clown behavior

[digidana]

matt...help!

the pair of blacks that i got from you at the knoxville swap...they've been doing really good (they're in the 14g cube), but lately it seems like the female is PMSing 24/7. she always seems to be picking on the male. tonite he was laying on the sand and looking like a gonner, but then got up and swam around some more, and then went back down. i turned the lights off, hoping she'd give him a break. he's swimming around and actually looking fine at the moment, but i don't know. the clowns i have in the big tank always seem to get along. should i separate these guys or will she get over it?

(btw, can't wait to see your place this weekend!)

 

[Fishboy42]

Glad to hear that the clowns are doing ok, or sort-of ok

It seems unusual that a female would turn on a male like that after having-been paired-up, but it does sometimes happen, especially after stressful situations (shipping, lack of food, change in environment, etc), and blacks can be a bit aggressive as they mature. We've even had spawning pairs many years old do this occasionally. Sometimes they "make-up" on their own, but if it seems severe, what we do is switch the male out for a different male, perhaps a bit smaller if he has grown and isn't viewed by the female as a submissive mate. The former male often makes a good female fish for another pair, as I wonder if it is his "maturing" that sometimes leads to the female's aggression.

If you want to trade him out, maybe I can help you pick one out on Saturday to try to make a proper pair for you?

Matt

 

[digidana]

thanks matt! they did settle down when the lights went out, and this morning is just the actinics so far, but he seems to be fine. it really scared me when i saw him just laying on the bottom. they're on my desk, so i'll get to keep an eye on them. if she doesn't let up on him, maybe i will bring him in if its ok...tho, he's my favorite. could i maybe bring HER in? and if i switch out a mate, do they always pair up with the new one?

he's still pretty little, i can't imagine that he's matured much, he seems pretty submissive, she just seems a little overly aggressive.

just curious...what are signs to watch for when they're getting ready to spawn? or maybe i should save the questions for saturday?!

 

[Flavum]

The black ones can be fiesty! we have one at work that will give a beat down to any other clown you put in with it. shes a mean momma!

 

[Fishboy42]

digidana, I can show you some clownfish breeding/spawning behaviors in our tanks here on Sat and we can talk about how to re-pair your pair

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13371763#post13371763 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Flavum
The black ones can be fiesty! we have one at work that will give a beat down to any other clown you put in with it. shes a mean momma!

Those make the best broodstock! Actually, digidana's fish are possibly the offspring of a female from the CR that fits the same description. She was biting people anywhere they put their hand in a 150g bowfront at the shop. I forget what kind, but they told me it was attacking and fighting with a much larger fish that took off a good chunk of its dorsal fin (it has since grown back...).