If a pair of percs are bonded how disruptive to re-pair them?

[sugartooth]

Hello.

I have a pair of ORA picassos and they look about 5-7 months based on size. One is much larger than the other. They swim constantly together and touch frequently. My guess is that they are now 'partners'.

I was wondering how disruptive it would be to try to separate them and re-pair with young percs from somewhere else?

The reason I ask is because the brother/sister thing bothers me a little bit. But if the more experienced keepers don't think it's that big of a deal for siblings to be together, I will keep them this way. They seem so comfortable with each other.

If they form bonds easily, then I would like to try to separate them.

Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[Amphiprionocellaris]

First, mainly out of curiosity, how do you know that they are siblings?

Second, my clowns have always readily formed pairs in captivity, so they will likely form new pairs if you split them up. That said, genetically speaking, you should be fine even if they are siblings. Clownfish inbreed all the time in the wild.

 

[sugartooth]

I don't know that they are siblings for sure. It's just that they were kept together and sold as a pair, and I guess I thought that ORA has only one breeding pair of picasso's which would make them siblings.

If it's not that big of a deal, then I will just leave them alone.

 

[dalilgriffith]

no, that would be ridiculous.

 

[elegance coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12873878#post12873878 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amphiprionocellaris
First, mainly out of curiosity, how do you know that they are siblings?

Second, my clowns have always readily formed pairs in captivity, so they will likely form new pairs if you split them up. That said, genetically speaking, you should be fine even if they are siblings. Clownfish inbreed all the time in the wild.

According to your description at the bottom of your post. You like to point out bad science, so I hope you don't take offence to this.

Just because your pairs "always readily formed pairs in captivity", does not mean that the OP's clowns will. Clowns have very different personalities, even within the same species. I have had them form pairs and some that didn't work out. No one can tell the OP, with any amount of certainty, how their clowns will react to a stranger.

Can you post a link to shows that "Clownfish inbreed all the time in the wild." If not, can you explain how you came to this conclusion?