Get my clowns to change their territory!

Eman79 · 05/22/2012, 09:41 AM

First let me just say I'm new to this and I apologize in advance if this is "dumb"

I've got a 55 gal and it's only fish inhabitants are two tank bred b+w juvenile clowns. They have taken up residence in the back left corner of my tank. The rock work near the bottom kind of closes off a 3 by 6 inch area that they don't like to leave, even if I try to coax them away with food. This area of the tank I've left relatively barren, and there is nowhere to hide. The opposite side of my tank has lots of rock work, crevices and two RBTA that the fish are oblivious to. I don't want to completely stress them out, but I'd like for them to go exploring and MAYBE they will eventually host an anenome. It's about time to add more inhabitants, and while I won't be adding predators, i don't know how these guys will react...

Any ideas? Leave them alone and let nature work it's course, or try to move them around, and if yes, how would I go about doing that. fWIW, the area they have chosen has the least flow of anywhere in the aquarium, and I don't know if that played into their decision. Thanks!

bellis31 · 05/22/2012, 09:44 AM

Mine do the same thing, everything I have read points to normal clown behavior but some also say adding other fish may get them to move around more but I have not tested this theory.

joekidwell · 05/22/2012, 11:40 AM

How long have they been in the tank?

Eman79 · 05/22/2012, 02:14 PM

They have been in the tank for two months.

lil_man72 · 05/22/2012, 05:33 PM

i'd get a turkey baster if you don't already have one.
just squirt brine shrimp into the rbta's. don't feed anything else while your doing this.
this is how i managed to get a pair of my clowns to host an anemone.
start by squirting just enough out that a few stay peices get free. they should get hungry in a day or two and start getting closer to the food source.
if you give them a reason to leave they will.
you could also aim a powerhead in the general spot they hang out.

warfanax · 05/23/2012, 09:49 AM

No matter what I tried I couldn't get them to change their territory. I even blasted their corner with power head but these stubborn little bastards stayed at the same spot for days...

I don't know yours but my clowns are scared of everything, cowards. I hate them for this. If you put something in that corner such as thermometer, algae scraper they will leave that corner unless they get used to that object. It takes weeks sometimes for them to change territory. Mine are so cowards that putting a piece of white paper outside of the glass make them go away. But if I remove it after few days they just go back there.

Adding fish definitely helps but not hiding fish. I put 5 chromis as a schooling fish and my clowns became very active and explorer. Never stayed at one corner. However I didn't like chromis and took back replaced it with baby blue tang thinking tang will make them active unfortunately now my tang thinks it is a clown fish and always hangs out with them in their corner.

Basically its a hit or miss...

Eman79 · 05/23/2012, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warfanax

unfortunately now my tang thinks it is a clown fish and always hangs out with them in their corner.

Basically its a hit or miss...

LOL. Having a tang clown fish is too funny. I guess I will experiment this week with trying to get them to move.

I put a somewhat mirrored backing on my aquarium so that I could keep an eye on what goes on behind my rock work... I honestly think they see themselves and think there are two more clowns back there. Maybe that needs to go as well.

05/22/2012, 09:41 AM	#1
Eman79 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 73	Get my clowns to change their territory! First let me just say I'm new to this and I apologize in advance if this is "dumb" I've got a 55 gal and it's only fish inhabitants are two tank bred b+w juvenile clowns. They have taken up residence in the back left corner of my tank. The rock work near the bottom kind of closes off a 3 by 6 inch area that they don't like to leave, even if I try to coax them away with food. This area of the tank I've left relatively barren, and there is nowhere to hide. The opposite side of my tank has lots of rock work, crevices and two RBTA that the fish are oblivious to. I don't want to completely stress them out, but I'd like for them to go exploring and MAYBE they will eventually host an anenome. It's about time to add more inhabitants, and while I won't be adding predators, i don't know how these guys will react... Any ideas? Leave them alone and let nature work it's course, or try to move them around, and if yes, how would I go about doing that. fWIW, the area they have chosen has the least flow of anywhere in the aquarium, and I don't know if that played into their decision. Thanks!

05/22/2012, 09:44 AM	#2
bellis31 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sacramento, Ca Posts: 747	Mine do the same thing, everything I have read points to normal clown behavior but some also say adding other fish may get them to move around more but I have not tested this theory. __________________ 40g Breeder + 29g Sump GH 700 Overflow and Return + SC-150 Skimmer Eheim 1260 Return Pump + 2 Vortech MP10es 36inch 6 Bulb TEK Elite T5 Lighting + Apex Jr Controller

05/22/2012, 11:40 AM	#3
joekidwell Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Greeneville TN Posts: 225	How long have they been in the tank?

05/22/2012, 02:14 PM	#4
Eman79 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 73	They have been in the tank for two months.

05/22/2012, 05:33 PM	#5
lil_man72 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: kcmo Posts: 54	i'd get a turkey baster if you don't already have one. just squirt brine shrimp into the rbta's. don't feed anything else while your doing this. this is how i managed to get a pair of my clowns to host an anemone. start by squirting just enough out that a few stay peices get free. they should get hungry in a day or two and start getting closer to the food source. if you give them a reason to leave they will. you could also aim a powerhead in the general spot they hang out.

05/23/2012, 09:49 AM	#6
warfanax Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 166	No matter what I tried I couldn't get them to change their territory. I even blasted their corner with power head but these stubborn little bastards stayed at the same spot for days... I don't know yours but my clowns are scared of everything, cowards. I hate them for this. If you put something in that corner such as thermometer, algae scraper they will leave that corner unless they get used to that object. It takes weeks sometimes for them to change territory. Mine are so cowards that putting a piece of white paper outside of the glass make them go away. But if I remove it after few days they just go back there. Adding fish definitely helps but not hiding fish. I put 5 chromis as a schooling fish and my clowns became very active and explorer. Never stayed at one corner. However I didn't like chromis and took back replaced it with baby blue tang thinking tang will make them active unfortunately now my tang thinks it is a clown fish and always hangs out with them in their corner. Basically its a hit or miss...