Man Eating Clown Fish

[rich19020]

Every time I put my hand in the tank my clown fish attacks me. It must be crazy. Has anybody else have this happen?

[greech]

All the time and every frag I add or everytime I move something my female whips at the new addition with its tail and puts her nose right behind it to try and knock it off. I have seen her roll a rock along the sandbed that was minimum 3 times her size. Funny thing is she will eat right out of my hand too. She is one big, bad B&W clown but I wouldn't trade her for the world :)

[papagimp]

lol, clownfish are very territorial and honestly, they're like the little chihuahua that think they're the biggest baddest dog around.

[agreeive?fish]

its a toss of the coin whos gonna rip my hand apart the fastest or the hardest ..my maroon female or my tomato female in separate tanks of course

[johnc99]

Yup. Everytime my hand is in the tank my clowns nip and my cleaner shrimp attempts to clean.

[evsalty]

My female occ bites me all the time.

[pmrossetti]

My female occ bites me all the time.


occ?

[AlexS95]

Ocelaris

[matt_wahoo]

my female gs maroon did it every time I got near her rbta or leather coral

[Lorenz725]

I have had my pair for almost 2 years and just a few months ago the female started to attack my hand when I put it in the tank. No sure what started it they dont host anything in the tank.

[pmrossetti]

i love the cinnamons, so it's good to read that other clowns bite too. :)

[jbell370]

My female Clarkie is the worst, no new fish can go in the tank and I am not permitted to move or arrange anything near her rock which is covered with frilly green mushrooms. I am stuck with her and her mate, a small pacific angel and dottyback, I guess that is what I get for not introducing new fish sooner, all of them have been with me for 2 years since the tank started.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I had a clarkii that did that. Darn thing drew blood. I have single perc now. She's about 5 years old and as docile as can be.

[snorvich]

As a pair, clownfish can be terrors to fish and humans alike.

[michael_cb_125]

When I first read this I thought "Why would a man eat a clownfish?" ;)

~Michael

[pmrossetti]

Gee, with all this bad pub why does everyone have clowns? they're holy terrors!

[carpenterman23]

yup. Everytime my hand is in the tank my clowns nip and my cleaner shrimp attempts to clean.

+1

[thegrun]

Don't let those sweet faces fool you!!! A clown is a damsel wrapped in sheep’s clothing. Most of them won't hunt down and kill their tank mates like your typical damsel, but when it comes to defending their home, no one messes with a clown!

[jeffesaurusrex]

There are a pair of Cinnamon clowns at my LFS in a coral holding tank that appear to be spawning. Whenever somebody walks up to the tank, they watch very closely. Whenever the owner sticks his hand in to grab me something they are very aggressive and nip at his hand until it's out of the tank. He says it is a pretty decent bite for such a small fish and it kind of hurts.

[IslandCrow]

My maroon used to actually headbut me any time I started moving anything around in her corner of the tank. Otherwise, she'd generally just nibble at my fingers, no doubt expecting me to feed her. I got lucky with a pretty mild mannered maroon, though she did eventually chase my six-line right out of the tank (at least I assume she was at least in some part responsible). The six-line was a little pest, though, so he probably had it coming.

[NirvanaFan]

My ocellaris female draws blood sometimes. My clarkiis are worst though. The male and female both attack and draw blood. I can't even put my hand in their tank. I have to move things with a long pair of tongs. Even when I'm standing near their tank, they will fake charge at me like a bear will do sometimes.

My ocellaris female has been flung out of the tank before. She bit me and held on for a second. I pulled my hand out of the tank really fast because she surprised me and went flying across the room. I picked her up off the floor covered in dog hair and put her back in the tank. It didn't phase her one bit. She kept trying to bite me.

[Palting]

I had a maroon clown that used to do that. So long as they don't bother other fish, it should be fine. My maroon went bonkers after several weeks, and started attacking any fish that would come near it's spot. Gave him a week time-out in the sump, only to have him stake out another spot when I returned him to the DT. Finally returned him to the LFS, where he stayed in a 5 gallon all his own.

[Tim gixxerman]

WOW my maroons are like little puppys they come out when i get neer the tank and will eat out of our hands. They get along with the new fish too!

[IslandCrow]

WOW my maroons are like little puppys they come out when i get neer the tank and will eat out of our hands. They get along with the new fish too!

Same here. My would even let me pet her. . .but move the smallest pebble in her immaculately maintained corner of the tank. . .I don't think I she ever actually bit me, though.

[ericung]

My clown fishes like to nip my hands too, although you know they will, sometimes the feeling is still a little bit terrifying ^_€

[Birdee]

No bites or nips at all from my pair of Ocellaris, even when I mess around their BTA... ruddy little beggars though. LOL

[saltysailor2329]

My female clown attacks everything that goes into the tank no matter what it is, but will then eat right out of my fingers. It is very funny to watch when she knocks stuff around.

[curlykid]

three words. line and hook.

[Sam2000001]

Mine also will go out of her way to attack me even if I'm working on the other side of the tank! I have to distract her with the mag float to be able to put anything in, lol. But I love her still!

[djk83]

None of my clowns have ever bit me but I hear this is common.