New Corals And An Annoyed Clown

[intricable]

So I'm not much of an aquarium person, but my boyfriend is, so I've been interested in learning about his hobby. In doing so, we visited the Dr. Fosters and Smith Coral Frag Swap last weekend and I spent a few dollars on some frags for myself. I purchased a purple leather, a green leather, two pink birdsnests and a peach acropora-looking-thing; he bought a green birds nest, orange ricordia (sp?), a frog spawn, and... something else... I can't remember off the top of my head. His 100 gallon tank houses one lionfish, one maroon clown, one sea hare, and one long-nose hawk as well as an abundance of green button polyps and brown mushroom-guys. He placed our frags on vacant rocks in appropriate lighting, however, this darned clown keeps harassing my new purple leather and the ricordia. The leathers been saggy (but with polyps out) despite the clowns numerous and successful attempts to knock both of these poor little corals to the floor. I thought that coral gluing their little butts to the rock would be helpful, but the boyfriend says Mr. Clown may just annoy them until they die. What is so special about these damn rocks that the fish insists that they must be vacant for? I don't quite understand it, but I'm sure my incessant questioning is getting a bit annoying, so perhaps I could pester you folks about what the likelihood of this leather being annoyed to death could be. Thanks in advance!

 

[BigC]

I think its just a territorial thing on behalf of the clownfish. When I go to clean a certain point in my tank the clowns attack me with a vengance but when I move to the other side they leave me alone. They may well have adopted those rocks for spawning or just as "their space" but you have gone and plonked a great big coral in their back yard and they dont like it. Of course it could be pre hosting behaviour.
Regards
BigC

 

[kj23502]

I'm fairly new to sw, but would you be able to move the coral to a different spot? I don't know if it's firmly attached or not yet?

 

[intricable]

Frustrating clown fish... Apparently, you guys were right, they ARE in his backyard. He's been so annoyed that he PICKED UP and dragged one of the birdnest frags across the stupid tank. It died after landing on a patch of other corals. He also found it neccessary to tip my peach monipora-not-acropora-type-thing onto the green leather. The green leather is mad and won't let out his polyps now, and its been almost a week. I don't want my little green leather to die... is there any "hey! you should let out your polyps, I have something tasty for you" thing I can pester the boyfriend to put in his tank so my little guy doesn't kick the bucket?

 

[SkiFletch]

Not for leathers

 

[intricable]

Not for leathers

Little dudes been letting out his polyps tentatively now- I'm hoping they'll be out tonight when I'm there so I can give him some planktons. He's living on the floor of the tank on the shell he came on because the clown won't annoy him there. On a side note, the clown is not just acting like this to the new corals, he also backed up for ramming speed to knock an established rock -big rock too... twice the size of a deck of cards- off of its new perch (after the galaxia melted, BF thought maybe the star polyps would like a new spot) I would have never believed fish can be so obsessive if I hadn't seen it for myself.