I've had a gold-stripped maroon clownfish for about four months and I always thought it was strange that it pretty much spends its time at the back of the tank and other than feeding times never comes out front even though it is the only fish in the tank. Now just this week it seems to have decided that it doesn't like the sand at the back of the tank and has begun to dig holes and push the sand to the front of the tank. Is this weird? Does anyone else have maroon clowns that like to move sand? Luckily, I put my supporting rocks in before the sand so I have no worries of it colapsing but the frag rocks I've added are getting covered up or are having the sand washed out from under them.
Question on Clownfish Behavior
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mine is always rearranging... any time the condi moves..he has to clean out under it.
Sounds like the clown had bonded with a rock or something </em>toward the back of the tank for a while, and has now moved on to something else.
Some clowns nest like that. I had a Maroon Clown for years that would swish all the gravel out of one particular corner of my tank. I put it back just for her to move it again.... Nothing much you can do about it, other than to arrange your rock work so the digging doesn't disturb it.....
Some clowns nest like that. I had a Maroon Clown for years that would swish all the gravel out of one particular corner of my tank. I put it back just for her to move it again.... Nothing much you can do about it, other than to arrange your rock work so the digging doesn't disturb it.....
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My Female Maroon has made my 75g so clean my sifting my sand. She drowns my maxima clam in it. I always try to put the sand back when I clean and she bites me.
Ha! Mine isn't aggressive to me at all. It had been hosting the locline spraybar in the back corner, but now seems to favor one of the many areas she is clearing of sand. Hopefully, her and the six line wrasse currently in quarantine will tolerate each other when he gets added to the tank in a couple of weeks.
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They tend to do these burn outs when the sand is too close to whatever they are hosting. They are very protective of whatever they host 
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Mine never did this till I reaquascaped a lil and the rbta was close to the sand. She found that to be intolerable and has since moved the sand away.
.Mine never did this till I reaquascaped a lil and the rbta was close to the sand. She found that to be intolerable and has since moved the sand away.
I think this is normal too. My clarkii clown does this behavior towards the back of the tank. Even I was worried until I read your post. Basically, the clown shimmies (not the disease though) and fans away dirt near a live rock at the back. Weird huh!
Here is a follow-up
Check: http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/clownfish2.html">http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/clownfish2.html</a>
<p style="text-align:left;">When clownfish have been artificially deprived of their anemone, they often dig holes as a replacement. Feeding them, defending them and sleeping in them much as they would behave with an anemone. Clownfish in an aquarium have been observed bathing in the air bubbles and defending them, perhaps seeking stimulation comparable to that of the tentacles of the anemone.
Check: http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/clownfish2.html">http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/clownfish2.html</a>
<p style="text-align:left;">When clownfish have been artificially deprived of their anemone, they often dig holes as a replacement. Feeding them, defending them and sleeping in them much as they would behave with an anemone. Clownfish in an aquarium have been observed bathing in the air bubbles and defending them, perhaps seeking stimulation comparable to that of the tentacles of the anemone.
Before my six line went carpet surfing, the clown didn't bother or even seem concerned about it at all. The six line could swim right next to the GBTA while she was there and didn't care at all, anything else get near and she would chase them off.
