Share the Strangest Clown Behavior You Have Seen

[tdileo]

As all of us clown keepers know that these fish can act super odd at times, and it’s usually more often than not. I think the strangest by far for me is what they do at night. Of course they host my return plumbing rather than the BTA I bought for them, but that’s not uncommon LOL. Sometimes, I can hear a very loud splashing. It sounds like a big fish trying to jump out and usually goes for about 10 seconds and the same thing always happens. One or both of them is laying in the sand breathing heavily, and I will stare helplessly as it darts around slamming into glass and rocks until eventually it is too exhausted. I will turn a small room light on at this point and within 15 minutes it usually gets back up and swims to its partner. If not, it is dead by morning about 80% of the time. I tried for months to find a solution and went through 2 pairs until my most recent and expensive one settled down, but one just did it again and it got me thinking again. So what is the absolute weirdest thing your clowns do?

 

[Big G]

<<<< can't figure out if it's burping, yawning, or just making a face. Too funny.

 

[Somuchflo99]

Mine likes to chase the magnetic cleaner around when I’m cleaning around

 

[Dsnakes]

I have one from a breeding pair that I can handfeed above the water. Just holding pellets/brine/mysis anything above the water and she jumps to my fingers. None of the others will do that.

 

[K. Steven]

Mine clicks or spits water in the corner of the tank. I think he's trying to bite the silicone that sticks down through the water line.

 

[tdileo]

Mine likes to chase the magnetic cleaner around when I’m cleaning around

I have a temperature gun that uses a little red laser. The female will chase it like she’s a cat!

 

[Somuchflo99]

I have a temperature gun that uses a little red laser. The female will chase it like she’s a cat!

bahaha that’s awesome u got post a video

 

[TikiBird]

As all of us clown keepers know that these fish can act super odd at times, and it’s usually more often than not. I think the strangest by far for me is what they do at night. Of course they host my return plumbing rather than the BTA I bought for them, but that’s not uncommon LOL. Sometimes, I can hear a very loud splashing. It sounds like a big fish trying to jump out and usually goes for about 10 seconds and the same thing always happens. One or both of them is laying in the sand breathing heavily, and I will stare helplessly as it darts around slamming into glass and rocks until eventually it is too exhausted. I will turn a small room light on at this point and within 15 minutes it usually gets back up and swims to its partner. If not, it is dead by morning about 80% of the time. I tried for months to find a solution and went through 2 pairs until my most recent and expensive one settled down, but one just did it again and it got me thinking again. So what is the absolute weirdest thing your clowns do?

Aw that stinks. My larger clown has done the same thing a couple of times, I suspect. She seems to almost knock herself out. It kind of reminds me of the “night frights” that my parrots have had sometimes.

 

[Rakie]

Mine tried to host dinos and would shoal with my wrasse. He was a dopey little guy.

 

[Tahoe61]

A couple years ago my male B/W jumped when the lid was up and I did not notice until it was too late. :-(

My female B/W clown stopped eating for 2 weeks and stayed in one spot. I thought for sure she was a goner but she eventually came back around. The pair had been together about 3 years. There were no new additions to the tank and she was other wise healthy, I believe she was grieving.

 

[radiata]

One had a large Maroon Clown (alone, no significant other) that I would occasionally catch ripping a tentacle off of her RBTA. She would mouth the ripped off piece as it floated around the tank.

 

[719bloodhound]

I have two that you can’t separate when the lights are on but as soon as the lights go out they are on opposite sides of the tank

 

[stevieduk]

get a moonlight kit , that gives them just enough light to feel secure and stops jumping

 

[pdisner]

<<<< can't figure out if it's burping, yawning, or just making a face. Too funny.

My Clarkii female does this also. I heard this is a common type of behavior, but I’m a fairly new clown owner. I’ve been into reefing for over 15 years now and just last August I bought a mated pair as they were on sale, and the cheapest to boot. Plus I liked the fact that it was an OG instead of a designer. It was an older pair and the male doing the submission wiggle? But now BOTH of them are doing it. Is this spawning behavior? Or is it just one of those common clown behaviors seen in a pair?

 

[Tahoe61]

My Clarkii female does this also. I heard this is a common type of behavior, but I’m a fairly new clown owner. I’ve been into reefing for over 15 years now and just last August I bought a mated pair as they were on sale, and the cheapest to boot. Plus I liked the fact that it was an OG instead of a designer. It was an older pair and the male doing the submission wiggle? But now BOTH of them are doing it. Is this spawning behavior? Or is it just one of those common clown behaviors seen in a pair?

Occasionally I see my adult females do this, just making sure the male knows she is the better shaker.

I used to have a pair of skunk clowns that chirped as did my male B/W misbar. Skunks can click and chirp but I have never heard a Ocellaris do it.

 

[GHsaltie]

My female clown went through a phase where she liked to intertwine herself into the patch of hair algae on the back wall. She would then lay there for an hour or so at a time letting the current push her into odd angles such as head down or upside down all the while giving me a heart attack thinking she had died.

 

[Gino]

I got an Oceliaris without a partner, but he thinks is a green chromis. He shoals with them and sleep with them in a cave. I believe that he thinks that he is green and not orange... Buajajaja!!!

 

[Unregistered User]

A couple years ago my male B/W jumped when the lid was up and I did not notice until it was too late. :-(

My female B/W clown stopped eating for 2 weeks and stayed in one spot. I thought for sure she was a goner but she eventually came back around. The pair had been together about 3 years. There were no new additions to the tank and she was other wise healthy, I believe she was grieving.

I heard they grieve like Rams.

 

[pdisner]

Occasionally I see my adult females do this, just making sure the male knows she is the better shaker.

I used to have a pair of skunk clowns that chirped as did my male B/W misbar. Skunks can click and chirp but I have never heard a Ocellaris do it.

Omg really? The only thing I’ve heard make noise like that is a pistol shrimp....so is this shaking a spawning related behavior, or what is the deal? Because on you tube there’s a couple people that posted same thing and then shot video of them securing a clutch to their chosen spot. So vocal noises..for what? We see dolphins and other sea mammals do this, buy is this the same purpose, communication? Like the shaking thing, is that a non verbal cue or some other type of signal or sign?

 

[pdisner]

I heard they grieve like Rams.

How do rams grieve? Oh you mean the LA Rams...