Bonding clowns

[TonapahNorth]

I went to the lfs about a week ago. They had two very small clowns that looked nice. The price was right so I bought them. They were in the same tank - maybe 10g - and appear very similar in pattern so I'm thinking same g.species.

Just wondering. Will they automatically bond? Do I need to help them along? Is there something that I should/could be doing? They are in a 20g with no other fish. They don't spend time right next to each other like my other bonded pairs.

Any thoughts?

 

[Diesel]

Leave them to be.
Either they will bond or not, if not you'll find out.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Agree with Diesel....sit back and relax and enjoy the two little clowns. When small like this, their sex hasn't been determined yet. Most likely one will go female, and that will be that....a bonded pair. You'll know when this is happening when one grows rather large (the female) while the other (male) stays small.....and the female begins to pick, pick, pick on the male.

 

[TonapahNorth]

Fair enough. Thanks. I wasn't sure if I should do anything. I always bought bonded pairs.

Just so I know, when you say that "I will know" if they don't bond, does that mean one will kill the other?

 

[Diesel]

Fair enough. Thanks. I wasn't sure if I should do anything. I always bought bonded pairs.

Just so I know, when you say that "I will know" if they don't bond, does that mean one will kill the other?

Possible yes but there will be a territory first and one can not come close.
How big a tank are they in?

 

[TonapahNorth]

Possible yes but there will be a territory first and one can not come close.
How big a tank are they in?

It's just a 27g but part of it is a sump. It's less than 20g in the area they live.

 

[Diesel]

It's just a 27g but part of it is a sump. It's less than 20g in the area they live.

Ok thanks that tank is just big enough for just these two clowns.
When the bond they be friendly :) if not than not friendly :(.
You'll find out soon enough to remove one or put a divider in the tank.

 

[davocean]

If they are very small and already together w/out fighting most likely they will be fine and bond, there may come a period when they sort out who will become the dominant female and you may notice some chasing and twitching, normal.
Most of the time when we see issues is when there is an established female that has claimed tank territory already and you are trying to introduce a new male into that territory.

 

[TonapahNorth]

This is all good info. Thank you to everyone.

My clowns were less than an inch and were introduced together. So it sounds like they're gonna be ok. But I'll keep an eye on them. I'll post follow up photos someday.