Help! Having trouble with two sets of clownfish!

[Agilchre]

I have recently set up a 150 gallon salt tank (4 weeks ago) it's got live rock, live sand, polyps, and some corals growing very well! I am however having an issue with clownfish. One week ago I got 2 very small(1/2 an inch) black ocellaris clownfish. Then yesterday I added in a pair of the exact same size snowflake clowns. I have always been told this would be okay. However, the black pair has been dividing the orange pair and nipping at them. I am worried that the orange set is going to die from this. I'm unsure of what to do. I was thinking of adding in some marine life to give them more coverage.

Option 2 is to get a larger breeding box and put the orange pair in it for about a week. I'm pretty sure the black set has bonded since the male is doing the dance for the female.


Any help would be very appreciated!

 

[D-Nak]

I'm not sure who told you that 4 clowns are okay, but it's RARELY okay, especially if two have already started to pair up. The only way multiple clowns work (with limited success) is if you have a very big tank where the territories of the clowns don't overlap and they can't see each other (and a host anemone for each pair helps keep them in their territory, especially if the host anemone is a natural pair for one pair and not the other) or you start with a harem of at least a dozen clowns from the same clutch.

At a 1/2" your clowns are juveniles. When you see the dance, it's probably not a mating dance, but more to assert dominance.

IME black ocellaris are the most aggressive of the ocellaris. I know most think they're just a color morph, but my Darwins are mean -- the female bites my hand when I put it in their tank.

My advice is to separate the pairs immediately. Decide which pair you like better in your tank, and find the other pair a new home.

 

[Berkeleyaquaman]

+1 on what D-Nak said

 

[hotelbravo]

+2 I also agree