My clowns are about to kill Talbot's Damselfish and there is nothing I can do about it

[marcosnano]

In my 15G I have a pair of rather sizable and aggressive clownfish. They will relentlessly attack my hand every time I go inside the tank.

I've been wanting to introduce a third fish for some time, so I decided to go with a smaller Talbot's damselfish, known for being one of the less aggressive damselfish species. However, I didn't anticipate the issue the clowns would pose.

When I introduced the damselfish to the tank, it was swimming peacefully, without any signs of distress. However, as soon as the lights went out, the clowns turned into predators and relentlessly pursued the damselfish. The damselfish managed to escape to a small cave among the rocks where the clowns can't reach it. For the past two days, the damselfish has been hiding in that cave while the clowns wait outside like determined wolves.

Unfortunately, catching the damselfish is proving to be a challenging task. If I attempt to remove the rocks, it would disrupt the scape, potentially harming the corals. Even if I were to remove all the rocks and corals, there's no guarantee I could catch it.

Currently, the damselfish is residing in the cave, and I've managed to feed it inside the hiding spot. While it is surviving for now, it's uncertain how much longer it can endure this stressful situation.

Do you have any advice or suggestions for this predicament?

Cheers

 

[Spare time]

I'd just take the rocks out and catch it. Its better than letter the fish suffer.

 

[ajax969]

As much as I would hate to disturb the scape and corals. You owe it to the fish to do everything in your power to remove it from the situation

 

[marcosnano]

As much as I would hate to disturb the scape and corals. You owe it to the fish to do everything in your power to remove it from the situation

I forgot to update with good news.

After a while male clown stopped completely to chase tailbot, they even eat next to each other, swim next to each other. Female will protect the territory if demsel came near her spot but she is not actively chasing the fish anymore too. There is no aggression during feeding time too.

I will be upgrading to bigger tank soon.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

Glad your situation improved, however should the clown start chasing your damsel again, I would suggest to catch the clowns, not the damsel and place them in an acclimation box for 2 weeks or so. Then change your scape a little, and release the clowns. It can do the trick.