Clownfish drawing blood

[dinki]

I've got a clownfish that's about three years old. This sucker is mean. Any time stick my hand in the tank to do any kind of maintenance he is all over me. He bites me repeatedly to the point where I've got noticible marks on my hand. I've had people at work as me what happened to my hand days after.
 
I've resorted to using my net with my left hand to try and scare him off. It works somewhat but he always seems to get to me. Once he attacked while I was pulling my hand out and he ended up on top of the egg crate I have on top of the tank. I luckily (?) was able to get him back in the water before he flopped off the back side of the tank.
 
Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to keep him from getting to me? I know I sound like a wuss, but I really don't like being bit over and over again. Will rubber gloves help any?

 

[meowzer]

OUCH!!!! Either keep scaring it off, or try a glove.....I would find it hard to believe that they could get thru a glove

 
 
 

 

[saxman]

I refuse to keep any fish that is that ill-tempered (must be why I abhor clowns in particular). I had a A. clarkii way back in the "old days" that would bloody the back of my hand every time I worked on the tank. I eventually fed it to my P. volitans...no more bloody hands!

 

[meowzer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///forum/thread/380455/clownfish-drawing-blood#post_3311256
I refuse to keep any fish that is that ill-tempered (must be why I abhor clowns in particular). I had a A. clarkii way back in the "old days" that would bloody the back of my hand every time I worked on the tank. I eventually fed it to my P. volitans...no more bloody hands!
LOL...I was gonna tell the op that the next time it jumps on the egg-crate...pretend not to notice...but I felt that was mean
 
OR.....put it in a baggie with tank water and take it to the lfs

 

[dinki]

At times I've thought about getting rid of him, but he's a good looking fish when your hand isn't in the tank!
 
Can anyone offer any other suggestions (short of blowing it up that is! )

 

[gemmy]

Wear gloves and fight back when he goes to bite to condition him not to bite. I tried that when I my damsels bit me and it worked for awhile.

 

[dinki]

Just as an update, I put on a pair of surgical gloves and the fish did come up to my hand at first and took a very small, mostly nonagressive nibble and then left me alone for the rest of the time. I stayed in the tank for about 45 minutes and no problems at all. I did end up forgetting to pull something out and tried sticking my bare hand in to get it. You guess it, she attacked me as usual. Apparently there's something threatening about my bare hand!

 

[bang guy]

I once had a Clownfish take a chunk of meat off my thumb and feed it to an anemone

 

[meowzer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///forum/thread/380455/clownfish-drawing-blood#post_3316932
I once had a Clownfish take a chunk of meat off my thumb and feed it to an anemone

YIKES...that's worse then my killer damsels leaving bite rings on us when we had them

 

[robertmathern]

lol now thats funny. A clown tries to feed you to the nem I have herd it all now.

 

[flower]

Bang Guy, I knew they would eat us if they could...one piece at a time if need be..
dinki, a fish knows meat when they see it...it knew the glove wasn't food, it was plastic not flesh. The moment it smelled meat it came to get you.
We eat them after all, it's only fair.

 

[bang guy]

There's something demeaning in having your pet feed you to its pet.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///forum/thread/380455/clownfish-drawing-blood#post_3316997
There's something demeaning in having your pet feed you to its pet.

LOL...Don't take it too personal, it's the way of the ocean...big fish eat the little fish...so to our sea critters it is a way of life, to eat or be eaten. So does the anemone look any healthier feeding on human flesh?

 

[saxman]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///forum/thread/380455/clownfish-drawing-blood#post_3316997
There's something demeaning in having your pet feed you to its pet.
One good turn deserves another:
Got clownfish?

 

[flower]

What is that? Is it alive or is it eating something? I know you guys are into weird critters...so what do call that?

 

[meowzer]

YIKES...is that one of your fish w/o a head

 

[levinjac]

that doesnt look normal

 

[rubyredrose46]

Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http://clownfish-drawing-blood#post_3317015
One good turn deserves another:
Got clownfish?

I want this goblin!!!! *lol* where oh where did Renee find this one!!!!!

 

[saxman]

The fish is a red color morph of Inimicus didactylus (sea goblin). This is a male fish displaying as a warning for us to stay away from the female (we had a pair, but unfortunately lost the female shortly after acquisition).
Ruby, I don't think I'm allowed to say where the fish came from...

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///forum/thread/380455/clownfish-drawing-blood#post_3318173
The fish is a red color morph of Inimicus didactylus (sea goblin). This is a male fish displaying as a warning for us to stay away from the female (we had a pair, but unfortunately lost the female shortly after acquisition).
Ruby, I don't think I'm allowed to say where the fish came from...

Thats a healthy fish? That is what it is supposed to look like? I knew you guys liked the weird strange fish but I honestly tought it was in the middle of eating something the way a snake does, by opening it's whole head to be able to swallow...but your saying that is its head..