# Questions about Ocellaris Clownfish



## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

My ocellaris clownfish is just about finished his hyposalinity. Just slowly bringing the water up to 1.025 this week.

Nice little fish but I can't see how he is going to survive in my DT. It just isn't agressive enough to get food. Wrasses, cardinals and chromis are all agressive eaters + despite all my training attempts it won't touch anything but pellets and flake, something I don't feed regularly in my DT. I feed a mixture of blended seafood.

No idea if it was tank bred or not, but I am assuming it is.

My kids love the fish, but I also have to be practical here. I don't want to have another tank just for the clowns. My wife will kill me. 

Do wild caught ocellaris clowns have any issues with seafood mixes? Do they tend to be more agressive than tank bred or are there any differences?

Thx.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

More than likely you have a wild caught fish since he's not eating prepared foods.
Also...wait until he gets bigger and you'll see that he'll be the bully of the tank. 
I've already had 3 different clowns I've had to trade off or sell due to them being super aggressive. 

If you're worried about the fish eating, I would trade or sell off the one you have and get a larger one that can fend for itself.

I purposely bought two clowns so they could school together and from day one they've been the runts of the tank and eat very little. Over the last year they've grown and now the larger one has shown some aggression finally when it comes to feeding. Now all I have to worry about is it being territorial.


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

I don't feed much pellets and to feed the tank pellets just for the clownfish seems a bit of a waste. Already have an algae problem don't want to add more to it lol.

My carpenter wrasse has already killed 3 fish and I have a feeling he will curbstomp the clown too (the wrasee not only chases, he rips off fins and stuff). Clown is only 1 1/2" - 2" long. No anenomie either for him to hide in.

I agree, I think trading him off is best for now until I can figure out somehting else, either bigger ones or something different.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

I had a Clarkii picaso clown that I got from another member and she was a pure (excuse my language) Bitch!!! Large clown and she almost killed everything in my tank.

Good luck with it Tim, and if you want a good home for the fish I'll gladly take it and trade you something.


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

ok dave will keep you posted. He probably won't be totally out of hypo until the middle of the week and I will let you know what's up. 

I am hoping to be out in the east end next weekend if SUM finally sells something I want LOL.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Where are you getting your food from I found mine will not eat the frozen food I get from the grocery store. They will eat mysis shrimp and krill they will not eat tiger shrimp, octopuss, silversides, even tried bloodworms. However I found they do eat seaweed and romaine lettuce right in there with the tang which surprised me. My pair never pick on anyone unless someone goes too near the male then the female chases it off no fighting though. If yours are young though you might put a few pellets in the brine from the seafood and feed for a while then change to just seafood. Hope this helps


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

pat3612 said:


> Where are you getting your food from I found mine will not eat the frozen food I get from the grocery store. They will eat mysis shrimp and krill they will not eat tiger shrimp, octopuss, silversides, even tried bloodworms. However I found they do eat seaweed and romaine lettuce right in there with the tang which surprised me. My pair never pick on anyone unless someone goes too near the male then the female chases it off no fighting though. If yours are young though you might put a few pellets in the brine from the seafood and feed for a while then change to just seafood. Hope this helps


Not surprising it wouldn't eat bloodworms. They're meant for freshwater fish. As far as the clown not eating goes, just keep feeding it the stuff your feeding. Eventually it'll realize that THIS IS FOOD and when it's hungry enough it'll eat.

That or starve to death, either way non-eating fish problem solved


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Tim said:


> My ocellaris clownfish is just about finished his hyposalinity. Just slowly bringing the water up to 1.025 this week.
> 
> Nice little fish but I can't see how he is going to survive in my DT. It just isn't agressive enough to get food. Wrasses, cardinals and chromis are all agressive eaters + despite all my training attempts it won't touch anything but pellets and flake, something I don't feed regularly in my DT. I feed a mixture of blended seafood.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't worry about it too much. Clowns are smart. They might be picky at first, but once they get hungry, they'll start sampling anything that smells like food.


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

altcharacter said:


> I had a Clarkii picaso clown that I got from another member and she was a pure (excuse my language) Bitch!!! Large clown and she almost killed everything in my tank.
> 
> Good luck with it Tim, and if you want a good home for the fish I'll gladly take it and trade you something.


My 6 year old daughter over ruled me today. We are under no circumstances to trade get rid of nemo's cousin (don't ask lol)



Ryan.Wilton said:


> Not surprising it wouldn't eat bloodworms. They're meant for freshwater fish. As far as the clown not eating goes, just keep feeding it the stuff your feeding. Eventually it'll realize that THIS IS FOOD and when it's hungry enough it'll eat.
> 
> That or starve to death, either way non-eating fish problem solved


lol well I would rather not go to that extreme



solarz said:


> I wouldn't worry about it too much. Clowns are smart. They might be picky at first, but once they get hungry, they'll start sampling anything that smells like food.


Given my marching orders from my 6 year old, I guess I can't worry too much. Hopefully it gets the hint. Into the tank on Saturday.


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## Emperor_Angel (Nov 2, 2010)

Ocellaris clowns are great fish! I've had mine for almost 5 years now and she has endured through all my tank issues. Just keep feeding your tank and if you see it's not working u can feed it pellets from a turkey baster or something, given the fish is curious enough to stick around than hide away. After it gets adjusted you will enjoy the clowns personality.


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

It still hides from me even though it has had ample time to get to know me. Funny that it does a little shimmy when it sees me though. 

Still lives in his margarine tub and refuses to leave. It is going to suffer some separation anxiety when it goes into the DT. When I take it out of the Qt to clean it, the clown goes into a corner and sulks until I put it back in LOL. I am hoping that it buddies up with one of the other fish in the tank at least for a while until I get another clown.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

Why not get an anemone?


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