Pairing maroons Q

[miniwhinny]

I have a small (inch to inch and a 1/4) maroon. "It's" been in my tank for a couple of weeks. It's a GSM but it's stripes are still white.

Q 1) Will it have become female already even though it's obviously still young / a juvenile.

Q 2) If it could have developed a sex already what's my best bet to pair her. Should I buy the smallest maroon I can find or should I make sure I buy one that's in with others.

Q 3) Can a clown that has become a female change back to a male?

Thanks.

 

[kimsie]

Hi MinniWhinny!!!

I'll try to answer your questions based on what I've read and my GSM pair...

1. Hard to say really - it depends on who it was grouped with before it got to you...

2. If it were me - I'd do as you said and get the smallest one you can find and try that. You may have to introduce it in a strawberry basket though or some type of 'haven' so that the smaller one can escape the larger one if need be.

3. No - once a clownfish has become female - it can not become male. In the wild - when a group of juveniles are together - 2 will pair off with the much more aggressive becoming the female. If the female dies - the male can then become female and another juvenile can become male - but not the other way around...

 

[miniwhinny]

Thanks Kimsie...I value your opinion knowing your experience with maroons. My LFS is getting another ORA delivery in a couple of weeks so I'll try to get the smallest one I can find.