when do clown fish sex?

[magnaflow]

hey just wondering I had a breeding pari of ocelarris and one of them died when I moved. The female. I got another juvi in there wonder how logn it take for them to sex. The older one is bigger so I know he goes female but just wondering how long this take? if anyone knows.
thanks

 

[steve-s]

Depends how "old" the new one is. Most likely it's only a month or two so it will be a few more months (5-6) before you see any actuall mating occur. They will however exhibit some bonding behavior.

Cheers
Steve

 

[magnaflow]

awsome thanks. I only have 2 in there now should I add 3 just to be sure a pair is made or no?

 

[steve-s]

Not unless you have a rather large (long) tank. Best to keep only 2 otherwise one could end up the "fifth wheel" so to speak and the ones that pair up may kill the third.

Cheers
Steve

 

[JeridJohnson]

I just purchased a pair of true perculas for my tank.. So if I read this right the larger one is the female and the smaller is the male? I havent researched pairs so if that is a stupid question you now know why

 

[steve-s]

The larger will usually be the female yes. If both are added as small juvi's then it's a guarantee. If one is added afterwards to pair up with an existing clown, the solo will almost always be female so be sure the newly added one is about 1". Never add a clown of the same or larger size. Once a clown has changed to female, there's no going back.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ace1uno_00]

I have a pair of them.
How do i know when they are "paired" up one is slightly bigger but, not by much. could it be possible i bought two females?

thanks

 

[steve-s]

It would really depend on their sizes. I would assume that if newly purchased they would be about 1-1½" in length with minimal girth? If so, both could still be nueter or if slightly larger male. If either is closer to 2", then you may have at least one female. If both where female, you would know quite quickly. They would try to kill each other.

Pairing will happen almost all of the time, especially if they are still immature but really depends on the species of clown. It's only once they have matured to far (1½-2") and placed together that it is a risky venture. Bonding behavior will look like short lived spats, squabbling without injury, chasing, one or both will shake violently and so on. You won't know if they are a mating pair until they lay eggs.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ace1uno_00]

ok great. i will keep that in mind. unforunately one was killed so i guess they were both Female.
Should i consider purchasing another one that is small?
or is it too risky. and they are False Perculas BTW.

 

[steve-s]

Sorry for your loss

A. ocellaris is usually quite easy to pair, you do really need to be sure on how you introduce a new "partner" though. You definately want to ensure the new addition is much much smaller than the incumbant. Ideally a fish about 1" or less. This will help ensure the incumbant does not feel threatend and pretty much eliminate the chances of introducing a second female.

How big is the remaining clown?

Cheers
Steve

 

[oyf709]

forcing them to pair up always a tricky part. I found that sometimes if u give them a little bit of a push, they kind of pair up really fast. Try remove them to a smaller tank or refugium, they will get a little be stressed, but u might found that after a bit they start to hang out together.My guess is when they get scared they will look for similar looking buddy to stay with which they think its the safe way.
BTW, yes u need to choose a really small one then a huge one compare to the small one.

 

[ace1uno_00]

The one i have that survived is almost two inches.
i guess i will try to find one that is less than a inch. would that be a safe partner?

 

[cmor1701d]

As Steve-s has already stated, getting a new one that is about 1" would insure it is a juvenile. That SHOULD be a safe partner to add. There are no guarantees.

You should watch for signs of aggression and remove the aggressor to a QT tank for a few days and then re-introduce it to the main tank again. That sometimes helps.