Pairing Clownfish

[CRG]

After reading through the FAQ on pairing Maroon Clownfish, I purchased a small juvenile from a community tank and placed him in a specimen container for 1 day. On the second day I let the male out of the container, which the female seemed to tolerate. However, it has been two days since letting the male out and the female still refuses to let the male into the BTA with her. When rushed by the female, the male shows characteristic submissive behavior, but I'm unsure why the female does not respond to this behavior appropriatly (ie. allowing the male into her territory). Should I be more patient or is this a pairing that is simply not meant to be?

Also, the female will gently tug at the male's pectoral fins, but stops short of actual damage. I'm not sure whether this is a negative behavior or whether it's just normal.

Your help is appreciated.

Cory

 

[Trumpet12]

Thank you, JHardman!
That information is very useful!!!

 

[JHardman]

After reading through the FAQ on pairing Maroon Clownfish, I purchased a small juvenile from a community tank and placed him in a specimen container for 1 day. On the second day I let the male out of the container, which the female seemed to tolerate. However, it has been two days since letting the male out and the female still refuses to let the male into the BTA with her. When rushed by the female, the male shows characteristic submissive behavior, but I'm unsure why the female does not respond to this behavior appropriatly (ie. allowing the male into her territory). Should I be more patient or is this a pairing that is simply not meant to be?

Also, the female will gently tug at the male's pectoral fins, but stops short of actual damage. I'm not sure whether this is a negative behavior or whether it's just normal.

Your help is appreciated.

Cory

I think you are misunderstanding the normal behavior of the female. The appropriate response to the juveniles submission is for her not kill "him" or in other words she stops her attack short of damage. Rather the female will let a newly "accepted" fish into her host is a really a fish by fish thing. I would not expect to see both in a host for several weeks or even months.

I haven't seen the tugging on the pectoral fins behavior as you describe it, but as long as there isn't any damage I wouldn't worry.

 

[CRG]

JHardman...

Thank you for the quick reply. I suppose I should just be more patient and be thankful that the female has not yet killed the male. However, I have one more question...

If the female does not eventually allow the male into her territory, will the two fish still constitute a pair in the traditional sense? I'm eventually hoping for a close bond between the two (ie. spawning).

Thanks,
Cory

 

[Atticus]

Should this be in the Frequently Asked Questions or do you want it open for more questions to be asked in this thread?

 

[Atticus]

OOOpps never mind I see it is linked there... I just didn't know the thread would still come to the top of the forum.

 

[JHardman]

JHardman...

Thank you for the quick reply. I suppose I should just be more patient and be thankful that the female has not yet killed the male. However, I have one more question...

If the female does not eventually allow the male into her territory, will the two fish still constitute a pair in the traditional sense? I'm eventually hoping for a close bond between the two (ie. spawning).

Thanks,
Cory

It is just a phase, they will grow inseparable over time, but don't be surprised if there a few spats in the mean time.

 

[ezhoops]

let me update...I was too late in removing my juvenile (male) WSM from the tank, they were tolerating each other and even in the clay pot together and the male even shivered. This after aprox 1 month together. I wake up the next day to find the WSM was dead? I have no idea what happened (I know most of you will assume the female killed him but I honestly don't believe that) any how when I woke up the clown was being eaten by my c.c. star. I have since tried another smaller male this time a GSM and so far things are going well. The male was in a specimen container for 1 day and then released. HE immediately began shivering and kissing her cheeks and anywhere on her sides. She did chase him and scare him into hiding for a night but He is out.

I also have a Similar question to the above post. My female has a BTA in her territory. The male stays on the opposite side of the tank and the female goes over and visits with him. He will run out to greet her and shiver and kiss her like crazy. But she will not allow him near her area. Will this change? Also, Will She eventually force him over to her territory if they do pair up and spawn?

 

[JHardman]

let me update...I was too late in removing my juvenile (male) WSM from the tank, they were tolerating each other and even in the clay pot together and the male even shivered. This after aprox 1 month together. I wake up the next day to find the WSM was dead? I have no idea what happened (I know most of you will assume the female killed him but I honestly don't believe that) any how when I woke up the clown was being eaten by my c.c. star. I have since tried another smaller male this time a GSM and so far things are going well. The male was in a specimen container for 1 day and then released. HE immediately began shivering and kissing her cheeks and anywhere on her sides. She did chase him and scare him into hiding for a night but He is out.

If there were pieces of him missing then you could figure the female was to blame. You should also have seen torn fins if it was her. When I have seen a female kill a juvenile/male it always ended with a bite to the belly disemboweling it or a bite to the spine just behind the head.

I also have a Similar question to the above post. My female has a BTA in her territory. The male stays on the opposite side of the tank and the female goes over and visits with him. He will run out to greet her and shiver and kiss her like crazy. But she will not allow him near her area. Will this change? Also, Will She eventually force him over to her territory if they do pair up and spawn?

Bickering phase... it will pass with time.

 

[ezhoops]

By time I woke up I couldn't really even make out that my WSM was even a fish, the C.C. star works fast. (I have him in there just for that reason) keeps ammonia outbreaks to Zero

 

[reefcrazy420]

can u resticky this ?? plz why was it unstickied? lol

 

[JHardman]

Might have something to do with this post... :lol:

 

[jvschlegel]

1) There are very few cases of long term success with keeping multiple pairs of clowns. The one case that I am most familiar with has been running for about 5 years and to date has only had one fish killed. I don't recommend trying it; it is very rare that it works out long term. Remember clowns can live for decades.

The difference between black A. Ocellaris and orange A. Ocellaris is just that, one is primarily black and the other orange. They are the same species of clownfish.

2) Yes a pair will form. However it takes considerably longer and may result in much more fighting and damage especially to the odd man out fish.

3) Depends on the fish. If all added at the same time the chances are better.

HTH

I have an orange A. Ocellaris that is about 3" long and in my tank with a yellow tang for about 1 year. Could I get a black A. Ocellaris and mate them? I am getting that you can do this from your post, but would like to double check before I purchase this fish and maybe cause harm to it.

thank, and I have read the majority of this thread, and rest about mating this type of clown, but have not, or don't recall a definate answer. Is it going to be a long time as you stated above for the black and orange Ocellaris to mate up, or for 3 of them to mate up?

thank,
jon

 

[Atticus]

You will have better success with 2... The third fish becomes a distraction and will be trying to fight for the male position since you have an established female. The only worry about crossing the black and orange ocellaris is that the recesive variant will be weakened or bread out. If you are not looking to sell the fry or are willing to let people know that you are selling a hybrid I say go for it. I persoanlly have seen many fry come from crossed pairs and the first line look just fine, it is later line breedings that could be a larger issue.

 

[jvschlegel]

thanks, I am not trying to sell them. I would like to get one more clown because I think they are cool fish. I am only going to get 2, my female, and another non sex. I am going to pick one up today that is about 1" long, and just got to the fish store today from the breader.

What do you meen that the recesive variant will be weakened, or bread out? Is this that the weaker gene will go away, and the fry will be only one color? Will the fry be of both color for the first batch, or just one of the 2 colors? Regardless, I am getting this fish to add another clown but of a different color.

thanks

 

[Atticus]

The fry of a mixed pair end up at about a 50-50 split between full blacks and full oranges. By breeding those new hybrid fish back with another of the opposite color you will see a less than 50-50 split and coloration may fade...

 

[jvschlegel]

thanks for the info

 

[naclh20]

ooops, what now?

ooops, what now?

Thanks for the clear and informative email on pairing clownfish - only wish I'd read it before purchasing the 4 cinnamon (melanopus) clownfish from ETropicals about 3 weeks ago.
After seeing them fight and each get white bruises and split lips I pulled two out and they are healing well, separated in a QT tank.
The two remaining in the main tank are now fighting. I bought them all with the understanding they were juvenilles, but based on your FAQ, since they are all fighting, are they all females at this point????

I have one anenome in the tank. I'd really appreciate your advice about how to handle it from here. Do I take 3 of them to the LFS and keep one to mature in the anenome, then introduce a true juvenile in a month? Or, do I need to 'test' them in various combinations to see if one is still juvenille?

Thanks so much for the clear explanations.

 

[JHardman]

Re: ooops, what now?

Re: ooops, what now?

Thanks for the clear and informative email on pairing clownfish - only wish I'd read it before purchasing the 4 cinnamon (melanopus) clownfish from ETropicals about 3 weeks ago.
After seeing them fight and each get white bruises and split lips I pulled two out and they are healing well, separated in a QT tank.
The two remaining in the main tank are now fighting. I bought them all with the understanding they were juvenilles, but based on your FAQ, since they are all fighting, are they all females at this point????

I have one anenome in the tank. I'd really appreciate your advice about how to handle it from here. Do I take 3 of them to the LFS and keep one to mature in the anenome, then introduce a true juvenile in a month? Or, do I need to 'test' them in various combinations to see if one is still juvenille?

Thanks so much for the clear explanations.

Keep one and introduce a CB juvenile in a month or so. That is one of the problems with getting WC fish that are not paired up, no one can tell for sure what sex/age they are.

 

[Rottweiler]

Wow, I actuialy read every post, this is realy good information! thanks!

I have a 72 gallon, and a very large bta (at least 1 foot across). I added a large maroon(2.5-3 inches) and a samller one (1.5 inches). this was three days ago. Their first meeting in the tank went realy well, the smaller one turned on his side and shook when she came towards him, and she stopped her attack. he even kissed her on the cheek.
then she found the anemone, and has sicne ignored him except to chase him to the other side of the tank. I havent seen any submissive behavoir from him in the last few days but he does run from her.

yesterday she swam out of the anemone to the other side of the tank just to chase him. today she deosnt want to leave the anemone and has even brought it food!

I can see his fins(mainly his tail and the fin above his tail) are missing some small pieces, its worse today than it was yesterday, but I have two damsel fish in there that I think are picking on him too. they are larger than he is. (I have been trying to catch them but they are pretty smart!)

I'm wondering if she has rejected him now, or if they are just bickering and will eventuialy pair up. Also, how long should I leave him in before I call it quits ?

Thankyou !!