Will they pair?

[tbrock]

I have had two false percula clowns together for a little over a week. I had a smaller one for about a week before i got a bigger one. i figured since one was bigger, it would quickly become more dominant than the samller one and become the female and they would pair. they have been fighting a little, especially when i feed them, so i think they are pairing. but they spent today on seperate sides of the tank, completely ignoring each other. they sleep in the same spot, but now if the little one gets too close to the big one, he is chased away. Is this just part of the pairing process, or is there a chance they wont pair up?

[SoylentGrundy]

I'd just keep watching them. I bet they'll get used to each other with time. How big is the tank?

[ZoozFishMaster]

They should pair eventually. I believe clownfish reach maturity at about 12 months old. If one or both of the clowns are still juvenile (neuter), then they will not pair. Once they reach sexual maturity, the dominant clown will become female and the other will become male. You will know when they are paired because they will become inseparable!

[tbrock]

my smaller clown is juvenile, and the bigger one is pretty young too, but not as small. i thought buying juvenile clowns was the best way to get them to pair. is that wrong?

[Fluff]

No, you are right. Give them some more time.

[sirfishmaster]

how do you tell the difference between male and female?


doug

[Fluff]

The female will get larger.

[sirfishmaster]

Originally Posted by Fluff

The female will get larger.

huh??? i am in no way educated enough to understand that....so if i dump 2 in a tank and they both grow same size then they are male or female?



doug

[BDAWG]

They will go through a pairing process. The more dominant one becomes the female, who grows larger than the male.

[Fluff]

If you have two small clowns, chances are they are both males. One will change sexes and become female after some time. She will also grow bigger than the other. If you already have a somewhat large clown and want a pair, then you need to add a smaller(male) clown. Your odds are better to get a pair this way. Nothing is guaranteed though. Just because you have a pair, doesn't mean they are gonna like each other. I hope this makes sense and if I'm wrong, someone please correct me but this is the way it was taught to me.

[ZoozFishMaster]

Clownfish live within social units. The female is the largest, most dominant clown within the group. The male is the second largest and the second most dominant clown within the group. The rest of the clowns remain adolescent (neuter) without the ability to reproduce.
Clownfish larvae undergo metamorphosis at about 3/8" in length. This is when they become juveniles and must acclimate to an anemone to avoid predation. If the juvenile finds a vacant anemone, then it will start it own reproductive unit after reaching sexual maturity. If the juvenile is unfortunate enough to settle into an anemone that is already occupied, it will take a role as the lowest clownfish in the unit. It will never reach sexual maturity until it is able to work its way up to male (usually the exisiting female must die for this to occur). Some clownfish will go through life without ever being able to reproduce because of this reason.
Size is a good indication of a female if two or more clowns are being kept in the same tank. However, size is not always accurate especially if looking at clownfish from different tanks.
I believe all clowns of the amphiprion genus will pair relatively easily. The Maroon clown (premnas genus) is a lot harder to pair. Just give it time. HTH