REALLY wierd clown behaviour

[Oliver]

Hi everyone. I purchased 1 pair of ocellaris clown fish today (the male in my other pair died mysteriusly so I sold the other one and started again) and I have a green torch coral. They have been tutching it a bit, and it looks like they get shocked everytime. But I just saw the smaller one, get into it, and just lie completely still, it looked like he was dead. I got him out of it and he snapped back to normal again. They also tend to get some kind os spasm that lasts for maby a few seconds. Is this all normal??????

[stephenray75]

dont worry about it.

[DansMarineTank]

dont worry about it.
stephenray75 seems very laid back :huh: I think what hes trying to say is clowns behave wierdly by thier very nature they are clowns! the stuttery thing is most probably a submisive thing the male submitting to the female

[OrionGirl]

Sounds like they are trying to host in the torch. Clowns must be stung by the coral (or anenome) to build up immunity. Normally this happens when they are very young, and isn't noticed. However, I don't think it's anything to be worried about, as long as the torch coral doesn't mind and still behaves normally. Clowns can kill a coral that doesn't appreciate the attention.

[Max]

Yup, it's trying to get some slime off of the torch so that it won't know it's there. I think o.g. is also onto something about the clowns killing your torch. It's more or less a thin sheet of tissue over a rocky plate and they can litteraly love it to death. They will rub holes in the flesh is they are much bigger than it is and you may have to offer some protection to it if there is an issue. You might also consider getting some softies for it to host in it might take them up it might not.

[Oliver]

thanks very much, I feel alot better now. The torch coral is pretty big, the skelotean is bigger than a tennis ball, the arms are huge. I am thinking of getting a boubble tip anemonea as soon as I get some money. I have 1 hammer coral, 1 boubble coral and 2 leater corals, and I am getting more, so hopefully they will not **** one coral off too much.

[Max]

Hold off on the bubble tip until your tank is from 8 months to a year old. They need well established tanks and that will also give you time to practice keeping your water conditions very stable. I'd just keep an eye on my corals and if they start looking crappy screen them off from the clowns . There is also no promise that your clown will host in an anemone if you get one. They are really a lot of trouble and you have to pretty much set up your tank with them in mind.
Sorry to diverge from the subject of your thread but, I laugh everytime I see the title. The only weird clow behavior I can think of would be them swimming back and forth like a normal fish lol.
hth and keep us posted
chris

[Oliver]

that is a good point, they are really wierd, but that may well be why everyone likes them. I don't think the clowns are using the torch as a house as such, they have found a tight cave under it where they go if they are scared. Thanks for all your help!