Pairing clownfish question????

[Xtremeclownfish]

Recently I acquired a Bali Picasso male about 2"+ to hopefully pair with a 4 year old Picasso who's parents are Doni's Snowcasso. At first I drop the Bali into the tank with my female, and they started to fight, it was ugly. So I took the Bali out and put him in a breeder net in the same tank with the female. Waited a week, attempted again having him loose in with the female. Fighting again, dam he looked bruised, is like he did not want her to be the dominant one of the two. Took him back out and placed him back in the breeders net. I reached out to a breeder and he said, take an empty peanut butter jar punch holes on the lid put the female inside let the male loose and he will go around the jar, don't feed. Try this for a week, so 2 days ago was my first attempt, yesterday, the second day she was good, **** enclosed in a jar. But today, she was on the bottom and I thought I was going to loose her. Immediately I turned her loose, and the male went in attack mode. Took the male out and she was swimming and looked like she was fatigue super stress. As the day goes on she is better and more active. I dropped in the same tank a juvenile Snowcasso that I acquired from TBA to stimulate her, within minutes they were swimming around together.

The things is I want so bad to pair the Bali, and I'm asking those here in this breeding forum advice. What form of technique you found to pair to clownfish successfully? Before you ask yes the Bali is smaller then the Doni.
Appreciate your advice and success.

 

[gar732]

Smaller doesn't always mean male. If it was dominant in the tank it came from it may have started to turn female already.

 

[Lou Young]

It sounds to me like the Bali is already a female. That pairing may not work out. You might have to use the bali as a female instead and get it a small mate. Better luck to you.

 

[stifrk]

It sounds to me like the Bali is already a female. That pairing may not work out. You might have to use the bali as a female instead and get it a small mate. Better luck to you.

+1 size is not the best indicator. I have a tiny female that I had to find a 6 month old unsexed fish to pair with because any other male I found was the same size and would challenge her. My Bali picasso breeding pair are almost identical in size, the male is just slightly smaller.

 

[Xtremeclownfish]

It sounds to me like the Bali is already a female. That pairing may not work out. You might have to use the bali as a female instead and get it a small mate. Better luck to you.

It seem the Bali was already a female, so I paired both Picasso with smaller picasso. Thanks all for advice.

 

[Lou Young]

Did the pair up work for you?

 

[Xtremeclownfish]

No female kill 2 picasso so far.

 

[Ginger bay]

Try putting a few small juveniles in the tank together with the female and new male. They may team up and turn their aggression to the smaller fishes.

Also, try acclimated male to new tank and once established, move the female in with male. Aggressive females in her own tank will dominated her territory and kill new clownfishes.

 

[slosht]

Can also try putting the female in the breeder basket/net and letting the male have the run of the tank. Do this for 2 weeks. Maybe change the aquascaping too so the female is confused.

It looks like you tried something similar but with holes in a peanut butter jar and had to stop because the female almost perished, lack of oxygen/flow perhaps?

 

[slosht]

erm...double postage

 

[Xtremeclownfish]

Will try that, thanks

 

[ThRoewer]

Adding the small to the big always carries the risk that the smaller one gets shredded.
Best is to put them together into a new tank. When that works out leave them there for a few weeks to bond and then put them into the tank you want them in.

 

[ExpertMarine]

The breeder net technique works good but you have to go the full two weeks...