Becoming extremely aggressive in damsel behavior

[zelkor9]

I got my first Humbug about 6 months ago, and he was one of three that went into the tank. one didn't make it, so I was left with two. I also had a Banner fish in there for a bit, but it passed away - wasn't due to aggression from the Humbug, though. What I did notice at the time was the largest Humbug seemed less aggressive. He's about 1.5 inches now, and all the other fish in the tank are smaller.

Recently added two small common clowns, and the Humbug's been giving them a hard time, along with my other tank mate. I don't think this is helping the clowns settle in - they look stressed sometimes, but they're eating fine and no physical damage. Planning to add an anemone this week for the clowns.

What's the best course of action for the Humbug? Will he calm down again? I'm thinking of adding a yellow or purple tang - would that take the leadership role away from him? Or should I consider removing him from the system? The situation's not critical yet, but I've noticed his behavior getting worse over the past few weeks.

As I'm writing this, he's right in the middle of my 55-gallon reef, like he owns the place.

[route4]

I'd strongly advise against mixing clownfish and damsels in a smaller tank. The combination can be disastrous, and in my opinion, it's best to rehome the humbug as soon as possible to avoid any potential problems.

[zelkor9]

The introduction of the anemone has been an interesting turn of events. The larger humbug, surprisingly, hasn't been chasing any other fish. He's now preoccupied with navigating the rockwork, trying to get a glimpse of the anemone, which the clowns are guarding quite effectively.

[coral8]

If the humbug's behavior deteriorates again, consider rehoming him to your LFS for store credit, many places take back damsels frequently after they've served their purpose in cycling.