Biters

[tomasga]

Let's talk about biting fish.

I have a percula clown which I have had for 4+ years. Recently I went to work on the tank and had the bajeebers scared out of me, I then realized that my clown was attacking my hand, now every time I work on the tank the first thing I wait for is for him to finish his attack before I can actually work peacfully in the tank...


kind of annoying at first but interesting too

what are you experiences?

[tischdog32]

maroon clown does the same thing ... also my cleaner shrimp always come after my hand, but they kind of tickle more than hurt

after a few seconds both lose interest, and Im able to do what I need

[amkelly802]

My black clowns are brutal. As soon as a hand is over the tank they swim to the top, the female will even sometimes jump out, one time hitting the metal halide and falling back in the tank. As soon as the hand breaches the water, its an all out war and unfortunately for me the female actually bites pretty hard. One time drawing blood on one of my friends who was helping me clean the tank.

[tomasga]

Interesting stories, keep 'em coming

[Lockhartia]

My cinnamon clown was a real demon. She would draw blood and took pleasure in moving corals and waiting like a predator around them so she could bite me. My fiance at one point thought I had some kind of rash because I had at least a dozen, oval shaped bite marks up my arm!

She even got my father one time. He dropped a scraper in the tank and before I could warn him he put his hand in to get it. The clown took off like a rocket and bit him, twisting like a piranah! My father almost took the light fixture with him as he yanked his arm out of the tank!

I hated that fish! She lived to a ripe old 14yrs of age too, just to spite me!

[Shane Hoffman]

I have a tomatoe and maroon that bite....neither hurts or makes me bleed to the extent of my yellow cowfish....that guys loves to bite....if you dont pull away fast enough you will bleed every time....

[Superstretch18]

We had an ephippium (fire) clown at a store that I worked at that would break skin if you put your hand in the tank. He was all of four inches long and lived there for the entire time I worked there (6+ years) and was there for more than a year or two before I started there. Very fun for the newbies cleaning algae. :D

[driftin]

Our starry blenny gets me now and then. It's more of a surprise than anything else, certainly doesn't hurt. Maybe it thinks my arm hair is actually hair algae?

[guinness0514]

I have two black percs and they were both gentle before they matured. The female now hates when I stick my hand in the tank. At first, she just swims up agressively, but not really going at me. If I don't remove my hand, she will start to thrust her tail at my hand to swat the water pressure at me. Kinda like kicking me under water without touching me. If that doesn't work then she will wait until the right moment to attack. Her bites are still not very painful, but she still startles me everytime even if I know it's coming. I usually just get a plastic bowl and scoop her up with some water and just float it on top of the water until I get done what I need to in the tank and then release her when I am done.

[tomasga]

Glad to see my fish is not the only EVIL one