Pairing a 10 year old clown with another clownfish?

Daniel@R2R

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So, sadly, our 10-year-old female clownfish passed away last month. :crying-face: She was awesome and mean as a snake. Her name was "Bad guy fish" named by my then 2-year-old son about 7 years ago because she bit me every time I put my hand in the tank. She moved with us from Virginia to Ohio in 2013 and from Ohio to Pennsylvania in 2016 where she stayed with @hybridazn who kept her and her mate while we settled in California, and then shipped out to us in Cali a bit into 2017. She and her mate moved with us from our apartment to our new house where we've been now for about 2 years. She will be missed.

However, her mate, "Nemo" (also named by my son around the same time) is still alive and seems to be doing well. I'm wondering if it's possible to pair him again with a new clownfish. I'm expecting he'll likely turn female (which would probably mean he'll be renamed when that happens). However, I'm wondering if there's an issue of age with these fish and pairing them with new tank inhabitants. What are some things I should probably be planning for if we do this? Should I avoid fish of a certain age to be added? In the past, when pairing clowns, I usually add 2 juveniles and let them figure it out, so this is uncharted territory for me.
 

KrisReef

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Don’t add another clownfish. You don’t want to impress upon your children that “Boys can get pregnant.”
Wait at least 6 months so that the bereavement process is complete for you and your fish. In that time you will clear out your mind so that you can figure out if a new fish is going to improve or upset the current inhabitants of your tank and your household.

Sincerely,
Dr. Ruth.
 
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Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

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Bumping this up for more input! Please and thank you! :D
 

littlefoxx

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So, sadly, our 10-year-old female clownfish passed away last month. :crying-face: She was awesome and mean as a snake. Her name was "Bad guy fish" named by my then 2-year-old son about 7 years ago because she bit me every time I put my hand in the tank. She moved with us from Virginia to Ohio in 2013 and from Ohio to Pennsylvania in 2016 where she stayed with @hybridazn who kept her and her mate while we settled in California, and then shipped out to us in Cali a bit into 2017. She and her mate moved with us from our apartment to our new house where we've been now for about 2 years. She will be missed.

However, her mate, "Nemo" (also named by my son around the same time) is still alive and seems to be doing well. I'm wondering if it's possible to pair him again with a new clownfish. I'm expecting he'll likely turn female (which would probably mean he'll be renamed when that happens). However, I'm wondering if there's an issue of age with these fish and pairing them with new tank inhabitants. What are some things I should probably be planning for if we do this? Should I avoid fish of a certain age to be added? In the past, when pairing clowns, I usually add 2 juveniles and let them figure it out, so this is uncharted territory for me.
Yes you can, just get one about half his size. Ive paired a 12 year old female with a 6 year old male, both rescues from different people at my LFS. LFS swore the male was also a female and would turn back to male but seems how that is impossible as someone else pointed out on here earlier and the LFS bold faced lied to me it seems that one was still male and theyve paired perfectly.
 

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clownfishmama

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Don’t add another clownfish. You don’t want to impress upon your children that “Boys can get pregnant.”
Wait at least 6 months so that the bereavement process is complete for you and your fish. In that time you will clear out your mind so that you can figure out if a new fish is going to improve or upset the current inhabitants of your tank and your household.

Sincerely,
Dr. Ruth.
I couldn’t agree less with the boys can get pregnant
 

homer1475

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I have a very large, and ornery 15 year old female clown. Lost her mate about 10 years ago. I have NEVER been able to add another clown, no matter the sex or size. She just outright kills them as soon as they are added.

She has never bit me, or any other tank mates. She just cannot stand another clown/damsel in the tank with her.
 

StatelineReefer

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Set up a 5 gallon nano (Like the one you should have gotten from the Ultum Nature booth at RAP CA...)

Establish your adoptee there. Have someone ready to take the adoptee should things go south.

Then introduce Nemo, where there isn't a territorial issue.

Watch closely, but don't interfere over minor pecking order squabbles.

If it looks like Nemo will reject the adoptee, rehome the adoptee to the person willing to take the new fish, and accept defeat, the clownfish won.
 

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