2-1+1?

[ThroThra]

I purchased two clowns together and one didnt survive the first night for unknown reasons. The second one has been doing great and i want to add a second again for potential mating purposes and just because 2 are better than 1 for clowns.

I have read the other forums advising against this to some degree because adult clowns can be aggressive to similar species when added. I however have a juvenile that has yet to reach 1" in length and wonder if that makes a difference.

My understanding is that adding one of similar size or larger would be better as the smaller, more established one would be less likely to pick on a larger addition vs adding a smaller one to a more established larger clown.

Does anyone have experience with small, juvenile clowns and adding a mate? Thanks!

 

[humphreyhh]

Adding a bigger one will slightly ease the fighting when they are sorting out the dominance.

Adding a smaller one will make his life harder because the old one might bully quite a harsh on him (both for the dominance and for established territory).

Either way, you will see some fightings but it usually does not do serious harms. If you see some bad injuries or hiding and won't eat then try separating them.

So, based on my experience I would suggest adding a slightly bigger one.

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[OrionN]

What species? Some species are much more aggressive than others, so the correct answer depends on the species.

 

[ThroThra]

currently have a mocha clown, looking to add a black clown. i believe they are both ocellaris clowns

 

[ThRoewer]

I put many anemonefish pairs together and there have rarely been any fights. The key is to make sure that the roles are clear so that each of the partners know their place. This worked for me even with maroons.
So, as long as the newly added clownfish is significantly larger or smaller than the one you currently have things should work out. Ideally you would pair them in a neutral tank where none of them has a home advantage.

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[OrionN]

Ocellaris should be fine. There will not be any death from the fighting. They are very easy to pair if you have healthy fish.

 

[ThroThra]

Thanks guys, ill make sure to get one with a significant size difference then to be safe.

Roewer, when you say neutral, do you mean like a QT tank with nothing then reintroduce them to the main tank?

 

[ThRoewer]

No, neural means just that none of them knows the tank (= has never been in that tank as anemonefish have good memory). This can be achieved by completely redecorating the existing tank or pairing them in an separate tank which can be anything from a bare bottom QT with just a ceramic flowerpot or another reef tank.
I would go with a bare bottom tank. As anemone surrogate I would add at least one ceramic flowerpot and a few live rock so that the male can hide should the female get aggressive.

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[ThroThra]

If my ideal host for now is a frog spawn, would it be better to get the coral before or after pairing if i pair in the tank?