Clown fish help needed

[joshuashih1]

I have a 30 gallon saltwater fish tank with a few fish and one longnose hawkfish and 2 days ago I bought a 1 inch clownfish and after a few hours of beaning in the tank the longnose hawkfish started to herass it so I moved it but that was soposto be its perment tank when can I put it back in the tank with the longnose hawkfish?

 

[Kelz88]

hawkfish is probs going to have to be your last fishy, cute little boogers, but they can be nasty.

Only three things i can think of are,
1/ get a bigger tank
2/take everyone out, rearrange the rocks a little (tops ones so the sand isnt disturbed) and reintroduce everyone at the same time
3/if you really want the clown, you may have to return the hawkfish or find him a new home.

Goodluck

 

[Samhain]

Kelz has you mostly covered. You can also try turning the lights out, rearranging the rocks while the lights are out (top ones, like Kelz said, to avoid disturbing the sandbed), and adding the clown while the lights are still out. This will lessen any territoriality on the hawkfish's part. But it may not solve anything. Hawkfish can get pretty aggressive, especially in a smaller system like a 30.

 

[Smitty]

How many fish do you have in that tank, overcrowding the tank will continue to give you issues with aggression.

 

[Samhain]

His signature says 4 fish, so I'm assuming 4 or maybe 5 including the clownfish. The crowding could be causing an issue.....

 

[joshuashih1]

I have 1 scarlet cleaner, 1 firefish, 1 yellow wrasse and 1 longnose hawkfish

 

[Kelz88]

Your at your stocking limit. Its about 1 fish for 10 gallons. The cleaner shrimp wouldnt add too much bioload, so you dont count him.

Have you cycled your tank?

 

[Smitty]

Oh, I didn't see the signature, thank you. How much live rock do you have in there, maybe there aren't enough hiding places/territories in the tank for the fish to feel safe.

 

[Bifferwine]

I would try a bigger clown if I were you. A 1-inch clownfish is quite small, and hawkfish can be bullies. If you want to get a clownfish that can stand up to the hawkfish, you will have to get a clownfish that isn't a baby.