpy cinnamon clown. I'm adding fish, and he's not a menace, but he does occasionally nip at tail fins and chase others away from food. I'm wondering if I give him an anemone off to one side if he'll be more likely to keep to himself and only get nippy if a fish strays too near his personal space? Or will giving him a specific home to "defend" make him even more of a butthead?

I'm trying to add peaceful to moderate fish so everyone can get along, but starting out with a cinnamon is kind of at odds with this goal.

 

[Isaac Alves]

He'll defend it for sure if she hosts...also...you never know where the nem is going to want to roam. Clowns will defend their chosen turf regardless of what they host.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

Clowns are kinda jerks. I think mine is fighting with my tang. Sometimes i feel like pulling them and putting them in their own system

 

[mfinn]

Simple question -- will adding an anemone tend to make a cinnamon clown MORE aggressive, LESS aggressive, or neither?

Situation: 120g mixed reef that came with a somewhat grumpy cinnamon clown. I'm adding fish, and he's not a menace, but he does occasionally nip at tail fins and chase others away from food. I'm wondering if I give him an anemone off to one side if he'll be more likely to keep to himself and only get nippy if a fish strays too near his personal space? Or will giving him a specific home to "defend" make him even more of a butthead?

I'm trying to add peaceful to moderate fish so everyone can get along, but starting out with a cinnamon is kind of at odds with this goal.

Adding a anemone might make him stay close to it so it doesn't roam the tank as much. But he will still be grumpy. Plus the anemone will roam until it finds a spot it likes.

 

[Isaac Alves]

Here's a great video I just saw yesterday showing all kinds of Chromis and Damsels in the wild...and they are up in your face. Great reference video for real animal behavior:

NOTE: Clownfish and damselfish are cousins -- same family so similar territorial behaviors, although I think clowns are considered the "less" aggressive cousin .

 

[Evensong]

Here's a great video I just saw yesterday showing all kinds of Chromis and Damsels in the wild...and they are up in your face. Great reference video for real animal behavior:

NOTE: Clownfish and damselfish are cousins -- same family so similar territorial behaviors, although I think clowns are considered the "less" aggressive cousin .

Awesome video, thanks for sharing!

My clown is just like some of these guys. If I put my face up to the glass, he comes up and looks me dead in the eye until I back up.

 

[Evensong]

Clowns are kinda jerks. I think mine is fighting with my tang. Sometimes i feel like pulling them and putting them in their own system

This is also an option. If I can catch him, I have a 65g refugium tank I could put him in. Solitary confinement.

 

[mcarroll]

The territory they defend is usually larger than an aquarium-sized anemone, so ON AVERAGE adding one will shrink the territory. But....

Your mileage may vary – unlikely that your clown has read the manual, so may not know any of that. ;)

(Ditto everything everyone else said too.)

IMO, if you already planned for an anemone, then go for it – IMO it'll work out as you suspect. Don't change your plans to try and force an anemone into The Works just for this tho. Again, IMO.

 

[Evensong]

The territory they defend is usually larger than an aquarium-sized anemone, so ON AVERAGE adding one will shrink the territory. But....

Your mileage may vary – unlikely that your clown has read the manual, so may not know any of that. ;)

(Ditto everything everyone else said too.)

IMO, if you already planned for an anemone, then go for it – IMO it'll work out as you suspect. Don't change your plans to try and force an anemone into The Works just for this tho. Again, IMO.

Definitely had anemones in the plans regardless of clowns. Love those nems.

But before I pulled the trigger, I wanted to make sure that wasn't asking for trouble.

 

[mcarroll]

Definitely had anemones in the plans regardless of clowns. Love those nems.

But before I pulled the trigger, I wanted to make sure that wasn't asking for trouble.

Some folks might think keeping clowns or anemones was asking for trouble – it's all relative to your intentions! :)

 

[JumboShrimp]

Is your "somewhat grumpy cinnamon clown" full size yet? If not -- right there you might not be out of the woods yet, no matter what you do.

 

[Evensong]

Some folks might think keeping clowns or anemones was asking for trouble – it's all relative to your intentions! :)

Yeah he came with the tank, and I wasn't able to give him away. So he's my problem now haha

 

[Evensong]

Is your "somewhat grumpy cinnamon clown" full size yet? If not -- right there you might not be out of the woods yet, no matter what you do.

Hmm good point. He is not yet fully grown. He might be destined for the basement tank.

 

[mcarroll]

Yeah he came with the tank, and I wasn't able to give him away. So he's my problem now haha

Well, the point is that if you want clowns and anemones, then you work the tank around that because those are your goals. There's no reason a 120 Gallon can't have a happy clown+anemone along with some other fish. You'll have to figure out what will be compatible and limit what you put in the tank, but again that's because it's your goal to have cown+anemone.

...or it's not your goal.

In which case keeping the clown is a terrible idea – look for a new owner. Seems like adding an anemone might be a bad idea as well in that case.