looking for clownfish advice

[solRNY]

hi there,
we have had these two clown fish for a few years now, one of them started to become bigger than the other about a year in, thinking they will likely pair up and mate

just recently the bigger of the two was deathly ill, wouldnt eat any of the normal foods... barley swam... got so skinny the bones would show thru... took my wife a lot of care and effort to bring it back. since then the once little one have grown drastically, and now they are both almost the same size!!

we are thinking that the little guy now has become a little girl, that we should split them up into seperate tanks? or leave them be? please give us your thoughts/advice.

from the video below the once little guy is the one hosting the nem.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tt-8QXxPqkY?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt-8QXxPqkY&list=UU15BnA7HfT1u2FeGgDgpK2g&index=1

thanks,

 

[saltyscotsman]

a bigger nem would be nice[ just kidding ] they look good

 

[tmz]

I don't know if they both sexed female. Never heard of that before when two juveniles are kept together. Are they showing signs of agression towards each other.?

 

[solRNY]

a bigger nem would be nice[ just kidding ] they look good

thanks,

I don't know if they both sexed female. Never heard of that before when two juveniles are kept together. Are they showing signs of agression towards each other.?

hi Tom! the once larger one is showing submission now, it reluctant to chase at food that the once smaller one goes after.

 

[NirvanaFan]

Are they showing aggression when they aren't being fed? Females can (and will) kill each other if housed together. They would be chasing each other and their fins would be tattered up.

If they look healthy, and they are just the same size, I wouldn't worry yet.

 

[tmz]

thanks,


hi Tom! the once larger one is showing submission now, it reluctant to chase at food that the once smaller one goes after.

Maybe it never lost its Y chromosome and picked up and extra X .The illness may have slowed that process and changed the pecking order. If they are not fighting, I'd wait and see.If they do then one will have to move.

 

[NirvanaFan]

There isn't usually a drastic difference in size between sexes in the amphiprion species (except tomato clowns). There was almost no size difference between my Picasso clowns (both platinum and Picasso are percula). I can't tell one of my skunk clowns from the other. They are the same size.

If they're not fighting, which it doesn't look like they are in that video, I wouldn't worry about it. Spy on them for a few minutes without them noticing you. This should give you their "natural" behavior. If they are fighting, chasing, and nipping fins, you may have to separate them. If they aren't, then don't worry about it yet.


How long was the one clown sick for? The sex change from male to female usually takes a couple months. It is possible that the environment triggered the hormones of the one clown to change causing it to turn, but that takes a while. Gary M thought this was/is happening to his percula (Gary, how is the female, btw?). Maybe he can chime on on what he saw with his percula pair. These hormones trigger which sex organs are "active" and the sex of the fish, unlike in humans where chromosomes control hormones.

 

[solRNY]

Maybe it never lost its Y chromosome and picked up and extra X .The illness may have slowed that process and changed the pecking order. If they are not fighting, I'd wait and see.If they do then one will have to move.

Thanks for the advice Tom.

There isn't usually a drastic difference in size between sexes in the amphiprion species (except tomato clowns). There was almost no size difference between my Picasso clowns (both platinum and Picasso are percula). I can't tell one of my skunk clowns from the other. They are the same size.

If they're not fighting, which it doesn't look like they are in that video, I wouldn't worry about it. Spy on them for a few minutes without them noticing you. This should give you their "natural" behavior. If they are fighting, chasing, and nipping fins, you may have to separate them. If they aren't, then don't worry about it yet.

How long was the one clown sick for? The sex change from male to female usually takes a couple months. It is possible that the environment triggered the hormones of the one clown to change causing it to turn, but that takes a while. Gary M thought this was/is happening to his percula (Gary, how is the female, btw?). Maybe he can chime on on what he saw with his percula pair. These hormones trigger which sex organs are "active" and the sex of the fish, unlike in humans where chromosomes control hormones.

The one was sick for 1-2months, it was laying on the side not swimming nor interested in eat at all, really sad when you cant help them. Evenutally the once smaller one wandered further and further away from the sick one. The once smaller one is now growing insanely fast!

we had clown fish in the past which paired up and spawned, the female was 2-3 size larger than the male, i dont remember it taking a few years for this to happen. i just thought since these two platnuims are now the same size maybe they are not good for pairing up to spawn anymore. am wondering did your same size pair spawn?

thanks for the GREAT advice guys, will leave them be and observe for now

 

[NirvanaFan]

How long have you had them?

 

[solRNY]

around summer-fall of 2010, almost 3 years...

 

[block head]

I think you re fine. My spawning pair were a pita(false perc) the female would shred the male . The male would lose weight dealing with the eggs. Female attacked anything that swam. Sometimes the clutch may be very difficult see. The male maybe protecting a nest. The males often stop eating, twitch , and generally look miserable.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I think you re fine. My spawning pair were a pita(false perc) the female would shred the male . The male would lose weight dealing with the eggs. Female attacked anything that swam. Sometimes the clutch may be very difficult see. The male maybe protecting a nest. The males often stop eating, twitch , and generally look miserable.

Heh heh

 

[solRNY]

The male would lose weight dealing with the eggs. The males often stop eating, twitch , and generally look miserable.

I think I miss understood what the male should look like, thanks for the insight