Clownfish Pairing Question

[reef_1]

Bad day today. Got home and she was beating up on him alot to where he wasn’t eating and heavy breathing. Swimming around still but he couldn’t catch a break so i felt the need to take action and put him in the breeder net for a few days so he calms down a bit from the bigger one chasing him all around. Tough to see this. I don’t know what is gonna happen but i don’t know if he makes it.

Yeah, this is the point and extent of damage in the picture where I would start watching them very closely and maybe thinking of intervening somehow.

I am not sure about this longfin variant though (is it a longfin one or am I not seeing this correctly!?), most damage seems to be in the "long" part of the fins is that easier to bite off than normal fins? On the actual "normal" area of the fins I don't see that much of a damage its only the "extensions" have major loss.

I am not sure its a bad day though, I still think some males needs to be properly beaten up and stressed to accept their roles, if its not upset its not stressed. There is a thin line ofc, if it really stops eating and becomes very stressed it might need a timeout.

But you seem to be handlig it well as far as I can see, so imo just continue however you feel, you cant stop nature happening, if it is meant they will form a pair, if not then not.

How is he doing now btw?

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Yeah, this is the point and extent of damage in the picture where I would start watching them very closely and maybe thinking of intervening somehow.

I am not sure about this longfin variant though (is it a longfin one or am I not seeing this correctly!?), most damage seems to be in the "long" part of the fins is that easier to bite off than normal fins? On the actual "normal" area of the fins I don't see that much of a damage its only the "extensions" have major loss.

I am not sure its a bad day though, I still think some males needs to be properly beaten up and stressed to accept their roles, if its not upset its not stressed. There is a thin line ofc, if it really stops eating and becomes very stressed it might need a timeout.

But you seem to be handling it well as far as I can see, so imo just continue however you feel, you cant stop nature happening, if it is meant they will form a pair, if not then not.

How is he doing now btw?

Thank you much for your response. I do value it very much.
You are correct they are mocha storm longfins.

i always wanted a pair for the longest time! I love my clownfish very much so i really do hope these settle their differences soon. They would look killer as a pair especially when they grow longer fins as they age a bit more. They have good fins for being as small as i got them 2.5 months ago.

the bigger one has been in the breeder net since Monday evening. She is fine and eating and the smaller has been recovering too. Eating as well and a lot and fins are recovering and already growing back. I was thinking letting her back in with him tomorrow. I just wish he would learn to twitch more often. I seen him do it but i feel like he hasn’t gotten it down 100%. I switched up where she sleeps at night. They sleep separately and started doing that just two weeks ago. She found herself a little cave under my rock arch and he continues to sleep at the top left of my tank but i just need to let things play out next time. I just felt he was really gassed and needed a break.

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Yeah, this is the point and extent of damage in the picture where I would start watching them very closely and maybe thinking of intervening somehow.

I am not sure about this longfin variant though (is it a longfin one or am I not seeing this correctly!?), most damage seems to be in the "long" part of the fins is that easier to bite off than normal fins? On the actual "normal" area of the fins I don't see that much of a damage its only the "extensions" have major loss.

I am not sure its a bad day though, I still think some males needs to be properly beaten up and stressed to accept their roles, if its not upset its not stressed. There is a thin line ofc, if it really stops eating and becomes very stressed it might need a timeout.

But you seem to be handlig it well as far as I can see, so imo just continue however you feel, you cant stop nature happening, if it is meant they will form a pair, if not then not.

How is he doing now btw?

 

[reef_1]

Thank you much for your response. I do value it very much.
You are correct they are mocha storm longfins.

i always wanted a pair for the longest time! I love my clownfish very much so i really do hope these settle their differences soon. They would look killer as a pair especially when they grow longer fins as they age a bit more. They have good fins for being as small as i got them 2.5 months ago.

the bigger one has been in the breeder net since Monday evening. She is fine and eating and the smaller has been recovering too. Eating as well and a lot and fins are recovering and already growing back. I was thinking letting her back in with him tomorrow. I just wish he would learn to twitch more often. I seen him do it but i feel like he hasn’t gotten it down 100%. I switched up where she sleeps at night. They sleep separately and started doing that just two weeks ago. She found herself a little cave under my rock arch and he continues to sleep at the top left of my tank but i just need to let things play out next time. I just felt he was really gassed and needed a break.

If you decide to try it, watch them closely and if he looks very bad/lethargic or unable/unwilling to avoid constant beating, cant escape, not wanting to eat etc then intervene.

Until its fresh, can escape most of the time and interested in food, it might be just fine.

But always do whatever you feel to do, my advice is not a professional advice, so do everything at your risk.

At the end of the day a living fish is better than a dead one.

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Yeah, this is the point and extent of damage in the picture where I would start watching them very closely and maybe thinking of intervening somehow.

I am not sure about this longfin variant though (is it a longfin one or am I not seeing this correctly!?), most damage seems to be in the "long" part of the fins is that easier to bite off than normal fins? On the actual "normal" area of the fins I don't see that much of a damage its only the "extensions" have major loss.

I am not sure its a bad day though, I still think some males needs to be properly beaten up and stressed to accept their roles, if its not upset its not stressed. There is a thin line ofc, if it really stops eating and becomes very stressed it might need a timeout.

But you seem to be handlig it well as far as I can see, so imo just continue however you feel, you cant stop nature happening, if it is meant they will form a pair, if not then not.

How is he doing now btw?

If you decide to try it, watch them closely and if he looks very bad/lethargic or unable/unwilling to avoid constant beating, cant escape, not wanting to eat etc then intervene.

Until its fresh, can escape most of the time and interested in food, it might be just fine.

But always do whatever you feel to do, my advice is not a professional advice, so do everything at your risk.

At the end of the day a living fish is better than a dead one.

Thanks Boss. I actually let the bigger one out yesterday around 4PM. I kept an eye on how she reacted to the smaller and how the smaller reacted to the bigger.
No issues. A small nudge here and there by the bigger but no chasing or aggressive play. Swam together alot of the evening. She went and did her own thing when lights out hit. Went to the sand floor while the other stayed by the surface of the water.
I hope she keeps the same energy as yesterday.

 

[Aaron Soliz]

quick update: since i released the bigger one this past Saturday… things have gone very well. No aggression. Hopefully this continues as they swim a lot together during the day. Some slight bumps from the bigger one but no aggression or fin nipping.

smaller is getting closer to healing all its fins. Close but not all the way yet.

 

[Aaron Soliz]

It has been a crazy ride with these two clowns lol! After releasing the bigger clownfish.... 4 days later the madness starts to happen again. This time around, I left them to hope they figure it out. Luckily, the little one found a coral to host during this time but the aggression was still bad. He did get beat up pretty good once again and It looks like the fins were worse than last time. Thankfully he was still eating so I had some hope things would be okay.

Fast forward, a month later... the aggression has slowed down... they sleep together in the colt coral at night and swim together during the day. No more biting of the fins as they have slowly started to grow back. She will nudge him but that's it. Glad to be writing this after all of this and me thinking my little clown wasn't going to make it. Thanks for all your help!

 

[dr_vinnie_boombatz]

Which species of clown fish?
You should put the smaller one into timeout instead of the larger one. Basically you should give all the advantage to the larger fish so the smaller one give up quickly rather than draw it out.
Every time you put the larger one into timeout you encourage the smaller one to fight on.

This seems counter to what other members have said - any someone confirm or point to any articles?

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Sadly, the aggression has restarted back up. Super irritating. Little clown fully healed, they were sleeping in the same colt coral at night and then all of a sudden… she started her nonsense 2-3 days ago and still on going. Once again, find ripped up again.

 

[C4ctus99]

Just got a black (misbar?) clown to pair up with my mocha clown, she’s about 1/4” bigger in size and they’ve been chill since I got her Sunday and just started fighting today. I put her in timeout but after reading this I guess I’ll let her back in the tank

let me know if your pair settles down or not!

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Just got a black (misbar?) clown to pair up with my mocha clown, she’s about 1/4” bigger in size and they’ve been chill since I got her Sunday and just started fighting today. I put her in timeout but after reading this I guess I’ll let her back in the tank

let me know if your pair settles down or not!

I had to separate them but for good this time. My poor little one just wasn’t wanting to submit (shake) for the bigger one so she kept beating him up. If the little guy starts to do it, that’s a great sign. That basically will let the bigger know hey, you can be the boss.

i sold them a month ago. Bought a bonded pair this time around. If you feel the smaller one is in real trouble (no eating, fins really ripped, hiding all the time or the bigger literally looks for the smaller and attacks it)… those are the signs to either sell one or sell both.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I had to separate them but for good this time. My poor little one just wasn’t wanting to submit (shake) for the bigger one so she kept beating him up. If the little guy starts to do it, that’s a great sign. That basically will let the bigger know hey, you can be the boss.

i sold them a month ago. Bought a bonded pair this time around. If you feel the smaller one is in real trouble (no eating, fins really ripped, hiding all the time or the bigger literally looks for the smaller and attacks it)… those are the signs to either sell one or sell both.

Thats often the case. Once a hierarchy begins, it never stops and some females can get very nasty and to think how wonderful clowns are in the movie NEMO

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Thats often the case. Once a hierarchy begins, it never stops and some females can get very nasty and to think how wonderful clowns are in the movie NEMO

Lol!! Very true! I had been through this one time with this pair and to have to go through it a second time, too much. I felt awful for the smaller. He had just grown his longfins back too! She gave him a mad haircut but she was the nastiest female i ever owned but i still think it was because he just wasn’t dancing for her. My new pair, the smaller has already started to do it. He isn’t dumb lol

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Lol!! Very true! I had been through this one time with this pair and to have to go through it a second time, too much. I felt awful for the smaller. He had just grown his longfins back too! She gave him a mad haircut but she was the nastiest female i ever owned but i still think it was because he just wasn’t dancing for her. My new pair, the smaller has already started to do it. He isn’t dumb lol

Thats often the case. Once a hierarchy begins, it never stops and some females can get very nasty and to think how wonderful clowns are in the movie NEMO

I actually get photos from their new owners. I think the smaller wanted to be a female this whole time. Times be different