Pairing two adult maroon clowns

[drummerboyevil]

I think I know the answer to this, and it is no., but I am asking anyway.

I have a 12-year-old gold striped maroon clown that is paired to a rose bubble tip anemone. I just acquired a new tank, which has a roughly 3 year old gold stripe maroon clown who has been alone for a couple years.

My 12-year-old is around 3.5 to 4 inches and this new one is around 2 to 2 1/2 inches. I'm fairly certain that my 12-year-old is a female because it used to be paired and when the original female died it grew pretty rapidly.

Would it be possible for these two to pair if they are both female even though there is a size difference, or should I just cut my losses InCell my 12-year-old with its anemone. I'm not really able to get to the new clown fish in the tank, but I can certainly get to my 12-year-old with and now many as it is in a holding tank at the moment.




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[tonysi]

I wouldn't chance it, possibility is that the new one is already a female, and your 12 year old female will tear it up.

 

[ThRoewer]

I would give it a try. You can leave one in a bag or specimen container to see how they react towards each other.

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[Winwood]

I'm with ThRoewer. The fact that the new one is still relatively small may mean it never transitioned to female. Clowns without a mate don't necessarily transition to female automatically.

 

[ThRoewer]

... Clowns without a mate don't necessarily transition to female automatically.

This

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[drummerboyevil]

Decided to give it a good ol college try. Here's the smaller one bagged next to the old girl.

Not too much drama, occasionally attacking each other through the bag

https://youtu.be/cfZeWDfYRAo


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[drummerboyevil]

Well they stopped fighting through the acclimation box that I had the new on in, so I figured it was good to try.

She was very aggressive and he did what I read he should do... turned his side to her attacks and "kissed" her pectoral fin. She tore one of his fins up and chased him off to the other side of the tank where he is currently hiding and she is sitting in her anemone.

 

[jah hoeva]

Man I would love some Maroons.

 

[ThRoewer]

This kind of aggression was likely to happen if the smaller is added to the larger.
Ideally you add the larger to the smaller ones tank. If that isn't possible, pair them up in a neutral tank - a10 gallon with an eggcrate divider will do.
Another option is to remove the larger and house it in an acclimatization box while the smaller settles in to the tank. A week or two may do.

 

[Mad Marine]

I you could put the larger one to some sort of housing (fish trap) within the current tank, then add the smaller one into the anemone. Leave the big one in the trap for 7 days and then release back into the tank. There may be some initial aggression but my guess is that the smaller one will start quivering (giving into the larger female's dominance) and all should be okay. That's what I've done in the past and it has worked.

 

[Fish Friend]

Awww they look incredibly cute

 

[drummerboyevil]

Had to pull the male. She was chasing him and tearing up his find really badly.


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[LargeAngels]

Like others said. If you want to pair pull female and allow male to heal and settle. Then introduce female. Preferably in a container first.

I was at an LFS a few months back and someone had traded in a big female GSM, which I couldn't pass on. They also had a small male they just got in with a shipment. I put them in QT together and two months later in one of the community tanks they started laying eggs.

 

[drummerboyevil]

I'll try to add her to the tank he is in in a week or so. I'll add her inside an acclimation box. Question is should I put the anemone in the tank with him before trying to add her?


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[LargeAngels]

It will be fine without one but it's. not a bad idea to add a clay pot for them to hang out in.

 

[ThRoewer]

It will be fine without one but it's. not a bad idea to add a clay pot for them to hang out in.

I would make that 2 pots and leave a divider in the tank for at least a week or two so they can get used to each other without being able to fight.

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[pfan151]

IME anemones make the introductions even harder if one is already established and has claimed the anemone. They are so protective of their anemone they won't allow anything close. I just recently was trying to pair up an adult established onyx to a younger one and she attacked him relentlessly until I removed the anemone. Now they are fine. Hopefully they stay that way after I reintroduce the anemone.

 

[OrionN]

The best way to pair a pair of Maroon clown is keeping the smaller male in a restrict area in the tank, where the pair can see each other but the female cannot beat up the male. You may need to do this for weeks. Once they see each other for weeks (2+ weeks, one or two days will not be enough) then you can let the male out.

You need to give the larger fish all the advantage so that the smaller one capitulate quickly. Definitely I would not put the dominant fish in a box and let the smaller fish the run of the tank. This would make it harder for them to pair up.

Actually having an anemone will make it easier because the female will not chase the male too hard once he is out of the anemone.