Introducing new Maroon clowns

[Mounda]

Ever since I started planning my new tank I have wanted to get a pair of gold stripe maroon clowns however I am not sure about the success of the two pairing. I don't have the option of buying a mated pair so I decided I'd stick with a single clown because I don't want any casualties but before I finalize my decision I was wondering if there is a way to pull it off or increase the chances of the clowns pairing.

I plan on getting a BTA for the maroon but I'm still not sure about the sequence, clown(s) first or anemone.

Your feedback is appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Gold Stripe]

I would introduce the BTA first and give it a week or two to get aclimated. Maroons can be pretty rough on an anemone so you want it to be settled. Also you want a good 6 inch + anemone at least 2x the size of your larger clown.

When you put the GSMs in your best shot is to get one 1 to 1.5 inches and one about 3+ inches. Some will say smaller but IMO you want the smaller of the two to be large enough to defend itself but still have the larger one at least twice the size of the smaller one so that there is a clear dominance. If the smaller one thinks it has a fighting chance then its over.

Another method is to go much larger, say 2.5 inches and 5 inches but then you risk getting 2 females and its over.

 

[Bud's Reef]

I had an older larger female wild caught Gold-striped Maroon for a while and decided to pair it up. I bought a new one that was out of a group tank of tank raised maroons and made sure it was not the largest from the group.

I drilled holes in a Kritter Keeper, glued some small acrylic pieces to the back so I could attach it inside the tank with a Maxijet suction cup holder, and after the QT period I put the younger clown in it with a piece of PVC it could hide/sleep in.

At first the female would head butt the container trying to get at the young one but gave up after a while. After a few days and at least two unsuccessful attempts to release it, I built another cage out of egg crate that the young one could swim in and out of but the female couldn't get into. When I moved the clown and its PVC to the new cage the female would charge it but stop just short ad swim next to it with the male swimming beside her within the cage. After a few more days when she came up tp the cage the male would swim out to her and they would shimmy and swim together but when the female tried to lure him to her anemone, he'd go back to the cage.

Another few days and he was swimming outside the cage with her all day but would still go back to the cage to sleep. I finally took the cage out and that night he just followwed her to the anemone. I ultimately had the pleasure of raising some of their offspring.

 

[Nerd1717]

^^^ cool story!, although "I ultimately had the pleasure of raising some of their offspring." sounds kinda creepy......

 

[gogators1088]

i have 2 GSM's in my tank now and when i got them they were both very small 1" or so(they are siblings) and got a very large BTA 10"+ around and they have done very well with it but were kind of rough. if they were any bigger and the BTA was smaller it wouldnt have acclimated itself so well