Another Fight Occellaris Thread - Please Help

[fluidimagery]

I picked up an Ocellaris (Nemo, yea I know) when I first got into this hobby about 2 1/2 years ago, he/she's my wife's favorite fish. About a year ago I added a 2nd Ocellaris (Doug) to attempt to pair them up. Doug was only about an inch when I got him. Nemo I feel has stunted growth and is only about 2 inches.

Nemo has always been dominant towards doug. Doug would always be submissive and do the typical seizure like motion. Slowly but surly Doug has grown to the same size as Nemo in less than a year and I've noticed a bit more agression towards both of them. Some nipped fins etc... mostly on Nemo.

Tonight I came home to find Nemo cowering in the corner behind some rocks. I fed the tank and Nemo came out to get some food and Doug kept charging him and for the first time I noticed Nemo submissing to Doug. Nemo's fins are nipped here and there and the black on his fins is a little faded. I don't see them sparring but there is a little black (bruising?) around his mouth.

My wife would be heartbroken in Nemo were to be killed.

I'm thinking about fuging Doug until Nemo heals up a little unless you guys think I should just let them be and they'll work things out.

 

[Slakker]

This is the second recent post saying that a what seemed to be happily paired ocellaris were no longer getting along....I wonder what's going on?

I'm sorry that I can't be of more help, but hopefully someone else can! Hopefully we get this sorted out ASAP!

 

[redvipe2010]

If the fighting gets too bad, you may want to remove "Doug". Without seeing it, it is hard to say for sure. They may or may not work it out. Has anything changed recently in your tank?

 

[davocean]

I have this theory on this that some fish are like runts.
I have 6 green chromis and one of them just never really grew, while the others got pretty big.
"Doug"(I have to laugh at naming a fish Doug!) may have been more alpha or healthier and outgrew nemo or her ability to keep him in check.
In pairs it seems the female is always bullying the male a bit.
Maybe your nemo wasn't able to do that, and you may now have two females.
It's just a thought.

 

[fluidimagery]

good theory, although I hope it's not the case! I'm interested in seeing what happens when I get home. Nemo seems like a very weird fish from the start... even his top fin is spikey instead of rounded

Not a great pic, but here they were when I first got Doug 1/06

This is a more recent pic (about 2 months ago) so you can see the sizes

Off topic, but I'm looking at getting a school of chromis in my new 95g tank... what is the best approach?

 

[Slakker]

That's a gorgeous tank...

Nemo's fin is really interesting...is that from fighting when (s)he was younger or something?

 

[fluidimagery]

Thanks.

Nemo's fin has always been like that since I've had him. I don't know how it happened but I've never seen another like it.


Anyway, I just fuged Doug and Nemo is back out in the open swimming around.

Do you think I should give Doug another chance once Nemo is healed up or is it hopeless that I'll ever have a pair of clownfish while Nemo is around?

 

[davocean]

Hard to say, but you can try a specimen container to see reaction/acclimate.
Hopefully Doug doesn't turn into douglina while in sump!
If it were me, and I HAD to keep nemo, I'd buy a new even smaller clown than Doug, like as small as you can find.

 

[davocean]

Oh yeah, your tank looks sweet!
If it's the 25 in your sig, I personally would call it stocked w/ what I see.
Though I also see you have a great skimmer and filt.
If you choose to add chromis, I'd do like 2-3 max, and keep up w/ WC often.

 

[fluidimagery]

That is the 25 in my pictures... I have a 95g that I just had SoCalCreations create sitting in my garage that is in the process of setting up. I was questioning the chromis for that tank.

 

[davocean]

Very cool.
I have 6 in my 90 for almost 5 yrs now.
Some say they fight, but mine never did.
I think they stuck together as they were'nt sure about a couple fish much larger than them.
They really do help bring out shy fish, and let fish school w/ them.
I like them just as much as my more expensive fish.

 

[hesaias]

I cannot say for sure, but the switching of dominant roles is not unheard of as they mature.

My false percs started out best buddies when they were 1/2" long. All was fine for a long time, then the beatings, some very difficult to watch started. One fish beat the crap out of the other, the other hid and cowered. Sometimes behind the heater or a powerhead as far from the other clown as possible, but at night, they slept next to each other. A few weeks later, the one that was getting the beatings, which had a scar, was the dominant one, and beat thecrap out of the other one for a few weeks. The one with the scar, which administered the beatings last, became the female.

Watch how they act after lights out. If they sleep close to each other, I would not sweat it too much. If Nemo is a runt, Doug will wind up the female.

If you seperate them, they will probably both stay male, and resume setting up a peching order as soon as you put them back together.

 

[i2go]

when you got doug were you looking for a smaller one than nemo? I have a false perc and im trying to get a smaller clown that is smaller than 1 inch to pair up. GL on your clowns, and could i steal that tank from you : p, awesome tank.

 

[fluidimagery]

I may try again once I get my 95g up and running...for now they're seperated.