Maroon & Percula -- Happily Ever After?

[bertones]

We have a fairly new 110 high tank with 38 sump that has run through its cycles and is stable, has about 100 pounds of live rock with some descent hiding places. We bought, for our first fish in this tank, a 1.5" maroon and a 1.5" percula who got along great at the LFS in a tank together, based on the salesperson who said they'd do just fine (as they were in the LFS tank at the time).

At home in the new tank, the two clowns hang out in the
upper left corner of the tank, frequently touching each other's fins/bodies in the close confines of the corner without a hint of anymousity to the other. When they do roam the tank, the other follows. (Seems like they've paired). They've been in the tank for about 2 weeks now, this behavior has been the norm since Day 1.

However, when inquiring to buy a different fish (a small puffer), another LFS wanted to know what we have in our tank. When we said a maroon and percula, they informed us that after 2-3 years the maroon will kill the percula when it grows and reaches sexuality. No doubts about it, they said. I called the original LFS (where I bought the clowns) and they stand on their conclusion that the clowns will continue to get along since they've determined dominance and pairing issues already. So the opinions seem to be polarized. (Not a big surprise, huh?) We want to end up with 2 clownfish (either 2 maroons or a maroon-percula) that get along in the long-term. What do you think the risks are that the maroon will eventually turn on the Percula and kill it in a few years, despite they get along perfectly right now? What would you recommend?

 

[clown fanatic]

a couple of years down the road who knows. to ME it seems that if they have established dominance things should be ok. i saw on here not too long ago a person with a maroon/occellaris pair that actually spawned and the fry were raised. now if you had a pair of maroons and percs THEN i would say for sure it is a problem.

also check out my avatar. the two have been hanging out in thier hairy mushroom (what they think is an anemone) for 3 or 4 weeks, not a scratch on the little occellaris.

 

[EMBRYOGUY]

i have a perc and marroon pair for over a year in a 12 gal nanocube. look at my gallery for pics. they are great together. so im crossing my fingers. but they NEVER fight.

 

[clown fanatic]

thats pretty cool! mine dont swim together and my maroon will chase my other occellaris back into the hairy mushrooms if he gets too far out, then after a while she will join him. if she ever rushes at him he does the shake like crazy. theyve been in the same tank together for now 4 weeks and there hasnt been a scratch on the little fellow so far so good

 

[EMBRYOGUY]

clownfanatic, ive heard of clowns/maroons pairing before. others have had it happen. so you do have a chance for them to atleast get along in a tank> best of luck......b

 

[clown fanatic]

yea i say so far my chances are pretty good as i stated above theyve been 4 weeks together. thats pretty good seeing that the maroon i added (same size as occellaris) was killed in a little over 24 hours. i did however at one time succesfully pair my maroon with another this guy was TINY however during the night the arc eye hawkfish broke his back! you could see marks on both ends of his body, they were shaped like semi circles as if someone had clamped onto his tail. im pretty sure this is what did it and that it was the hawk that did because i later saw him doing the same thing to my LMB. needles to say he almost got the flush treatment. he is now in h2joe's 55gallon tank. GOOD RIDDENS!

 

[EMBRYOGUY]

well others have said as the maroon matures he will gain aggressiveness towards the osc. so only time will tell i guess.

 

[evilblake]

I've had a maroon and a percula living together in a 25 gallon tank for about four months now. At first they seemed to really get along, they'd almost never be more than three inches away from each other!

After a couple of weeks the percula started to pick on the maroon, chasing it and nipping at its fins, but not all the time. They would act like they liked each other mostly and only fight occasionally.

I introduced what I beleive to be a sabae anemone about a month after the clowns had settled in, which the maroon clown started sleeping in within a week, but the maroon only got to keep its new bed for a week or so before the percula got jelous and kicked her out, claiming the anemone as its own. This is a pretty small anemone, only about three inches across when opened fully, so it would be pretty cramped for both clowns to host in it.

Unfortunaly, I beleive the anemone has bleached itself. It is bright white with purple tips, and shortly after the percula took to it, it started closing up partly and eventually lost his footing on top of the rock and found his way to a shaded cave like area in the tank, which is something the anemone FAQ says they like to do when they have bleached.

Anyway, the percula still visits the anemone from time to time under the rock and will chase the maroon clown away from it if he notices her getting to close, but otherwise the two of them seem to get along just fine.

In an ealier post someone said maroons and perculas would definatly be problematic, what is the justification for this statement?

Mine are still just babies, each about an inch and a quarter long. I'd really hate to think that when the reach puberty they're going to try to kill each other.

Blake.

 

[clown fanatic]

well it sounds like your anemone could be having problems because he is too small for you clowns. aslo sebae arent the best choice in anemone and they need ALOT of light from what i hear

 

[Nano's Rock]

How are everybodyââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s mixed pairs doing?

 

[stykthyn]

it's possible, but I would say that you have the odds stacked against you. Maroons are intolerant of nearly everything. You will know in a year when both the clowns reach breeding age whether it will work out or not. My personal guess would be that in a tank that size both will live out seperate lives in opposite ends of the tank with the maroon being the more dominant of he two.

 

[KURTIS T]

I had this happen. They were very good friends then one day.....the Marroon went bad. Typical marroon behavior I guess.

I wish they would get along like they used to.