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Clownfish - Why Can't we Get Along?


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  1. #1
    CR Member
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    Shelly

    Default Clownfish - Why Can't we Get Along?

    I've heard two different answers to the same question so I thought I'd get a bigger sample size (hopefully) by asking here on the forums:

    I have a maroon clown who is about 2-3 years old. This clown was the male in a mated but not breeding pair that I bought together. The female died shortly after I got the two. He is about 2-1/2 inches long and very solid looking.

    I also recently bought a tank with a very young, small Piscasso clown who is only about 1"-1-1/4" long and pretty slight.

    I'm trying to put the clowns together in my 65 gallon but they are not getting along. The maroon clown chases, bites and pesters the Piscasso constantly. The poor Piscasso is hiding up at the very top near the overflow.

    After two days, I put the Piscasso back in my quarantine tank to give it a rest from the other fish.

    I heard that the Maroon, being larger, will be dominant and become the female and the two will pair up.
    I also heard that the Maroon is already male and cannot change sexes now. The smaller fish cannot become female because its smaller and therefore will never be dominant.

    I've considered trading the Picasso at the LFS and getting a Maroon female (I like the Maroon better as far as looks)

    What do people think?

  2. #2
    Tom@HaslettMI - Reefkeeper
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    Awards Yugo Award - For helping with the CR Booth at MCES Monthly Giveaway Winner Monthly Giveaway Winner Photo of the Month Tank of the Month

    Default

    My understanding is that the largest clown in a group will be the female and the rest will be males. If the female passes the the next largest male changes to become the female. Therefore, I'm thinking your maroon became a female soon after his/her mate died. I think the issue be that maroon clowns are a more aggressive clown species and it is just protecting its territory from the new "invader". The fact that the other clown is a different species is probably not helping them get along. You might have better luck with another maroon but the established one may not accept any clown coming into its turf.

    Here are a couple things that may help the established clown accept a new fish:
    1. Move it to the QT and let the smaller fish get established in the tank
    2. Change the aquascape so the currrent maroon is "out of its element"
    3. Both 1 and 2


    HTH,
    Tom

  3. #3
    rfgonzo - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Default

    All Clowns can change sex M/F, the problem is two different clowns (piscasso/maroon) You need to keep 1 out of the tank and get the same kind as the one you keep.

  4. #4
    CR Member
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    Default

    Thank you Tom and rfgonzo!

    I really appreciate the advice. I guess I had not considered that the maroon may already be female. I will likely trade the little Piscasso to the LFS, or someone here if they want him/her, and look around for a smaller maroon then follow Tom's steps of removing the dominant one.

  5. #5
    FlynnFish - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Default

    Tom has it right. Take both fish out, reaquascape a bit, add the Picasso first, for about a week, then add the maroon.
    Here's my maroon paired with a Picasso.
    IMG 3445 - Clownfish - Why Can't we Get Along?
    I need to attend a Fish Breeders Anonymous class.
    mbi sigaspx?uflynnfish&ampimg2 - Clownfish - Why Can't we Get Along?

  6. #6
    rosieosieee - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Default

    maroons are the most aggressive clown fish....its going to be a lot harder to pair two different types. they can sex change back and fourth, so as soon as the maroons mate died it turned to a female. any clownfish that is alone (and is old enough) is a female. since the Picasso was alone, she too is a female. I highly doubt you'll be successful, they'll likely fight to the death unfortunately, even if you move everything around. this isn't about territory necessarily, more about gender.
    ridiculously built 8gal nuvo.

  7. #7
    rosieosieee - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Default

    maroon clowns are by far the largest and most aggressive clown out there. I disagree with both of the above :/ clownfish become females when they are alone. both of said clownfish were alone without mates, so they are both females.unfortunately this isn't about territory, more about gender. they'll likely fight to the death because neither of them want to change back to a male.

    If you go to your LFS in search for another male maroon, he basically already has to be paired up, and obviously be the smaller of the two. if you just find a "small" one in a tank alone, it'll be a female.

    furthermore, it is much harder to get two different types of clownfish to pair, but definitely not impossible.
    ridiculously built 8gal nuvo.

  8. #8
    FlynnFish - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Default

    What is your background in clownfish breeding and clownfish knowledge Rosie? How did you come up with that all single kept clowns are female?
    Clowns are all born male and will change sex, male to female, if the need arises. They will only do this also when they are mature enough to do so which is typically around 2-3 years of age. By that age the fish is big. That's why everyone says that to pair a fish you need a bigger one and a smaller one. The larger is already near the age to be able to change sex, and the smaller is not.
    Also it is not always true that the male of a pair will change to female if original female is lost. I had an onyx pair and lost the female due to jumping. I replaced her with a young snowflake( less than a year old) and the male onyx has waited for the new fish to turn female. She is now larger than him when she was smaller to begin with.
    I need to attend a Fish Breeders Anonymous class.
    mbi sigaspx?uflynnfish&ampimg2 - Clownfish - Why Can't we Get Along?

  9. #9
    dlhirst - Reefkeeper
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    Default

    Thanks, Shannon. I was thinking the same thing. Fish don't change sex just for the sport. They change sex when the need arises. If they are solo in the tank, there is no need...

  10. #10
    rosieosieee - Reefkeeper CR Member
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    Default

    [QUOTE=FlynnFish;193539]What is your background in clownfish breeding and clownfish knowledge Rosie? How did you come up with that all single kept clowns are female?
    Clowns are all born male and will change sex, male to female, if the need arises. They will only do this also when they are mature enough to do so which is typically around 2-3 years of age. By that age the fish is big. That's why everyone says that to pair a fish you need a bigger one and a smaller one. The larger is already near the age to be able to change sex, and the smaller is not.
    Also it is not always true that the male of a pair will change to female if original female is lost. I had an onyx pair and lost the female due to jumping. I replaced her with a young snowflake( less than a year old) and the male onyx has waited for the new fish to turn female. She is now larger than him when she was smaller to begin with.[/QUOTE

    I'm not sure if I came off the wrong way but I'm aware they are all male when born. I don't know the ratio of size to age but I know we've had a female at an inch or less, and I usually don't see people purchasing clowns smaller than that, so we can assume that they were both mature. onviously they don't change sex for the **** of it, it's about dominance...

    this is my experience when placing pairs around the store that I work at, selling one fish out of a pair and having to make a new pair, and diving up groups of clowns that become mature and can no longer be in a group.

    I'm really surprised that you had success doig that, but I really do not think that that happens in most cases.
    ridiculously built 8gal nuvo.

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