My Clowns wife died

[Steve_B]

I've had the mated pair of False Percula clowns for around 8 years or so. They have mated many times over the years. I have no space to raise their babies so they become either fish or filter food. They were doing their crazy matting ritual a couple of days ago. The next thing I know the female died for no apparent reason, just out of the blue. Now I'm left with the male only in the 10 gallon tank they have been in by themselves for several years.

It's a strictly fish only, no live rock, only the clowns are (or were) the only livings. Coral skeletons only. My question really doesn’t have anything to do with why she died.

I’m trying to figure out how to replace her so he isn't in there by himself. I don’t know if another clown would be accepted or if he would kill it.
Would any other fish work out, or is he destined to live his life alone?

I have a 70 gallon tank with the same set up but it has a wet/dry filter. All I have in there are a few small fairy wrasses and 2 small Diamond Gobies a this time.
The clown is obviously territorial; the entire tank is his territory:lmao:

If he started to after 1 of the wrasses I would just pull him and he’s back to solitary confinement.
My worry is the gobies. He could rip them apart pretty fast. That’s my trepidation with him going into the 70.
Any ideas on something to replace his wife in that 10 gallon, or if my Gobies would be safe with him in my 70?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

 

[Whip316]

If you put him inthe 70 he will not have territory and should be pretty docile for a while.
What I would do is let him in the 10 for 2 weeks or so alone so he turns into a female. Then I would get a 1.5" juvi or larger and put it in 70 for a few days alone. Then after a few days or more add the older clown at night and they should pair up and since you added the juvi before the larger one you should t have much aggression. And a 70g is plenty it for all the fish you have.


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[Steve_B]

Thank you Whip316

Thank you for the suggestion.

For several years all I have had were large aggressive tanks. My last one was a 225, which is a long story regarding these 2 clowns ending in that 10 gallon and what I'm trying to accomplish here. From all I have read about these small fairy wrasses and a Flasher Wrasse I HAD (got sold because it was a monster) is completely different in this case. So I introduced them to this 70 first with the Gobies, which I just started from scratch. I know that clowns are in fact Damsels, the hell raisers in any environment. Based upon my reading, my next move would be Butterflies. A different shape and different colors to offset the look of Wrasses. You read temperament and the reality can be 2 entirely different things. These little friendly wrasses go after each other like a big Queen Angel and Soho tang.
They can be just as aggressive, if not more as the big fish. They are just small, but still monsters at times. I knew Clowns can change sex, but I had no idea it could happen this far into the game. Anyway, that is the way I was planning on making this thing work. Least aggressive to most. At the end maybe 1 or 2 pigmy angels and that would be the end of the program. Now I have no idea which way to go as far as least and more aggressive up the ladder to the end of stocking. Like I said, I fear for my little Gobies.

I digress, regarding this specific topic at hand. It sounds like your idea makes sense. I guess that the timing may not work here though. The clowns may not allow any new tank mates after they become established. Now my stocking idea is upside down.

 

[Whip316]

they will settle down in a new tank if they are last in it. you should see their demeanor change in a bigger tank vs. a smaller one. you ever thought about adding a bta to the 70? that would really help the clowns to be occupied with something and not the other fish.

 

[Steve_B]

what's a bta?

 

[Whip316]

bubble tip anenome. like a rose or green colored ones.

 

[Steve_B]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/StevieBBB/queen_angel_resize.jpg

 

[Steve_B]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/StevieBBB/queen_angel_resize.jpg

This is what i left behind, everything went to h*ll, and it was VERY sad to lose her and an entire tank full of perfect specimens as this picture reflects. An undiagnosed disease that I tried everything in the book to cure was to no avail.

Thus, I'm asking for advice on how to get my small 70 gallon corner tank moving forward and helping my little clown fit into the best possible working environment. An anemone just wouldn't fit into this layout if you could see what I have. There are lots of hiding places. I believe bringing in different types of fish will diminish a lot of the present aggression. That's my theory which will be put to the test. It's just the order of new introductions I'm concerned with, as I said, and your idea sounds very workable.

Thank you for the ideas. Within the next few weeks these ideas will be put to the test. My bio filter can handle MUCH more of a load than it will need to.
It's strictly the aggression problem that is the factor. There will be no isolation tank; the display tank will be the isolation tank since I'm going to be stocking it rather quickly.