Clowns got fed up with each other after 5 years!?

[chaost]

Hello,

I wonder if someone can help me.

I have a pair of dark brown clown fish that have been together for around 5 years. They are inseparable until, that is, until a couple of days ago when they started going at each other.

First, i thought it was some bizarre mating thing. They would go nose to nose for a couple of seconds and then one would launch at the other. Then one would lay on its side and twitch as though having a fit and then they would swim around with each other for a bit.

i thought the behaviour would pass, but it is getting worse. Both fish now have badly scared faces and fins where they have been nipping each other - and if this is still a mating thing, they are definitely into fetish!

Is this normal behavior after 5 years - have they literally grown sick of each other?

Any ideas?

Many thanks!!
:bum:

 

[adtravels]

apparently clarks clowns(if that is what you have) males can change to a female even if there is a dominat female present. that could be the problem

source j.wilkerson.

 

[ChunksInClemson]

What's the size comparison? Has one started growing more rapidly?

 

[brward5]

if one changed to a female, that would def be a problem. the lying on its side twitching is an indication of submission and the reason that they swim happily for a little while after that.
~Brian

 

[chaost]

Thanks for the replies.

One is much larger than the other - but that has always been noticable for about 2 years now.

the smaller one is now hiding at the top of the tank and is looking worse for wear, kinda like fish do when on their last legs.

There seems to be nothing i can do about it either. Just wait and see?

 

[Chupacabras]

You're going to have to remove one, that aggression probably won't end until one of them is dead. As Adtravels stated, you're probably seeing one of those bizarre pair changes where the male tries to take dominance of the tank and switch to female.

Since two females can't live together, one fish's got to go.

 

[GSMguy]

i saw this at the LFS they killled their nem and the male died in the proccess
take one out while you still can