Clownfish Wars - Conflicting Advice

[lgarvey]

Hi,

I got another clownfish to accompany the other clown, and I asked at the LFS if they would be compatible and also selected the smallest clown I could find. Turns out, they just keep fighting. They go through periods of seeming to accept each other and swimming about together, then the original clown turns demonic and starts chasing and attacking the new occupant.

Doing an internet search I'm coming across wildly conflicting advice that falls into 3 categories: -

1. they're just establishing pecking order and it'll be over in a day or so
2. the more dominant fish has outright rejected the other fish and they need to be separated before one fish gets killed
3. you shoulnd't try to house more than one clownfish unless they are selected together from the same group

I have assumed that 2. is the real situation and have separated the smaller clownfish, to save it getting chewed to pieces. They're both very juvenile, but there isn't a huge size difference between the two, despite trying to get a much smaller fish. If I have to return this nemo, the current tank nemo is not having another clownfish friend.

Another thing, the clownfish i orinally bought is extremely vibrant in colour compared to any other occelaris / percula fish I have seen in other LFS. Allegedly the fish have a washed out colour through generations of captive breeding. Could this mean I have inadvertently bought a wild clownfish? If so, it may explain the extreme hyperactivity as it paces around the tank like a mad man.

I plan to return teh fish to the LFS tomorrow. What do you guys think?

Cheers,
L

 

[-Nemo-]

Ocellaris are usually more accepting to new partners than other clownfish species.
A few details are missing.

How long have they been together?
Approximate size of them?

Post pictures of them if you can. Some ocell. can be very vibrant, especially if feed foods containing natural pigments. These pigments greatly enhance their color (I use it, myself).

 

[lgarvey]

Ocellaris are usually more accepting to new partners than other clownfish species.
A few details are missing.

How long have they been together?
Approximate size of them?

Post pictures of them if you can. Some ocell. can be very vibrant, especially if feed foods containing natural pigments. These pigments greatly enhance their color (I use it, myself).

Hi, don't have time to take pictures now. They have only been together since yesterday afternoon. Size - just over an inch, perhaps. They're in a 45L tank with a firefish.

I have a video of the original fish on photobucket -



The other fish looks pretty much the same but is maybe 3-4 mmm shorter and a bit duller. He's now sat in a separate tank. He appears to be submissive and kind of panders to the other clownfish, etc. but sometimes the bigger clown just goes ape and attacks the little one. I removed the smaller clown because his left fin was clamped. I was worried it had been torn off at first. But, they seem to be alright for a period of time, kind of swiming together then the bigger clown, on a whim, launches a full scale assault on its companion.

 

[Crazy fishes]

Nature is what this is.... How long does these assaults last and do they end spontaneously? Sometimes when pecking order is being established they really do fight and it is natural to be concerned and separate them. However I feel that if they were together for approximately a day you were a little premature in separating them. It seems from what you were describing that these were intermittent attacks which sounds like a clown ascerting dominance. Provided the attacks aren't constant and no real injury is come to either party then leave them together. It may take a week or two at the extremes but once a partnership is established it is life long.

Hope this helps

Joe

 

[lgarvey]

Nature is what this is.... How long does these assaults last and do they end spontaneously? Sometimes when pecking order is being established they really do fight and it is natural to be concerned and separate them. However I feel that if they were together for approximately a day you were a little premature in separating them. It seems from what you were describing that these were intermittent attacks which sounds like a clown ascerting dominance. Provided the attacks aren't constant and no real injury is come to either party then leave them together. It may take a week or two at the extremes but once a partnership is established it is life long.

Hope this helps

Joe

Hey Joe,

That's really helpful advice. And on that basis, I have returned the smaller male to the tank to see how it fairs. The attacks last a few minutes and usually end with the small fish hiding for a bit. But the last few attacks I saw, were vicious. I have seen the bigger fish chasing the fish, biting it on the tail, biting its fins etc. Maybe it just wants a complete submission?

I'll see how it fairs anyway. I'll post back tomorrow.

Cheers,
L

 

[robincushing]

i too had this same problem, my female killed her mate and killed the new one i got, ive since decided to leave her on her own as she is not going to kill another bunch of notes from my pocket.

appeas they just dont like getting on with new fish after being paired.
sad.

 

[lgarvey]

whoa... it's 3:30am, and I just got back home from hot date, to find I'd accidently left the tank lights on (the timer override was switched so they were permanently on), and to find the two clownfish "shimmying" together in complete harmony. What's amazing, the dominant fish is swimming up next to the smaller fish and doing the synchronised clownfish dance. I've only watched them for a few minutes, so it's still early days, but this may be signaling acceptance.

I was going to return the fish today, after further chasing / attacking but decided to wait it out awhile longer. Looks like waiting it out may pay off in the end.

One clown was going to be exchanged for an orchid dottyback, but it's now looking like the OD will have to wait 'till my upgrade! *grins*

 

[-Nemo-]

That's great to hear
It works out in most cases with Occel. Clowns.

The reactions I get from people when I tell them that the "beating" is normal behavior is so humorous sometimes. I would suspect she will still beat on him a little for the next week. He'll probably step out of line a few times

My male isn't allowed to leave a 5 cubic inch area... Ah how the fish world is lovely.