What should I do with these clowns?

[yamaha racer]

I have 3 clown fish. One is about 2-3 years old true perc. Super nice and doesn't bother any other fish. I have another black and white true perc that is maybe 1" long (6months-1year I'm guessing) and is super shy and gets beat up my my other true perc that is the same size and same age as the black and white. I got them at the same time from Neptune out of there anemone tank, they were just babies. The little true perc has now started going after the big perc and the black and white. The big perc doesn't seem to care at all but the poor little black and white just doesn't get a break.
I know it's a dominance thing and part of there pecking order but I believe the 2 smaller ones are to young for sexual maturity. The small perc has been dominating the black and white since they were 1/2" and could fit through my overflow and before the big perc was ever introduced.
What should I do with the little guy? Banish him to my sump? They are my wife's clownfish so I can't get rid of them. The big perc is going back into its own tank in a couple weeks as well. Should I put the mean guy in the sump and let the black and white establish some dominance before i put the big guy back to his own tank?
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Dano

 

[xCry0x]

They start establishing hierarchy right away as soon as it is a group of 2 fish - in my experience.

I paired clowns twice and both times it was within a week that one started being aggressive and the other would be submissive.

I don't see a reason to separate them temporarily - if you plan to have them in the tank together you need to let them do their thing. A week long time out won't change their disposition.

 

[Meshmez]

I can tell you what worked for me, though I don't know that this will work for your situation.

I had 2 true percs for about 4 years until one decided to go flying and ended up on the floor. The one I had left is the female and is about 2". A few months later I got an Ocellaris that is under 1". I wasn't sure how it would go but decided to try it. As soon as the Ocellaris was added to the tank, the perc went after it HARD. grabbed it by the fins and dragged it to the bottom of the tank, thrashed it around. hoped it was just a dominance thing so i decided to check back in an hour. the Ocellaris was hiding up in a corner of the tank.

I decided to pull the perc out and put her in the sump for the night. The next day, I ended up putting the perc back in the display, and they were totally fine, and I see hardly any aggression. They swim together like the old pair did. My best guess is it was enough time for the Ocellaris to settle in and the perc to forget its territory. Like i said, i dont know that this will work for you, but its what worked for me.

also, 3 clownfish are generally not recommended, maybe the 2 small ones are competing to be the mate for the large.

 

[yamaha racer]

I can tell you what worked for me, though I don't know that this will work for your situation.

I had 2 true percs for about 4 years until one decided to go flying and ended up on the floor. The one I had left is the female and is about 2". A few months later I got an Ocellaris that is under 1". I wasn't sure how it would go but decided to try it. As soon as the Ocellaris was added to the tank, the perc went after it HARD. grabbed it by the fins and dragged it to the bottom of the tank, thrashed it around. hoped it was just a dominance thing so i decided to check back in an hour. the Ocellaris was hiding up in a corner of the tank.

I decided to pull the perc out and put her in the sump for the night. The next day, I ended up putting the perc back in the display, and they were totally fine, and I see hardly any aggression. They swim together like the old pair did. My best guess is it was enough time for the Ocellaris to settle in and the perc to forget its territory. Like i said, i dont know that this will work for you, but its what worked for me.

also, 3 clownfish are generally not recommended, maybe the 2 small ones are competing to be the mate for the large.

The large one was put in within the last week, it's temporary but the little one goes after him as well.

The 2 small ones have been in there since the tank was first established and the perc would always go after the black and white. I understand a couple weeks, maybe a month but it's been about 4-6 months and he still harasses the black and white. It's not just chasing him and cornering him, it's biting him. The poor guy stays in one spot of the tank and doesn't leave it.

 

[D-Nak]

As others have mentioned, it's not recommended to have more than 2 clownfish. As you suspected, one of the smaller clowns is trying to assert its dominance. I suspect that the largest clown is already a female. The two smaller clowns will probably continue to fight, which usually ends in the death of one of the fish unless it's removed. The personality and temperament of each clownfish varies a lot, and three clowns could feasibly live together, but most advise to err on the side of caution.

 

[D-Nak]

The large one was put in within the last week, it's temporary but the little one goes after him as well.

The 2 small ones have been in there since the tank was first established and the perc would always go after the black and white. I understand a couple weeks, maybe a month but it's been about 4-6 months and he still harasses the black and white. It's not just chasing him and cornering him, it's biting him. The poor guy stays in one spot of the tank and doesn't leave it.

IME the black and white clownfish (which are ocellaris, not percula) tend to be a lot meaner than other clowns of the ocellaris/percula variety, so what you're experiencing is a little different. It could be that the aggressor has already asserted dominance and has started to turn into the female. Assuming the largest clown is also a female, those two fish will continue to fight.