chiromanta

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Hi Breeders.
I just two small Lightning maroon clowns about close to two inch each. drop them in my 165G tall tank. The tank is busy but has an BTA island with 3 BTA to host. first they were cool for an hour, but then one started to get realy aggressive towards the other. So I took one out (the one with the most bitting) and place him in my acclimation box with one of the nems, inside the display tank close to the top of the tank. he chilled there for a week and recovered.
Now i lowered the box with clown all the way down to the nem island where the other one lives. instant signs of aggression in both of them.
what can I do to make them coexist in one tank. i already have moved my picaso clown to the refugium because he was after both of them.
All other fish seems to be fine with them.
Should I keep them side buy side for few weeks ( one being in the box) so they get cool with each other?
It was an expansive fish that I dont want to loose.
Help me please.
I only have one tank.
 

chiromanta

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Clowns are like that especially if they are not paired up.Sell one and try other types of clowns or get one that's bigger than the other.
Thank you.
Based on their age and size they should be sexless. they were taken from the heard where their were among other 20+ clowns. In the worst possible situation one could developed in to male, which I dought. I do understand that maroons are one of the hardest fish to pair.
They should fight for dominance, but don't kill each other, i hope.
I wish one was a bit larger, but unfortunately i did not have that option.
Considering the rarity of this fish I have to find the way of making it happen.
I always choose the hard way. that is why i have LPS, SPS, and softies all grooving in one tank. It is just me, lol.
 

ourcoralreef

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How aggressive
we sometimes think that they are too aggressive with each other but it's usually more of a show than what we think
since they are both the same size it's harder because they are both fighting for dominance (if one was bigger it would be clear to the smaller one who is the dominant one)

If one is being beaten up like hiding all the time staying in one place on the bottom or the top near a overflow in the corners of the tank then that where i would separate them even when they get like that there is still a chance i would put them side by side in a acclimation box with a devider between them so one will eventually submit when you see that then i would introduce them back into the display tank
 

chiromanta

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How aggressive
we sometimes think that they are too aggressive with each other but it's usually more of a show than what we think
since they are both the same size it's harder because they are both fighting for dominance (if one was bigger it would be clear to the smaller one who is the dominant one)

If one is being beaten up like hiding all the time staying in one place on the bottom or the top near a overflow in the corners of the tank then that where i would separate them even when they get like that there is still a chance i would put them side by side in a acclimation box with a devider between them so one will eventually submit when you see that then i would introduce them back into the display tank

OMG. You described exactly what happen in my case. even the position next to overflow.
one fish took severe beating and almost compleatly loss front fins and the eye. I separate them for a week
(Acclimation box). fish had recover including an eye and ICK that he got after a fight. Yesterday I lowered the acclimation box with one of them right next to the one in the tank so they can see each other. I even placed one of my RBTA in the acclimation box so they have similar environment. both host nem, one in the DT and one in the box. still heavy signs of aggression on both sides but at least they cant bit each other.
How long should I do it before releasing prizoner back to DT.
Thank you for your input.
 

ourcoralreef

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I recommend both of them in a acclimation box separated by something transparent or two acclimation boxes side by side so they don't have any other options but to see each other eventually one will give in

A anemone is not necessary (though i have seen it help injured clowns) you may be stressing the anemone being so close to the top
Note it can take some time sometimes a week sometimes a month
I would release them back to the DT when one is showing the other they are the dominant one showing submission by shaking for the other
 

chiromanta

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Thanks to all who participating in this thread.
The acclimation box with nem and fish is actually laying on the sand 3 inches a way from the other clown that host his own nem.
I looked today in the morning and it seems that they were not jumping on each other as bad as last night. Although none of them shows signs of submission. I have a feeling that if I would release "The Prisoner" back to "general population" it would still be an immediate homicide. I also have contacted a clown breeder last night and he suggested getting an other clown who is significantly larger. Well, that is some thing I can not do. Now my question is:
Will one of the clowns eventually will sow the signs of submission even though they have no physical contact, just being in proximity to an other one?
 

nano

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Maybe you can feed the hell out of one of them for a few months, and only feed the other a minimal amount. That way you could influence a size difference and subsequent dominance. Just a thought, haven't tried this first hand...

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ourcoralreef

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Maybe you can feed the hell out of one of them for a few months, and only feed the other a minimal amount. That way you could influence a size difference and subsequent dominance. Just a thought, haven't tried this first hand...

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Lol that wouldn't work size difference does not occur from feeding it occurs from sexual maturity
 

ourcoralreef

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Should I keep him in a trap for a few month?

Keep them for up to a month if it hasn't changed by then i would sell one and buy another


Just a note
I saw the video from the video they do not look that small (2" and 2 1/4") they very much can be both be young females and if the person/store that sold it to you told you they were a pair they just as well could have lied to you where they came from they could have been alone in separate tanks and both turned female by the time they were sold
 

chiromanta

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Keep them for up to a month if it hasn't changed by then i would sell one and buy another


Just a note
I saw the video from the video they do not look that small (2" and 2 1/4") they very much can be both be young females and if the person/store that sold it to you told you they were a pair they just as well could have lied to you where they came from they could have been alone in separate tanks and both turned female by the time they were sold
Hi.
The clowns are about 2". It was a pivate seller. At the time of purchase I had a choice between 20 different clowns which were all in two tanks. I wish I pick a different size, but I was going for a pattern much more then compatibility. My mistake. I was not planning to breed them so for me it was not an issue till now, lol.
They were all from the same two batches so they have to be all asexual at this time. One came from F1 PNG and an other from F2 PNG. The age and the size were the same. They can not be females. At its worst it could be two males. They are too young to be mature in to females.
 

r_jay

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That sucks! I hated having maroons no matter the hybrid, they suck. I say let them heal up, take some bets and fight to the death. Jk best bet is either keep them separated for however long until they get along or sell one. No simple answers for fish behavior.


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chiromanta

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Hi all.
"The Prisoner" has been released to "General Population"
They still fight, but not to the death. they split the tank in to upper and lower sections.
one controls the top, other patrols the bottom. The smaller one seems much more aggressive, and don't let the other anywhere near his anemone. Both are eating and body parts damage is medium and not lethal. I hope it is a beginning of a "peace talk".
Is one of them have to show submission, or they will just leave in the different part of the tank. I really want them to bond and host the nem. Any thoughts?
 

jacobchemical

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I had the exact same problem. I have bought a pair of lightning maroon clowns from a store. They were doing fine for two weeks together. Then the female decided to turn on the male for some reason. The female is alot bigger than the male. The male does it his submission dance but were days I come back and the males fins would be all torn up. Maroons can be nasty. They are getting much better now and coexisting in the tank but not really bonded. The technique i used to make then get along is I put the female(the more dominant one) in the acclimation container and let the male roam tank. I also changed up my rock work in tank. After two weeks i released the female and they started coexisting. She still chases him during feeding time when he tries to eat but other then that no more fights.
Also from your video, I would not put the acclimation box so close to the other clownfish's anemone, i think that would worsen the aggression. I would move the acclimation box with other clownfish as far from the other clownfish's anemone. Just a thought
(With Maroons the female must be alot bigger than males to have a best shot. If you can get a smaller lightning maroon clown from the breeder I would try to switch)
Hope it helps


Hi all.
"The Prisoner" has been released to "General Population"
They still fight, but not to the death. they split the tank in to upper and lower sections.
one controls the top, other patrols the bottom. The smaller one seems much more aggressive, and don't let the other anywhere near his anemone. Both are eating and body parts damage is medium and not lethal. I hope it is a beginning of a "peace talk".
Is one of them have to show submission, or they will just leave in the different part of the tank. I really want them to bond and host the nem. Any thoughts?
 
Last edited:

chiromanta

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I had the exact same problem. I have bought a pair of lightning maroon clowns from a store. They were doing fine for two weeks together. Then the female decided to turn on the male for some reason. The female is alot bigger than the male. The male does it his submission dance but were days I come back and the males fins would be all torn up. Maroons can be nasty. They are getting much better now and coexisting in the tank but not really bonded. The technique i used to make then get along is I put the female(the more dominant one) in the acclimation container and let the male roam tank. I also changed up my rock work in tank. After two weeks i released the female and they started coexisting. She still chases him during feeding time when he tries to eat but other then that no more fights.
Also from your video, I would not put the acclimation box so close to the other clownfish's anemone, i think that would worsen the aggression. I would move the acclimation box with other clownfish as far from the other clownfish's anemone. Just a thought
(With Maroons the female must be alot bigger than males to have a best shot. If you can get a smaller lightning maroon clown from the breeder I would try to switch)
Hope it helps

Thank you so much for an incite.
Really nice info.
both of my clowns are young. I wish I had a chance to get one larger, but due to the fact that I was not buying them from a breeder they came similar in size. I wish I can change one for a larger one, which I would, but there is no option like this. Unless some one who is reading this forum would change large lightning clown for a smaller one, with some $$ involved on my part if it needs to be.
clowns go from nosexual to male to female. once they turn in to female, there is no way back. If you have a harem, the most dominant one would be female, and other would remain male if they have reached sexual maturity. A lot of time they remain asexual to avoid conflict with rival males.
I really never had a situation when I had two maroon clowns in the same size. Actually, I never had two maroons together due to their heavy aggressive behavior.
This fish did not came cheap, so I can't just bring one back or exchange one. The person that I got them from does not have that option.
Now, what are mine options?
do you think that they will spend the rest of their lives and never bond? I know that maroons can live for decades. Although, I am not looking forward so spend decades to observe their love developing relationship.
Do they do"one night stand" lol
what are my option if I do not change one of the clowns.
thank you so much for spending your time on my posts.
 

chiromanta

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BTW, my aquascape can't be changed because it glued and acrylic rode through all together. there are two large towers with an island in between
you can get an Idea from this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew5L2CVjubg

never mined the tank, it has been neglected for few weeks. Also, tank hosts a lot of other fish, so I dont think I can get a breedin pain out of those two clowns, but to have a mated pair would be nice.
 

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