Why the hell do people buy clown fish!??? Big problems with mine.

[Enigma]

Losing their nem could definately make them anxious and put them in a bad mood, I think. I thought about trying to protect my occ. clowns hosts from them (two clowns, each being hosted by side-by-side torch corals), but I was afraid of ****ing them off.

[pseudonym]

Originally Posted by Enigma

Losing their nem could definately make them anxious and put them in a bad mood, I think. I thought about trying to protect my occ. clowns hosts from them (two clowns, each being hosted by side-by-side torch corals), but I was afraid of ****ing them off.

I am thinking that has to be it. Before they lost their host, they were aggressive sure.. but just about their water area.. which is fine. All the fish in the tank live in different areas, so there shouldn't be much conflict generally. After their host was gone, the clowns started going into the rock rather than staying mid level, open water. That is when things started to go down hill fast. Before that.. things were pretty good! Very peaceful tank with no aggression after I took the wrasse out.

[Nano]

Originally Posted by pseudonym

I completely disagree on the stocking issue. I would actually say you are over stocked myself. You have three fairly large fish that occupy the same water area as each other, mid level, open water. To me that is too much in one niche. I don't think stocking is such a simple thing. All my fish were choosen based not only on their size, but what they eat, temperament and where the live in the tank. None should have interacted with each other this much. Hell.. the clowns actually came OUT of their living space into the rock and chased after the tangs.

As for the tangs, I really really don't think you understand how small these little dudes are. You wouldn't want to put them in a large tank with other large fish. I don't think they would survive.

Well if I'm overstocked, what does that make your tank? Just sayin. I mean to put tangs in a 29...

[pseudonym]

Originally Posted by Nano

Well if I'm overstocked, what does that make your tank? Just sayin. I mean to put tangs in a 29...

As I said, I don't think stocking is a simple question. It depends on where the fish lives and what it eats. You have three fish that live mid water. In a 30, to my mind that is too much. I divide the tank into sections. First, open water fish and in rock fish. Then I look at the level they live in: Top level, mid level, and then lower level (in a breeder I only look at mid and bottom. There are very few actual top layer marine fish for aquaria). Each level and area has to be looked at differently and needs to be stocked specifically for that area. You can have an overstocked area, and still have an understocked tank for instance.

After that you have to look at food, and where that food comes from. Does the fish have a utility role in the tank that reduces bio load? Does it complete for food from the tank with other fish or is it a decorative fish where it's primary nutrition comes from you feeding or does it mostly eat things inside the tank and only need supplemental feeding? All that is a stocking question that has to be answered after you figure out what area the fish lives in.

As I said, not a simple question. In your case I would say that you have your mid level, open water area over stocked, your mid level, in-rock area contains a wrasse and the rest have no stocking at all.

That is just my view on it of course.

[Nano]

K......

And you have a lawn mower blenny ripping around every where, clowns which basically protect their hosting spot, 2 tangs which in a tank that size will swim where ever they can to keep up with the tiny space they are crammed into, 3 pipefish, and 2 mandarins which are all pod eaters (so wouldn't that mean they are competing for food? Especially in such a small tank?)... I'm not going to argue this with you. My post count for the day is getting to high. Plain and simple I may be overstocked in my open water, but yet I have no problems in my tank aggression wise.. weird.. I was just trying to help like everyone else, but seems I said something you didnt like, maybe it was the tang remark? Anyways you didn't like it so you start pointing the finger at me.. not a good way to get help here.

Time for some wobbly pops :P