MAYDAY MAYDAY!! Clowns fighting!!!

[timjoemak]

Hey guys, I think I just observed something that I've never seen before. Now I've had an orange and a black ocellaris living together for the past 10 months or more in this 12 gallon tank. They've been coming along okay, not too bad. BUT just a second ago, the black clown was chasing the orange but not to attack it but to like bump the orange's body, it's like how guppies do it to mate? BUT the orange which I presume is female bit its fin and its tail.. and now the black's fins and tail are pretty damaged, but is still swimming fine.

SO is this part of trying to pair up or is this going to end up bad??!! PLEASE HELP ME!!! Cheers

Tim

 

[timjoemak]

Anyone at all ?

 

[jasonrp104]

I'd say just establishing a pecking order. If the fighting doesn't stop you might want to think about separating them, but I wouldn't worry too much yet.

 

[timjoemak]

Alright, I shall take that advice.. and it's been almost a month now since the introduction of a crispa to them.. maybe that's why they are acting so strange?? but they haven't been hosted yet...

 

[Ethan_W]

how large are they? it could just be a space issue. now that they've grown out a bit, their 12g home might be a little cramped for the female. my 2 true percs have been together for almost a month now and still havent paired but when the larger one nips at the smaller one it never does any damage. the smaller one just shakes in submission

 

[timjoemak]

Ohh no they're pretty small... about an 2 inches max.. currently they both seem fine, but whenever the male does the so called 'mating dance', the female would just go ahead and attack it..