clown sweetlips reef safety

[lawnboy]

I have a 4" clown sweetlips in my 125 reef. He's picking on a percula who gets limited protection from my hammer coral. (I won't keep anemones anymore... best left in the ocean.) My searches on the fish have come up "not reef safe" Wish I knew why. I have some colts and mushrooms that I don't want to loose. Anyone ever kept one or know why not reef safe? Thanx

 

[bigred]

It's because of their size I think. The book I have says the Harlequin sweetlips gets about 28 inches long. This one looks like a clown in it's juvenile stage, orange with white. Is that what colors yours has?

 

[predator]

If it walks like a chicken, smells like a chicken and looks like a chicken. Then it's a chicken.
I could not find anything that said they are reef safe. Keep looking, but look quick. If you can not find anything that says they should be in a reef. Jerk em' on out. You would be suprised at how quick a non-reef safe fish can destroy everything you have worked so hard for!!!

 

[lawnboy]

I think the clown and the harlequin are different. Clown shouldn't get over 20" and is brown w/ white spots (tail white with brown) Doesn't the harleqin have spots within spots? Is 20" to big for reef? What about temperment? Thanks
Maybe I should look into getting one of those "book" things you mentioned... sorry

 

[fshhub]

predator hit it, all i could find is that they can be reef safe with caution, mainly b/c their appetite for snails crabs and worms, i cannot find anything about corals though(either way)
his aggression towards the clown may be because of the colorings, many sw fish do not like others that look like themselves, and they do have an amazing resemblence ot clownfish(colors and black lines bordering white patches

 

[bigred]

Well I guess the pic could be a brown and white. The tail is white with 2 brown/orange dots. The pick doesn't show spots within spots. Also doesn't list a clown sweetlips, only harliquin and a oriental that would resemble a clown.

 

[fshhub]

bigred,
maybe this would help,
the spotted sweetlips is the one often referred to as a clown sweetlips(harlequin too, all 3 names, same fish), due to their amazing resemblence

 

[lawnboy]

Well thanks for all the help again guys. looks like this one is headed back to lfs. (I hate to do that to anything) 28 inches and an appetite for worms, snails and crabs won't go well with my reef. Thanks again. After my misguided attempts at anemones, I'd hoped not to continue making these mistakes.