Reintroducing quarantined clownfish

[LxHowler]

I had to separate my male clownfish from the tank as he injured his eye and I wanted to treat him in quarantine with some antiseptic and it has now healed and he is ready to go back into the tank. I am a little worried that the female won't recognise him or will be aggressive as they have been separated for a week.
Is there anything I can do to reintroduce them in the most peaceful way possible?

 

[Peace River]

Great question and always a good practice to be careful when introducing clowns. You didn't mention what species so I am assuming an A. ocellaris and not one of the more aggressive species. A few quick thoughts - if possible, it may help to use a clear acclimation box (like the OctoAquatics SHU), "rearrange the furniture", and make the introduction at a time when you are around to observe. Rearranging the furniture doesn't need to be restocking the rock work or other major structural changes - it may mean adding a reef-safe container for a few days or other comparable item - although it may not be aesthetically appealing it can be helpful to the transition. Good luck!

 

[ZoWhat]

Reintroduce them thru Match dot com

Maybe a casual noncommitted date at Starbucks

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[Brett S]

I have a mated pair of clowns and a while ago the female completely disappeared. I figured that she had died and her body wound up behind the rocks or something. I was quite sad because I have had her for several years, in fact, she’s the oldest fish in my aquarium. A good month later I was working on the tank with my son and we had the sump door open and he said “I see the clownfish!” It turned out that at some point she had gotten into the overflow and he was able to see her by looking up through the bottom of the tank.

It took a good 30 or 45 minutes to get her safely fished out of the overflow, but I put her back in the tank and she and the male seemed quite happy to see each other... no aggression or anything, just immediately back to their normal antics.

I covered the overflows after that.

But all that said, my fish were separated for more than a month and had no problems reuniting. I don’t think yours will have any issues after a week.

 

[LxHowler]

Thanks for the great replies. They are a pair of de Vinci clowns. I have ordered an acclimation box to go into the tank. I will give all of these a try. Thanks for the help

 

[ZoWhat]

Reintroduce them thru Match dot com

Maybe a casual noncommitted date at Starbucks

Match | Start Something Great

Backed by 25 years of experience, Match gives you the date-smarts you need to find what you’re looking for – from matching to meeting in person.

www.match.com

The Female will probably bring her BFF girlfriend along to be emotional support and a get-away driver if things get ugly....



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