Percula Troubles

[MRIGUY]

I have a clown problem. I have six percula clowns in a 45 gallon corner tank. It is essentially a FOWLR with some misc inverts. They are just celebrating their 2nd birthday. In the last two days five of them have started to harass the runt of the litter. They bully him into a crack between the refugium and the glass. Ph 8.2, ammonia, n & n Zero. I feed flake daily, they will not eat anything fresh. The tank is really healthy. The DSB is alive, the snails are laying eggs but the clowns.... Are they just developing their territoriality or os this something else. There are no LFS's in the area so I may have to set up a seperate tank. I have all the stuff but do I really need to do it. TIA.

John

Clowns can get pretty territorial and turning on the littlest guy isn't uncommon. At their age they mauy be comin into their sexual maturity and subject to hormonal swings.Has one shown signs of becoming the dominant female? If so the others may be working out the pecking order thing trying to establish their place in the breeding scheme of things.
My guess is that they are outgrowing the space they have available to establish turf, and the odd fish out has no place hide, with that many tormentors. I would think seperating it from the herd would be the kind thing to do, However I gotta say once he's removed I would not be surprised to see this happen again with the new last in line. IF they are developing a breeding hiarchy eventually the Female and Alpha male aren't going to be tolerent of other conspecifics.
FWIW I have seen a few groups similar in 75 and 90g tanks that went through basically the same squabbles. Even with to greater space afforded by the larger tanks, the odd fish suffers to some degree.I think you are going to have to seperate or thin the numbers.

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I thought I was me, but we were wrong
email: geeflipr@internetcds.com

[FishDaddy]

John,
I think what you are seeing is the maturation stage when the Percs are deciding who will be boys and who will be the dominant female.
I'm a little surprised that they haven't displayed this behaviour before now but I think its time to thin the herd.
Dick

[MtnDewMan]

I learned a LONG time ago that thinning the herd is the best idea here. I started out with 4 clowns a little over 7 years ago ... they were coming of age, then 3 beat up on 1 so bad that it died before I knew it ... Then 2 started beating on 3rd .... Before it got too bad, I took that 3rd out. They will definately beat up on each other until there are 2 ... sooooooooo .... I would start thinking about what you can do to remove 4 of them ... So now the question is, which 4???? Darn good question.

[MRIGUY]

Hi All,

Set up a seperate 20 gallon to thin out two of the little buggers. fresh mix with three pieces rock from the old tank. salinity and Ph match perfectly. I only cought one clown and eight hours after placing him in the new tank he is on his side gasping. Any ideas? This tank ws cleaded with bakind soda and h20 and rinsed well. The heater and Ph are from his old tank. Tia for the help.

[Alice]

Just a couple of ideas: Have you taken the pH and alkalinity levels today, just in case the baking soda is having an effect on them?

Is the power head pointed up a little so it's roiling up the surface of the water?

Have you checked the temp in the tank?

Did he get beat up on before you were able to remove him?

How long did the new SW mix before you added it to the tank? And salinity was ok?

A couple of those questions are kinda no brainers but it's easy to over look something. Hope all goes well.

~Alice

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Reefkeeping is my life; I can't afford a hobby too!

[MRIGUY]

Alice,

The SW was mixed only for eight hours before I had to add the fish. He was beaten profusely about the fins and gills by his cell mates before I was able to get him out. The PH and all parameters matched his tank perfectly. I did not test alkalinity. The powerhead does not agitate the surface but I am running an old skilter for airation/circulation. He is still holding on but I am not confident in his abillity to make it till dawn. We'll see what happens. This will be my first loss of anything in 3.5 years.