Mated pair of clowns got a divorce

[ThrillYa]

I introduced a mated pair of maroons to my tank a few months ago. The very quickly hosted with my long tentacle anemone. After a couple weeks the male started wondering further from the anemone. Eventually the female started harrasing the male. And now, she's outright kicking his ass. What gives?

Another interesting note is that almost the exact same story happened with the mated pair of Clark's I had prior to the maroons. When I traded them in at the LFS and visted a while later they where happy with each other again.

Any ideas? Anyway there's something unique about my setup that would cause mated clowns to divorce?

Mike

 

[benthos]

just an Idea, I have a pair of cinnamon clowns and introduced a rose BTA. One of them took imediatly to the BTA and the other got nipped if it even came close. My assumption was they were still juvenile and not a real mated pair but may one day decide their sexes so could be a possibility that they were never really husband and wife.

 

[Juck]

When you say they were a mated pair,,, do you know for sure that they have spawned together before? They're only a mated pair if this has happened.

A few online retailers sell 'mated pairs' and what this almost always means is a couple of clowns that have been paired up,,, probably not for very long.

Premnas aren't exactly the most docile clowns anyway,,,, doesn't take much to upset a female IME,, especially when she's being hosted. It is normal for Premnas females to kick the male out of the anemone,, often permanently,, with the male usually hanging around somewhere nearby.

Is the male doing the submissive shaking thing when approached by the female?

If your 'male' is truly a male then then I would expect the violence to subside. If your male is a female,, well it isn't likely to work out.


Two females can tolerate each other in a stressful situation,, like in a retailer's tank,,, even to the point where the weaker female shakes submissively like a male,,,,but when they get a nice territory to defend, like in your tank,,, they'll go at it.

 

[ThrillYa]

Thanks for the replies...

Juck: When you say they were a mated pair,,, do you know for sure that they have spawned together before? They're only a mated pair if this has happened.

No. I don't know for sure that they have ever spawned together.

Juck: Is the male doing the submissive shaking thing when approached by the female?

When they where getting along the smaller (hehe instead of male) did exhibit the submissive shaking consistantly. Now days he's mostly running scared but I have seem him do the submissive bit a few times. It definitly runs more than shakes and for good reason. The smaller one is showing some ruffed up fins.

I was convinced that they where a couple when I put them in the tank but now I'm not sure. What do you think? Was it an arranged marriage (by the retailer) that isn't working out?

From what I've read there isn't really anything I can do to help them along huh? Marriage counseling?

 

[Juck]

It's really tough with premnas sometimes,,, if he's running more than shaking then that's not usually a good sign,,,,, is the male constantly trying to slowly get closer to the female or is he hiding at the top of the tank?

A few months is a long time for them to be together and suddenly fall-out. All the previous submissive behaviour makes me think you probably have a male,,,, if you had 2 females the violence probably would have started within days of being introduced to your tank.

How bad are his injuries? Slightly frayed fins or is he torn up pretty good? Does the female just nip him and run or is she getting a good hold and shaking him? Are there any other fish upsetting the female?

If the injuries are pretty bad, I'd get a kritter keeper or some other clear container so you can place the male in the tank near(ish) the female without him coming to any further harm. The female will probably bash against the box for a few days and the male should do the shaking thing,,,, if the female calms down a bit then try letting the little feller out after about a week,,, if things go pear-shaped again then maybe get hold of another juvenile and try again.

That's a great picture btw,,, looks like the fish in the foreground has some recently-healed fin damage. Is that the female?

 

[Mihai]

Clowns go through a period of bickering and aggresion as they are sexing up - if your female was not a female yet and it's becoming one, she must make sure that the guy understands who's the boss now... I'd go with Juck's suggestion until she will be comfy in her (new) position and cools off.

M.

 

[ThrillYa]

It's really tough with premnas sometimes,,, if he's running more than shaking then that's not usually a good sign,,,,, is the male constantly trying to slowly get closer to the female or is he hiding at the top of the tank?

No, the male isn't trying to get closer. He hides behind some rock now and before behind my overflow.

How bad are his injuries? Slightly frayed fins or is he torn up pretty good? Does the female just nip him and run or is she getting a good hold and shaking him? Are there any other fish upsetting the female?

Slightly frayed fins is the worst of the injuries. I've never witnessed the female ever getting a good hold of him. I also haven't seen any other fish that seem to be annoying the female.

That's a great picture btw,,, looks like the fish in the foreground has some recently-healed fin damage. Is that the female?

Thanks, the one in the forground is the female. I think the picture was taken the day after placing them in the tank so I thought the shipping may have been to blame for the fin.