New ideas for fish

[fish_hawk]

Hi, I've just got a firtideflow that's probably gonna have to go back if my clownfish keep being aggressive towards it. I don't want the poor thing to get hurt. Can anyone recommend some semi-aggressive fish that'll be okay with my clowns if they start picking on them? My tank's 15 gallons.

Current stock is:
2 B/W occelaris clownfish (the bullies)
1 firtideflow (hopefully not for long)
2 cleaner shrimp
3 hermits (2 red, 1 mystery)
2 nassarius snails
2 turbo snails
2 cerith snails

Thanks,
Will

[Eonix99]

Yellow tail damsel, not a good idea with clowns, trust me. Mine's pretty feisty, always chasing my clown around. It's not so much aggression as it is territorial, but still, I wouldn't recommend it. They do seem to get along eventually, but it's a bit of a rough start - they set up their own little sleeping spots right next to each other, and my damsel's always trying to steal the clown's spot. How long have you had the firtideflow? I'm guessing it's just a matter of time before they sort out who's boss and who gets what territory. A week or two of fighting is pretty normal, but if it's still going on after that, you might have a problem.

[fish_hawk]

got it last sunday, so its been about a week now

[Eonix99]

Still pretty new to the tank, i'm guessing. Do your clowns attack the firtideflow only when it's near them, or do they chase it off whenever it's in their sight? It's possible they're just nipping its tail when it enters their territory, like my damsel does - it never actually bites, just warns the other fish off. If they're sharing the same area of the tank though, that's not great news. You might try making a couple of caves from the live rock or something - i'm gonna give that a shot with mine later, see if it helps.

[fish_hawk]

whenever the firtideflow comes out of the rocks, the clowns just go for it - they don't care where it is in the tank, they'll attack it.

[dune9x]

How about a Royal gramma or a Orchid Dottyback, both are pretty laid back and semi-aggressive, so might be alright with your clowns.

[fleeton]

How about a Royal gramma or a Orchid Dottyback, both are pretty laid back and semi-aggressive, so might be alright with your clowns.

Those options are pretty feisty. You might want to consider something like a pseudochromis cyaneus instead, or other pseudochromis that are a bit more chill.

[dune9x]

How about a Royal gramma or a Orchid Dottyback, both are pretty laid back and semi-aggressive, so might be alright with your clowns.

I've gotta respectfully disagree - Royal Grammas and Orchid Dottybacks aren't as aggressive as you think. I've found the Orchid Dottyback to be the calmest of all the dottybacks, personally.

[dreamon7]

I just got a clown who's missing a chunk of fin and it's got a beef with the whole 'royal grammas aren't aggressive' thing. And let's get real, royal grammas aren't exactly winning any beauty contests with those faces.

[flynix]

How about a Royal gramma or a Orchid Dottyback, both are pretty laid back and semi-aggressive, so might be alright with your clowns.

I see where you're coming from, but I gotta respectfully disagree. Royal Grammas aren't as aggressive as you think. I mean, they're not the ones you need to worry about. The false Royal Grammas and Strawberry/Magenta Dottybacks, those are the feisty ones. Easy to tell them apart, too - Royal Grammas have a more blended color, whereas the false ones have straight block colors. And let's not forget the Orchid Dottybacks, they've got that distinctive black line running through their eye, which the Strawberries don't.