Mixing clowns, but not really...

[mouserusker]

I have a small orange Occelaris clown, and I was wondering if I could add a black and white Occelaris clown. They would look quite different, but it's the same species. The clownfish can't see themselves, right? So maybe the black one would see the orange one and assume they are an orange pair, while the orange clown would see the black one and think that it, too, is black...

Has anyone ever tried doing this? People mix Perculas and "Picasso" clowns without problems; heck, they come from the same spawns. Is this the case with normal Occelaris and the black/white Occelaris?

 

[BcAquatics]

mixed feelings.. i have done it in the past with sucess but the problem is not all clownfish are the same as some may be aggressive to them.

 

[michellejy]

Usually, you can mix any clown from the same complex with no issues (ocellaris with percula, clarkii with allardi, tomato with cinnamon, etc.) and pairing two types of ocellaris should be an even more natural mix. Every once in a while, you'll have problems getting a pair, but that could be the case even with two orange ocellaris. Just get the smallest black ocellaris you can find, and it should be fine.

 

[Lmecher]

I have a pair b/w female with an orange male. They bonded very quickly and have been insererable for a couple months. I would completely agree with michellejy, no porblems.

 

[ocellaris123]

They will pair, I highly doubt they know what color they are to begin with.