Clown Pairing Worries

[xxmurrxx]

So i know clowns act pretty weird, and I knows the basics of how they pair and such but Im having some issues? with mine.

I have had these two tank raised b/w clowns for about 8months to a year now, I bought them both really small so i'm pretty sure I don't have two females. They are both big now, and there is definitely a dominate one, and the other "submits" all the time, has been forever it seems.

Situation: The dominate ALWAYS charges the other one, seems worse lately. The sub shakes and runs away all the time.

Notes:
-They sleep in the same area together which I assumed meant they were paired.
-Starting to get worried about the sub" one, now has some white dots on him (possible ich? (pic below)) but still eats like a champ and shows no sickness really.
-I'm starting a new build soon and am wondering if I should trade in these two and get a pair to avoid future problems.
-Currently in a biocube 29, along with a flame hawkfish. Water quality tests very good.


So in the end just wondering,
A) Is it possible they will never really pair? Could it be normal for pairing to go on for 8+ months?
B) With the one showing dots but not showing any signs of illness should I act or wait to see if he stops eating, shows rapid breathing, etc?

Cheers!

 

[Tmoriarty]

hard to diagnose with that picture (can you get a clear picture of the fish). But I wouldn't remove them unless the fighting gets to a damaging point. It is possible that the female has only recently made the change to female (depending on their age when you got them) and as such has become more aggressive.

The whites spots may be related to stress (showing the signs of ich, which may have already been in the tank) but is a seperate issue if you have ich. If the fish does have ich, than you need to treat that as a seperate issue.

 

[xxmurrxx]

Couldn't really get a clearer picture because he's all over the place and the camera sucks.
But yeah, definitely not acting sick at the moment, so i'll wait and see.

Never had ICH issues but I know it could be there just waiting there and affecting a stressed fish.

Not sure on the stages of growth, but when I got them i'm pretty sure they were young, newly born.

 

[Mike31154]

I paired my Maroon clowns from when they were juvis. That was painful to watch sometimes as well. IIRC it took a couple of years for them to actually spawn. I suspect your pair is getting close to being sexually mature, so the dominant one may simply be making sure things go according to 'her' way. Is there a noticeable difference in size between the two yet? I realize the size ratio in Maroons is more radical than other species of clownfish, but it's usually a good indication that the maturity process is almost complete & they've sorted out whos who. My Maroon female almost doubled in size in a month after the pairing was completed. I have no experience with b/w clowns, but I think you're ok to leave them together for the moment. Provided the nagged clown has an escape route, he should be fine until they get themselves sorted.

 

[xxmurrxx]

You can tell the one is a little bigger than the other but not a super noticeable difference I have seen in other clown pairs.
Good call though, I'll just wait it out see what happens!