Pairing new, young clownfish? Do I have to worry about separating them?

[NancyFish]

Clownfish pairing.. We got our first clownfish a few days ago 1.5”, she’s in a QT. We got the second 1” looks very tiny, we hope to pair tonight. I know the nipping is part of dominance. But I’m afraid of leaving the little one overnight and waking up to a dead fish.

I’m thinking I’ll add a container at least for my own piece of mind. But when they’re both young, any tips to make this a smoother transition? I don’t know if the one is actually nipping or just darting and it’s bedtime.

 

[James M]

if you see any ripped fins then its time to remove one of them. Otherwise let them work it out on their own

 

[NancyFish]

I’ll have to check them in the morning, the little one kept following the big one but not fighting back. I figured since both were very young it wouldn’t be too much fuss, but one definitely was asserting dominance.

 

[John Doe]

Place a suitable fish tank partition or isolation box

 

[John Doe]

Separate the two and put one sea anemone after getting familiar with each other. They can pair up smoothly and become a couple.

 

[D-Nak]

At such a small size, there shouldn't be an issue. That said, each clownfish has its own personality and in my experience Ocellaris tend to be a bit meaner and unpredictable than say, Percula. One suggestion is to be careful of quickly turning on/off lighting which can startle them, and a sudden change of appearance can cause aggression.