clown mated pair question

[Smonkey15]

i want to buy a mated pair of maroon clowns but all the lfs have maroon clowns seperate. i'm wondering how small they have to be to where i can put them together and they will become a mated pair. most of the ones i have seen are around 2 inches or a little more. are they still young enough to where if i put them together they would become a mated pair?
steve

 

[steve-s]

The problem with maroons is they can be very nasty and when trying to pair them it is best to get them when still 1" or so. As they get larger it is much harder to do. If you find two small ones, it would be much more likely but >2", I would not attempt it. Escpecially since they are currently kept in seperate tanks.

Sometimes it is possible to pair them when one is much smaller than the other and is easier with most species of clown but with a maroon, this is still a risk IMO.

Cheers
Steve

 

[jamal-188]

So you don't need to buy them as a mated pair? I"m looking at getting a mated pair of Ocellaris, so I would just buy 2 of the smalled I could find. I read that most are born as female and convert to male as needed so is that what would happen?

 

[steve-s]

Actually, clowns are born neuter and as the "pecking order" is established, the largest will become female and the other will become male.

In the wild, some species (ocellearis included) congregate in groups. The largest will again be the female, the next largest will be the male and the rest will remain neuter as long as they stay within that particular social group. When the female dies, the male will move up to become the new female and the largest of the neuters will then become the new male.

With most species of clown, if you can still buy them while quite small, there is a much better chance they are still sexually immature and there will be a much greater chance of bonding and less of a chance they will kill each other. If there is already an established clown in the tank, adding a possible mate becomes much more difficult and is best to ensure the new arrival is less than ½ the size of the current clown. This will help ensure the new clown is not seen as a threat and will not already be a female.

When purchasing the ocellaris you want, I would look for TR if possible and as close to 1" in size. That should greatly improve your success.

Cheers
Steve