when the fish turn evil

[TexasPadreSurfer]

a very peculiar thing has just happened in my 75 gallon sw tank. as my yellow tang, red lip blenny, percula clown, tomato clown,six lined wrasse, firefish goby and royal gramma basslet have been living very peacefully in my saltwater community for about a year now, the tomato clown and the wrasse suddenly turned evil against the perc clown. they gang up and attack him, just the perc clown, no other fish or invertibrate in the tank. i have never seen this happen before. the perc clown is perfectly fine he isn't sick or nothing. hes in a breeding net right now and the other fish are living their normal lives. the wrasse and tomato clown leave all of the other fish alone and the perc clown is normal no signs of stress and is eating. but when i let im back in the wrasse and tomato clown are back attacking him again and i have to put him back in the net. i understand that two male clowns do not usually tolerate each other but my two clowns have been living together peacefully for almost a year.
any suggestions on this predicament?
please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bloo]

a very peculiar thing has just happened in my 75 gallon sw tank. as my yellow tang, red lip blenny, percula clown, tomato clown,six lined wrasse, firefish goby and royal gramma basslet have been living very peacefully in my saltwater community for about a year now, the tomato clown and the wrasse suddenly turned evil against the perc clown. they gang up and attack him, just the perc clown, no other fish or invertibrate in the tank. i have never seen this happen before. the perc clown is perfectly fine he isn't sick or nothing. hes in a breeding net right now and the other fish are living their normal lives. the wrasse and tomato clown leave all of the other fish alone and the perc clown is normal no signs of stress and is eating. but when i let im back in the wrasse and tomato clown are back attacking him again and i have to put him back in the net. i understand that two male clowns do not usually tolerate each other but my two clowns have been living together peacefully for almost a year.
any suggestions on this predicament?
please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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You willl get a FAR better response in the Saltwater Chit Chat section - Send a PM (Private Message) to on of the mods online at the moment and ask them to move it across for you (don't just start a new topic there).
YOu can see which mods are online by checking the main forum page - if you view it in the default skin (blue) the mods names curretnly online, will appear in bright blue.

 

[WILDER]

found this on clown fish.






Can I keep two saltwater fish of the same species together in one tank?
Sometimes. If you intend to keep two fish of the same species together, it is often wise to introduce them into your aquarium at the same time. Your success rate may also improve if they are of the opposite sex. In many reef fish, it is difficult to differentiate the sexes, but in some species there are color and other morphological differences. (For example, in the orchid dottyback, Pseudochromis fridmani,, the male is more colorful and has a more elongate tail.)
Numerous species will change sex depending on their social status. Often, a larger, more dominant individual will be one sex and a smaller, subordinate specimen in the group will be the opposite sex. To increase the likelihood of acquiring a pair in a sex-changing species, purchase two individuals of different sizes. This technique can be especially effective with clownfish or pygmy angelfish.

However, you may not always be able to operate by this rule of thumb. If a subordinate individual is removed from its natural environment and isolated in a dealer's tank, it may begin to change sex. Once an individual has changed sex, it cannot be reversed. Therefore, if you place two individuals of different sizes in the same tank and fighting occurs, it could be that the fish are both the dominant sex and will have to be separated.

Tyler Rice
Fish Enthusiast



What causes fish aggression?
Certain species of fish are more prone to being aggressive than others. But all fish must compete for resources (such as food and shelter), which are limited in the home aquarium. Using such cues as behavior, size, shape, and color, fish are able to distinguish which of their tankmates are most likely to be competitors. Controlling fish aggression is especially important in saltwater aquariums.
Prior residence is probably the most important factor influencing aggression in the home aquarium. Even an apparently docile species can become extremely agitated when a new fish is introduced to a tank in which it has been a long-term resident. Because it is always unwise to introduce all of your marine aquarium inhabitants to a tank within a short period of time, problems of this sort are often inevitable.

Lack of space and shelter will increase aggression. Most reef fish use a large area of a reef for their daily activities. In the home aquarium, space limitations can quickly lead to problems. Having a number of shelter sites is also important. Most fish will defend their place of refuge vigorously, particularly if shelter is in short supply.

Tyler Rice
Fish Enthusiast