True Perc's never enter the rocks.. what gives?

Hello all,

Well, I have a pair of True Perculas and I came to the realization the other day that they NEVER cruz through the live rock.. I have plenty of lil caves and passageways and the clowns only swim in the open water. They are very active and cruz the whole open area but will not go in the live rock. I have 3 other fish; a choclate tang that zooms in and out of holes in the rock and I have 2 damsels that also utilize the rocks.. All the fish seem to get along remarkably well and are freequently very close to each other with no drama..

I am not sure if this is normal behavior of the clowns or if the damsels have just layed out their territory in the rocks and the clowns dont mess with them..

Im interested in your thoughts..

Thanks,
Jerid

 

My clowns just hover in the same area unless I feed the tank. Sounds like yours are behaving normally to me

 

Yup clowns arent ones to explore the tank really. Even if you have an anemone they stay in or near that untill your feedind them. Great fish though...

 

I concur. Mine do the same thing. The only way they enter the rock is if they are chasing the anemone (if he's moving). Pretty much stay in the open though.

 

In nature clowns will stay with an anemone and will stay away from rock work for their safety or they will become prey or lunch that is lurking in the rock work. I have two sets of clowns in different tanks and they also stay in the open and hover over the mag-float glass cleaner.

 

Normal behavior for clowns. Their natural habitat is hoovering above the reefs and of course searching out a viable anemone to call home. Damsels, Tangs, Wrasses etc. rely on rock work for protection and seclusion and territorial presence!

 

ok cool.. glad to hear the behavior is normal.. Thanks for all the replies.

 

My pair do the same thing, they will look at each other through a large hole in the rocks. But to get to each other they will rise above the rocks instead of taking the obvious straight path.

 

Yeah my clows dont go literly 5 inches away from the anemone they only swim out of it for the food and never for anything else, dont they get bored =p.