Sex of True Percula?

[lewismw]

My father in law was getting rid of his tank, so i saved his amphiprion percula and added it to my tank...
I was looking to get him/her a mate and host anemone.
My Question is how to select a mate? I have read where they will change sex in certain circumstances..... so is there a way to ID the sex?
thanks !

 

[mikelee35]

There is no way of sexing a clownfish, if the clownfish has been the only clownfish in the tank for a while (more than a few months) more than likely it has turned female, your safest bet is to just buy a smaller clownfish that hasn't reached maturity yet and it will have the highest likely hood of pairing up with yours

 

[FTDelta]

Make sure it's a Percula Clown, not an Ocelleris Clown.

 

[FTDelta]

Make sure it's a Percula Clown, not an Ocelleris Clown. Clownfish don't need an anemone to host to survive. They're known to host frogspawn, torch, hammer, even a hairy mushroom.

 

[lewismw]

awesome thanks !
I know they dont need an anemone but i am sure they would love it !
I am looking at getting a Heteractis magnifica

 

[Tmoriarty]

Thats a hard to keep anemone, if you decide to get one read up on them first, they are bad shippers and hard to find healthy in the first place.

As for the Percula, it does not truely matter if you pair it with an ocellaris or a percula, as long as the new addition is either male or juvenile they can pair up.

Your best bet is to go to a LFS and just buy the smaller of a pair, as long as he is with a larger clown he will not have turned into a female. Your clown may or may not take right to the new mate but that is impossible to know, some pair up easy, others give you a little harder of a time. Best of luck.

 

[lewismw]

ok great - thanks Tmoriarty i think i will get a Stichodactyla haddoni instead of the magnifica .

 

[shifty51008]

Make sure it's a Percula Clown, not an Ocelleris Clown.

what would be the reason if he got the other type? percs and occy's will be fine together.

 

[garygb]

Not to be a downer, but S. haddoni is not a natural host for percula. It may choose the anemone, but haddoni have been known to eat clownfish. Magnifica and gigantea would be natural hosts, but they are difficult. An easier host anemone would be a bulb tip anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor. They aren't a natural host, but often percs will eventually find them.

 

[lewismw]

ok well i was concerned about the e. quadricolor not being a natural host.... but then i hear of good success...bu then i hear the same about the S. haddon...
but i guess even getting a clown pair is a gamble too though huh??? :hammer:

 

[searle832003]

no not realy, when you introduce another clown they will fight for a few minutes. at this point the sex is determined, the larger one becomes the female and the smaller one the male.