Pairing Maroon Clowns??

[caesar5000]

I have been trying to pair 2 juvenile maroon clowns. I wanted to watch them grow so I got 2 juveniles one being about 1/4 inch bigger then the other. The larger one immediately started hosting my RBTA and wouldn't let the small one near it. The small one took a beating the first few nights but during the day everyone kept the peace so I never separated them. It's been about a month since there has been any fin damage and the smaller one has slowly worked his way into the RBTA at night, but there is still no tandem swimming and they stay 6-8 inches away from each other during the day with the larger "female" staying in the RBTA and only coming out to feed.

So my questions are: Am I over the hump and will they be a mated pair soon? Do the maroons act like the Ocellaris when paired?

Here is a photo of them at night

 

[shifty51008]

From my understanding maroons are much diffrent to pair up than occ or others, you want to have 1 maroon much bigger than the other so that the little one will give in right away or they will kill each other trying to figure out domanice.

 

[HumbleFish]

Are they both really as dark as the pic makes them appear?

IME, juv & males stay light - females get big & turn dark. Here is a pic of my goldstripe pair so you'll see what I mean.

 

[caesar5000]

Are they both really as dark as the pic makes them appear?

IME, juv & males stay light - females get big & turn dark. Here is a pic of my goldstripe pair so you'll see what I mean.

This photo was taken under moonlighting with a flash. My larger maroon is the lighter of the two she is about 2 inches long now she has grown a half inch in just the last couple weeks where the darker and smaller one hasn't grown at all

Now if they were still trying to sort out dominance they would still be fighting right?

 

[HumbleFish]

This photo was taken under moonlighting with a flash. My larger maroon is the lighter of the two she is about 2 inches long now she has grown a half inch in just the last couple weeks where the darker and smaller one hasn't grown at all

Now if they were still trying to sort out dominance they would still be fighting right?

Sounds like you've sorta got an unusual situation going on there. I would just let them be for now and see what happens. Sometimes these things just work themselves out. But if they start fighting again, I would take one out and see if you can't make a swap with your LFS.

 

[BengalReefer]

Do you see any submissive wiggling? Mine are still getting to know each other, they hang out most of the time, though the female still mostly hogs their current anemone. She doesn't beat up on him, but still ocassionally makes a half hearted nip just to get him to wiggle.

From what I've read/heard the maroons don't stick together as completely and closely as ocellaris... They will stay near each other, but still wander a bit and not "heel" (I imagine the gentlemen like to give the lady a bit of space, don't want to annoy her too much and risk her temper )

 

[BengalReefer]

The male usually sticks within 6" of her. The anemone is on the smaller side so he usually just hangs out on the edges while she enjoys it.

While true that the males stay lighter in color and the females, as they grow larger, get darker, there is still quite a variation in their color. Some start really light while others begin their lives already quite dark.

 

[caesar5000]

I do see the submissive wiggle from the smaller darker fish but only when the female asserts her dominance. Very nice photo BengalReefer buy the sounds we are pretty much at the same point.

HumbleFish What makes you say I have a unusual situation going on?