Splitting up two pairs (Clown question)

[fearyaks]

Hi there, I read the Clown Pairing FAQ and tried searching for a similar topic but without much luck.

Question: (assuming similar sizes), If I have two pairs of Clownfish (say Aa and Bb) where A and B are female, could I conceivably split the pair so I have an Ab pair? Would this have a negative outcome or would the 'new' male know his place as a male or would he test the waters a bit?

Thanks very much in advance!

 

[geckoejon]

you haven't found any solid info for pairing up clowns, because there isn't any. lol it all depends on the individual clowns. they could get along, or they could fight. there are tips to increase the chances such as going with ones that are already paired up, or going with a larger and a smaller one. there are no guarantees though.

i have a 3 inch female blacker ice that i tried pairing up with 1" males. she rejected the first 2 to the point of biting fins and accepted the 3rd like they were long lost friends. lol

i have more issues with clowns then with any other fish in my tanks. i finally have 2 bonded pair and a single female. that is in 3 different tanks. if it wasn't for their relationship with nems, i wouldn't have any. they can be such a pita, imo

 

[edinphilly]

Agreed on it being hard to predict. My current occ pair the male was a crazy juvenile and killed his pair. Then I gave him another juv which ended up being the female despite being docile. He just submitted. I didn't see it playing out that way but it did and they're fine now.

 

[fearyaks]

Thanks for the feedback. I ended up not splitting two pairs but instead bought a larger (~ 2inches) and a smaller (<1 inch). I'll update this thread if I find anything interesting.