How to replace the femle of a pair

[Glove]

I just lost my really large female gold striped maroon clown. I would like to find another to pair up w/ the male and host anemone.

They were paired for several years, and the female has been gone for about 2 weeks now.

Can anyone give me some advice how to introduce a new mate to this male?
Any leads on a large known female around Indiana?

 

[atty]

you can give it ago, but the chance of them paring up is around 50/50. Introduce one thats bigger and if you reintroduce the male to the tank at the same time of the female. i just read that you have been in the hobby for a bloody long time so i guess you already know this.

 

[Glove]

I been in the hobby for a spell. Getting fish to pair up is always a challenge. I know maroons are fiesty and sometimes flat out mean and I was just wanting to gather info before I make the attempt.

 

[Glove]

nice approach! I didnt think about pulling the male and re-introducing him at the same time.
I assume if I leave him solo, he will turn female after some time. What is the duration of this process?
I really dont know much about breeding and mating fish. Just wanted to hook the lil fella up w/ another mate.

The only other fish n the system are 2 pajama cards and a mandrin. There is plenty of room in this 6ft tank.

 

[atty]

im pretty sure they only have there sex change when there surrounded with other clowns. And you can also add a smaller clown instead, so your male will turn female. i think this is just trial and error. i know its strange seeing a clown on it own, so good luck

 

[maww]

You may stand a better chance introducing a juvenile to your male, and juvenile TB maroons are easy to come by. place it in a net breeder or vented specimen cup where the male can clearly see it, and let them get used to each other for a while (days, weeks if needed). let the new fish out under supervision to see if the male accepts it. Return it to the container if there's too much agression, repeat as needed. This is a pretty sure-fire way to introduce a new mate without accumulating too many casualties.

 

[lawboy888]

i agree with maww..get a smaller one and put it next to the larger male in a container and leave it there for several days and hopefully once you release the smaller clown they will bond...i tried that with my sebae and it worked perfectly

 

[Atticus]

Ahhh the time old question of when is it right to start dating after the death of a significant other....

In the case of your maroon the best advice would be the one not mentioned... Leave the male solo for 3 months. Feed him well and he will become a she. You can then introduce a less than 1 inch juvenile to the greeving widow with little conflict.

As for the container idea, it is a good theory, but in practice a female maroon will actually try to tear the fins off an intruder through the bag during acclimation if she is not fond of him. Let them see each other during acclimation. If she charges the bag and he submits, (goes into a seizure) you are good to release him. If he flares back at her, return him to the store as he is already dead if he is released.

Hope that clears it up for you.
Travis