Pairing big old clarkii with another?

[Crustman]

I have a 6 inch clarkii that came with my tank when I bought it 2 years ago. Can I add a smaller wild collected one to the tank and get a pair. The clarkii has a LTA that it hosts but I would like a mate for her. Good idea or very bad idea Thanks

 

[Crustman]

Maybe it is closer to 5 inches. It is a white tailed clarkii. I can take a pic of it.

 

[Crustman]

Heres the pic

 

[chitownclown]

Sure can but find a small one and I would use a breeder box for about a week to keep them apart then try and let him out, if she beats him up real good I would wait another week and then release him at night.

 

[elegance coral]

I wouldn't go with wild caught in this situation, unless you just can't find any captive bred clarkii's. Wild caught clarkii's are very hard to sex. If you can get a captive bred juvenile, you'll know it's not a female.

 

[NirvanaFan]

I wouldn't go with wild caught in this situation, unless you just can't find any captive bred clarkii's. Wild caught clarkii's are very hard to sex. If you can get a captive bred juvenile, you'll know it's not a female.

This is the way that I would go also.

 

[Crustman]

Thank you but I thought that any smaller fish, wild or tank raised would change to a male since my present one would be the dominant female. Why are tank raised clarkiis males?

 

[elegance coral]

Thank you but I thought that any smaller fish, wild or tank raised would change to a male since my present one would be the dominant female. Why are tank raised clarkiis males?

Tank raised clowns are released for sale while they are still young/immature, so we know they are all male or unsexed. We have no way of knowing how old/mature most wild caught clowns are. Size is not a very good indicator of age. Not all, but most, wild caught clarkiis will be in the 2 to 3 inch range. These fish can be male or female. If you place a 2 or 3 inch female in with your 5 inch female, it's not gonna be pretty. The fish won't change from female to male. The best way to insure the fish you get is male or unsexed, would be to get one that hasn't had time to mature into a female. The most reliable way to do this is to get a young, immature, captive bred fish.

 

[WDLV]

Yeah, I have paired a 4" clarkii with a CB 3/4" clarkii that I picked up from a friend who was breeding them. In the first hour not only was she swimming peacefully with him but another fish pecked at him and she tore it a new one.

The other pro to getting a CB one is that there's less probability that they will come with a disease.... particularly if you know a local breeder. The fewer tanks it sees before it gets to you, the better.

 

[bues0022]

A third positive of a CB fish is that there is one more fish that is staying in the ocean. When CB alternatives are competitively available, I don't see a very compelling reason to purchase wild caught.

 

[Crustman]

Sounds good, I can find a tank raised fish at the same store. I thought that it was best to get a bigger fish and this was the wc. I am amazed that pairing works with large and small fish.