Pink skunk and black ocellaris, different enough for same tank cohabitation?

[sonofgaladriel]

Would a pair of large pink skunk clowns be different enough in appearance from my black/white ocellaris that they could be added to my 240?
I found a beautiful, large adult pair of wild bright pink skunk clowns at a LFS. They are very nice specimens, easily 3 1/2" and 3" long. Just perfect. I'd love to have them and put them on hold for a few days.
I have many rose BTAs, a new Ritteri/magnifica, and a new purple LTA that the pinks could host in without 'battling' the ocellaris for one of their established nems, currently a red haddoni.
I know that mixing clowns is generally frowned upon, but this is a fairly large tank with lots of visual barriers and host anemones for both pairs.
Thoughts?

 

[Flighty]

I think you could do it because of the hadoni and magnifica. Be sure to do a QT on the skunks though. Also, are you pretty sure the skunks are a pair? I have seen many stores get "pairs" of skunks which are just any two skunks thrown together and shipped sometimes two females. You should be able to tell by their interaction.

In my experience, pink skunks can go straight into a magnifica with no acclimation period which should help preventing them from going into the other clown's territory. Just put the container they are in over the tentacles and they should dive right in.

 

[sonofgaladriel]

Thanks Flighty. I'm pretty sure they are a pair. I have watched them in the store's tank for two weeks now and they are always together and are so mature and large that they just 'look' like they belong together too. The larger one definately appears to be the dominant female and the slightly smaller one the somewhat submissive male.
If the general concensus is that this will be okay, I'll probably bring them home during the weekend, giving the Ritteri/Magnifica some more time to settle in as well. I've only had it a bit over a week now.
Thanks again for the input.

 

[Flighty]

I think magnificas settle in and recover much better with clowns unlike most anemones, but really do the QT. I only stress that because I recently lost a beautiful pink skunk to amyloodinium after three weeks of QT. The fish was so nice and healthy looking that I had almost skipped the qt, but thank goodness I didn't. The symptoms only first showed a day before the clown was completely overcome.

Anyway, off my soapbox

Didn't Galadriel only have a daughter? (I'm such a dork )

 

[bencozzy]

its more about the individual clowns. i just paired a black oc with a WSM without any problems.(even though i was told the WSM killed her original mate, which was another WSM)

i believe keeping non paired clowns together should be a very real possiblity and that hybridization out side of the clowns complex is also quite possible.

i have also kept a large clark with a small GSM and they never even noticed each other.(i was hoping theyd pair up)

 

[OrionN]

If you have the LTA far from the Magnifica, there should be no problem.

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8420772#post8420772 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sonofgaladriel
...I'm pretty sure they are a pair.....

FWIW: In most cases the breeding male in a pink skunk pair will have a faint red border around its tail fin.

 

[sonofgaladriel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8422403#post8422403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
FWIW: In most cases the breeding male in a pink skunk pair will have a faint red border around its tail fin.

Thanks Phil. I'll look for that red border tomorrow when I go back to check them out.