maroon clown pair

[Smonkey15]

anybody have a pair of maroon gold stripe clowns? i really want to get a pair soon but i talked to my lfs and they said that that is really hard to come by. is it more possible to get a pair if i order from someone online? thanks

 

[reefrunner69]

airs are available, but the easiest way is to get a couple of very small captive bred maroons and add them to the tank, as they grow they wll become paired and one will outgrow and out bully the other and become the female, the smaller will become the male.

 

[afilter]

Steve,

Kevin is right on. I lucked out and found two sharing a tank at my lfs. From what I observed over a few visits they seemed to be displaying the behavior of a pair forming. Against the advice of others I grabbed them at a great price. 5 weeks later I am happy to report they seemed to have formed a solid pair. One is slightly larger(female) and bullys the other a little, but the smaller (male) never tries to hide and they are never to far from one another for very long.

Of all the clowns, I find the maroon most interesting. Another LFS has an adult (6-7") in a display tank and it is always out and very responsive. Just be aware that as they mature they are known for being very aggressive, so be careful in what order you put them in your tank.

From what I have read and observed I think your best bet is to start with juvenals as Kevin suggested. I have seen multiple juvenals in one tank at the lfs before, but never more than a pair of adults together. If you have the ability and the price is right you could even think about getting 3 or more if you have someplace you could eventually move the odd man out.

Good luck,