when to move juvenile clowns from breeder to main tank?

[fishforu]

I purchased two juvenile Picasso clowns last week, one about one inch and the other one and a quarter inch long.

They are currently in separate breeder nets hanging in the main tank. I separated them because the larger picked on the smaller.

Feeding them mysis and cyclopeeze. However, they are finicky eaters.

My tank is a 30 gallons cube with a Potters angel and Yasha goby.

I want their appetite to improve before releasing them to the tank, but should I also wait until they grow larger? If yes, what is the best size?

Lastly, is housing them in a breeder for a long period to wait for them to grow larger detrimental to their health?

Thanks.

 

[Fig]

They are just fighting for dominance. After a bit, one will finally submit to the other and end up being the male. He will be the smaller of the two from then on. I would get them eating well on your foods and then release together, to duke it out so to speak. New Life Spectrum pellets i highly recommend to get them fat and happy along with your other fish.

 

[AquaReeferMan]

Remove them from the breeder nets and allow them to pair up. Like stated above, the fighting is common with every clownfish pair. The more dominant one will become a female and the less dominant/submissive clown will become a male. There is really no need to keep them in the breeder nets. I wouldnt eat if I was stuck stressing out in some little net...

p.s. I love your fish list.

 

[fishforu]

Thanks Fig and AquaReeferMan for your inputs and compliment.

Initially, I fed them New Life Spectrum Small Fish pellets, but they didn't take it.
So now that their appetite is improving with mysis and cyclopeeze, I plan on including NLS pellets on the menu next week.

Now I will release the clowns to the main tank once they have a hearty appetite.

Btw, my plan is to add a midas blenny when the clowns are bigger and trying to find another active colorful fish to add, maybe a black cap basslet.

I run bio-pellets so I think the eventual six fish bio-load is okay.

Thanks.

 

[JerseyClowns]

How are the clowns doing?

 

[fishforu]

The small clown's appetite is growing, eating mysis, cyclop eeze, and Rod's Food, but not New Life Spectrum pellets.

The large clown is eating cyclop eeze and minute mysis if any. Does not eat NLS pellets and Rod's Food. However, its colors are developing, with more black on its fins, tail, and body. Also, white has developed on its spinal dorsal fin. I"m hoping its appetite will grow and more willingly accept all the other food other than cyclop eeze. I've tried adding garlic to the food with not luck.

Thanks for you interest.

 

[8220]

A way to ween them into eating pellets could be to soak the pellets with the frozen food (I gather from the text you feed frozen food) Then the pellets will smell like and taste like the frozen food.

Works for me

Good luck with them

 

[fishforu]

I've fed pellets with the food I feed them with and without garlic, but no luck.

I'll try your way.

Thanks for the idea.