Paring Premnas species clownfish (maroon clownfish):
Pairing maroon clowns is much more problematic than pairing Amphiprion species clownfish. Maroons are notorious for being very aggressive towards other clownfish. They are pretty much fearless and will only back down from an all out fight when presented with the overwhelming threat of death.
Separation Technique:
The only technique I am aware of that works the vast majority of the time with the least amount of damage as possible to use a separation and slow acclimation process to introduce a poetical mate to a maroon clownfish.
First you need to have a large female already established in your tank before trying a pairing. The clownfish should be at least 3†from nose to start of the cardinal fin. Next you will need to do a little preparation before buying a potential mate for your maroon. You need something to securely separate the two fish in the same tank while still allowing the fish to see each other and the new fish to get water flow. You can use a clear plastic specimen container with holes drilled in it for example.
Now go to the LFS and find the smallest juvenile maroon from a community tank that you can find. It should be no larger than 1†nose to start of cardinal fin. Acclimate the new maroon just as you would any other fish. Once the new maroon is acclimated to your tanks water, place the new maroon in the specimen container. Let the two fish see each other, place the specimen container near the females territory. Carefully watch the female’s behavior. If she is trying to attack the new fish thru the container, it is not safe to release the new maroon. Give her time to cool off from the disruption to her tank and addition of a foreign clownfish in her tank.
Now that the female has cooled her temper it is time to try an introduction. Get your favorite fish net ready and release the new maroon to the tank. If the fighting gets too bad you will need to rescue the new maroon and place it back in the container and try the next day. If after three failed attempts you can write off the new maroon as incompatible and you will need a new juvenile to try with.
All.
. Some will spit sand at you, draw blood once putting so much as a finger in a 6ft tank, rearrange rock (and corals, and whatever else might happen to be in the tank) to their liking. Some will have the same aggressive type attitude but it'll be limited to their "turf" within the tank. So its a toss up - most certainly if you're planning on having other fish in the tank put the clown(s) in last and also keep in mind maroons are one of the tougher clowns to pair (unless you're planning on buying 2 that are already paired).
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