HELP>>HELP>>Goldstrip Clown problem!!

[focal]

I have a tank that is about 3 months old. I have had a larger female goldtrip for about a month or so. Tonight I bought a smaller male golstrip, I aclimated for about 20 minutes. When I put it in my female imideiately attacked the male. She chased him for a good minute, ripping his top fin almost completely off. I called my local fish shop and he told me to turn off all the lights and make it as dark as possible. So I did and the could not swin anymore leaving it helpless. The female ripped off one of its two lower fins. The male finaly hid behind my powerhead to escape the female.I took them both out and was going to go to my local fish store but there closed. I dont want to put them both back in, for fear of what might happen. The smaller male is already basically dead, but I feel bad for it, the female was so cruel. EWhat should I do? Flush the male? Put them both in? Leave them in separate tanks until tomarrow? The only thing is they would not have a filter all night. HELP

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Dude,
When you acclimate a new fish you ALWAYS turn off the lights!! The existing fish will consider their new tankmate a threat. The best way to acclimate and bring a new fish in the tank is to tunr the lights off until the following day. That allows the new fish to get a little comfortable and when the lights come on the other fish can't count so they usually don't know.
your female was wathcing the whole thing just waiting to pounce

 

[focal]

So now what should I do?

 

[dad]

i'm sorry to hear this!
now all you can do is keep them seperated.
you can do this in many ways.
use a spegetti stainer or anything that doesn't hold water.place it in the tank and clip it somehow that it will not go under.
you get the picture.
i personally think that if i knew it was severly enjured. i would put it out of it's misory. it sounds cruel but to let it suffer is even worse.
do what you think is best. i am sorry.

 

[focal]

Can a goldstrip live without the two missing fins? Will the fins grow back? Thanks for all your guys help.

 

[dad]

i'm not sure. i do feel though it would be less defensive and prone to desease.
someone else with more expereinse will have to answer.i'm a newbee myself.
if you wish to, seperate them tonight and take it back to your lfs tomarrow.
i would not though try to keep it yourself.
sorry

 

[new2saltwater]

FoCAL: do you have a Hospital Tank ?? If so use it for the injured fish. As for the next time you add a fish I usually (as the others have stated) turn off the lights and re-arrange my Live rock the day I add a new fish. Good luck.......

 

[coralbeauty]

I know how upsetting this is.....This late at night my advice is most likily too late. I have a small breeder net that I have used to keep an injuried fish safe from the rest of the tank mates. It just attaches to the top of the tank and sits just at the water line. You could possibly make something similar with a new gladware container from Safeway. You would just need to put a lot of small holes in it. Then attach to the top of the tank. I used this method for a piece of coral that my flame angel would not leave alone. I kept it that way for two weeks until my new tank was done cycling. It is fine in its new tank.
Most likly your male will not make it.
Sorry!
Connie

 

[raderman]

I would terminate it's existance. It is cruel to keep a wounded fish alive, in order to satisfy your own conscience. Just learn from this experience and move on............

 

[tonga]

ummm..

 

[concon]

Before introduce the new fish into your tank, acclimate the fish then rearrange the setting in the tank slightly. The rearrangement will make your existing fish busy before they have a chance to attack the newcomer. About your goldstrip, maybe talk to your lfs to exchange for another one. Maybe the one you bought also is a female?(small does not mean male.)

 

[beth]

Clownfish are extremely resilient, and yes, they will grow fins back. I have had the same type of problem when I placed 3 clowns together in my tank. Here is what I did. I removed the agressor and QT-ed that fish for about 2 wks [in your case the aggressor is female which is good--in my case, it was the dominate male against the smaller male, which was not good]. Leave the male in the main tank. If he really only has fin problems, it will grow back very quickly and in the absense of harrassment, health will likely improve fast. By the time the "MRS" returns, the male will be established in the tank, and the female won't be such a b@t1h---I mean bully, anymore.
Additionally, clownfish hiding up around the PH is not unusual at all--it a common safety place for them--usually floating head up towards the surface of the water while sleeping or hiding out.
Of course the fish may die due to stress or more severe injuries than just fins, but you can give this a try.
Hopefully, you have a QT on hand?
Good luck!