Two Pairs of Clownfish Behavior

[jp415]

I currently have a 120 with 20+ nems in the tank with an established pair of black storms that swim perfectly fine. I decided to add a pair of Mocha storms and left them in an acclimation box for a week and released them with no issues. Each pair of clownfish took a side of the tank and occasionally go from one side to the other and back without fighting the other pair.

I noticed that my black storms each take turns in swimming in a vertical behavior once in a while. All the clownfish eat just fine and sleep in pairs in the nems.

Is this a sign of asserting their dominance in the tank?

 

[CoralB]

Could be !! Mine do it all the time , especially when the kole tang or the foxface come around them . My female will actually ram or nip the body of the foxface when he comes to close to their hangout . But mine do the vertical thing as well . Can’t say for sure if yours is doing it in a territorial dance or their just being clowns.

 

[jp415]

Thanks. How long do they do the vertical swimming for? few hours or just for a few minutes.

 

[CoralB]

Thanks. How long do they do the vertical swimming for? few hours or just for a few minutes.

Mine do it up the side of the tank by my return most of the time except during feeding and chasing away others , or when they swim about the tank . I don’t have another pair for them to contend with but mine are very territorial and with other fish come around they do hang out and climb up the wall vertical with occasional darting at the fish while they go by . I’ve had this pair for four years . Hope that helps . If you think it’s something else or that it’s because of the other pair which it could be then sit and watch them for a while over the next few days to reassure u . Does he shimmy when he does this ?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have 4 pair and they do this to guard territory. When it first began was almost two weeks but will depend on the individual pairs. Clowns express various behaviors and generally hard to predict their next move especially when they are spawning.