Tomato Clown declares war on SPS frag

[hondo]

I have had this tomato clown for something like two years now. He's in a 37g reef tank with a firefish and a clown goby. No problems until last week I picked up a small SPS frag about 1" X 1" attached to a small flat rock. for a week now I have been coming home to find the frag laying upside down on the sand bed. I was thinking that snails or hermits were knocking it over from where ever I set it (I haven't glued it and rarely do any of my frags) trying to get at algea underneath it. well after spending the last two days home sick I have constantly witnessed the tomato clown knock this frag over no matter where I put it in the tank. He just bull rushes it and bang runs into it and pushes it off the rock. I then put the frag on the sand bed and danged if he didn't still push it over. What the heck is going on? This clown doesn't bother any other frag or coral in the tank and doesn't bother either of the other fish but just won't quit knocking this frag over.
Any suggestions or just let nature take it's course and let the clown kill the sps frag.

 

[jonthefb]

i definately wouldnt let him kill the frag, that would be a waste...just go to home depot or your local hardware store adn pick up some underater epoxy and glue him to the rock work...should solve your problem!
good luck
jon

 

[scarybo]

I have a maroon clown who does the same thing. Anything new and he attacks it. Clowns are very territorial. Give him time and he will learn it is not a threat.

 

[spsfreak100]

My clown will do that, often. Mine almost killed a very nice colony of an Acropora, Tri-Color.
As SCARYBO stated, clowns are taratorial. They will move the corals around if they feel it threatens them and their space. I like Jon's idea to glue the fragment to the rockwork. Most likely, the clown will get used to having the coral grow there and will leave it alone.
Graham

 

[hondo]

I tired glueing it down and the clown knocked it right back off the rock before the glue set up. I glued it again and he has left it alone long enough for the glue to set up so hopefully he will get used to it and leave it alone.