Adding a second clown?

[agent6473]

I have an ocellaris that is about 2 years old at this point. I thought that if I got a very small ocellaris that it might pair with it, but when I added the second clown, the established one attacked it. Is this just an initial reaction? Can these clowns learn to live together?

Chris

 

[~Flighty~]

That is pretty common. The ocellaris is about the easiest to pair, but it can still be tough for the juvi while the female shows him who's boss. If he is getting really beat up where you fear for his safety, try doing three juvis and the aggression will be spread out a bit while she chooses her mate. You'll have to remove two eventually, but it is pretty easy to sell healthy young clowns who have been tanked for a while.

One word of caution though. Clowns are notorious for carrying disease. you really need to QT any new additions first to protect your female. If you didn't with the new little guy, keep an eye on them and maybe start training them to come to a container for food just in case you need to catch them for a hospital tank.

 

[Mini4x]

Is 'she' biting him and stuff, I just did this also and 'she' chased 'him' around for a few days, now they get along but haven't really paired off. My older ocellaris does this to just about every fish I put in though. Normal pecking order establishment. As long as she doesn't seem to be actually hurting the juvi then let them adjust.

 

[this is me]

perfectly normal.
This is how I paired up my maroon clown a couple years ago. It helps if their a host. But the established clowned still attack the new clown in the container like a missle. I didnt release the new clown until like 3 nights later. The clowns now host in a tree leather coral. The anemone was removed when I convert my tank into sps and clams.

 

[Mini4x]

I'd like to get mine paired off and hosting together.. but the juvi isn't having it yet.. only been about 2 weeks.

 

[~Flighty~]

Maroons are about the hardest to pair. Sometimes the female flat out kills anything clownish that gets near the tank even with extended intro periods.

 

[mloebl]

I have an ocellaris that is about 2 years old at this point. I thought that if I got a very small ocellaris that it might pair with it, but when I added the second clown, the established one attacked it. Is this just an initial reaction? Can these clowns learn to live together?

Chris

I had a pair where I lost the female. After 6mos the old male grew up to become a female, I decided to add another small ocellaris that was barely a 1/3 of her size. Took about a mos or so and they are now inseperable. He got his fins nipped a few times, but nothing bad. The funniest thing she used to do was grab his whole tail in her mouth, and spin him around and around and then let go and send him flying.

-Mike

 

[Mini4x]

I'd like to get mine paired off and hosting together.. but the juvi isn't having it yet.. only been about 2 weeks.

Update.. they are doing good, the new one is even hanging out in the bta now, I guess thats progress.