When do I separate clownfish??

[Mikemilly245]

Have had this pair of occelaris clownfish since 2/11/23. Theyve been on and off fighting eachother in Qt ever since. One bullying the other and vise versa. I’ve been told this is normal and to let it play out / separate them if I need to.

Added them into the display and one immediately hosted the anemone and is defending it from the other (which I’ve been told is normal too) but they’re just getting a lot more violent and it’s happening more often. No nipping of fins but I have seen lips lock one time during feeding.

Just wondering at what point do I have no choice but to seperate them? I really don’t want to have to get rid of these guys and start all over with qt. Is it likely they’ll never get along ?

 

[Stephen8169301]

Post a pic of the clowns under white lighting is best is the one beat up bad?

 

[Mikemilly245]

Post a pic of the clowns under white lighting is best is the one beat up bad?

Best video I have as of now. Not beat up at all really, no scars or fin damage. Just aggressive and it hasn’t really stopped since I’ve bought them. It’s been on and off just not this bad / often .
I tried to get one large one and one significantly smaller one to make sure they would mate quickly but still bickering.

 

[Stephen8169301]

@vetteguy53081

Too me they look pretty happy I’d leave it alone I wouldn’t worry unless they start leaving marks

 

[Mikemilly245]

@vetteguy53081

Too me they look pretty happy I’d leave it alone I wouldn’t worry unless they start leaving marks

Right at the beginning of the video is the attacks I’m seeing, admittedly not the best video. I agree on the marks

 

[vetteguy53081]

Right at the beginning of the video is the attacks I’m seeing, admittedly not the best video. I agree on the marks

Agree and this is what is known as clownfish hierarchy where the female clownfish are much more dominant than the males. They become greedy and try to eat most of the food that gets into the tank (which is one reason the males don't grow as large). They often aggressively protect their home whether that be an anemone, a nesting site, a clay pot or the entire fish tank. If it attacks your hand when you're trying to clean the glass or it won't let any other fish near its spot, you most likely have a female clownfish. Sometimes isolating her works but she may come back to where she left off

 

[Mikemilly245]

Agree and this is what is known as clownfish hierarchy where the female clownfish are much more dominant than the males. They become greedy and try to eat most of the food that gets into the tank (which is one reason the males don't grow as large). They often aggressively protect their home whether that be an anemone, a nesting site, a clay pot or the entire fish tank. If it attacks your hand when you're trying to clean the glass or it won't let any other fish near its spot, you most likely have a female clownfish. Sometimes isolating her works but she may come back to where she left off

Interesting to know about attacking your hand, I’ll open the tank and often be greeted by the smaller clownfish viciously biting and thrashing at me at the surface lol.

So if the smaller of the two is still acting this way (guarding the anemone, attacking me etc) is it likely I have two females? I bought them when they were fairly small, but still one was much larger in comparison. Still think I’ll wait it out but just curious what you think

 

[vetteguy53081]

Interesting to know about attacking your hand, I’ll open the tank and often be greeted by the smaller clownfish viciously biting and thrashing at me at the surface lol.

So if the smaller of the two is still acting this way (guarding the anemone, attacking me etc) is it likely I have two females? I bought them when they were fairly small, but still one was much larger in comparison. Still think I’ll wait it out but just curious what you think

Smaller one is not exempt- likely protecting its host

 

[fish farmer]

I only have experience with my 16 year old mated pair of percs. They would bicker off and on, not aggressive, maybe a chase once in a while. They spawned almost monthly, the male usually preparing the site and guarding eggs.

About a month ago I removed their home mushroom rock, the female was ticked. Apparently it was the male's fault and she chased and bullied him for days. I was very concerned and tried to remove her so I could get food to the male. His fins were in bad shape, but he was still eating. By the end of the week they had found other places to call home. Currently they are both sleeping in my frammer coral at night and back to normal clown behavior.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Nothing in the video has me concerned. I would just keep and eye on them. It can go badly, but usually they will work it out.

 

[zoomonster]

I have a pretty peaceful pair (and have had others) and they behave a lot like that. I think the biggest problem you have now is just one RBTA. If you have good lighting and/or feed it, then it will reproduce like cockroaches. Like some humans they like to sleep in separate beds lol.

 

[zoomonster]

BTW this is what RBTA's and some shrooms will do to your tank if you let it go. This is an old picture sometime after I had an alk crash that killed most SPS and I just let the tank run on auto pilot for a long time. About 9 years ago I bought one RBTA and to date have probably gotten rid of 3x what you see below. Tanks pretty clean now with a new remodel but yeah my true percula female (first fish in tank 9yrs) got really vicious when I got down to the last 12 or so that are still in the tank. They love MH and Radions.

 

[reef_1]

Right at the beginning of the video is the attacks I’m seeing, admittedly not the best video. I agree on the marks

Where is the attack? I see no attack in either video.

Looks like to me small one really likes anemone, big one still doesnt know what to make of it.

I only start thinking of separation if there is multiple substantial fin damage.

Looks like they might have some interesting months coming though, as small one looks more confident than big one.

 

[Mikemilly245]

I have a pretty peaceful pair (and have had others) and they behave a lot like that. I think the biggest problem you have now is just one RBTA. If you have good lighting and/or feed it, then it will reproduce like cockroaches. Like some humans they like to sleep in separate beds lol.

Funny you say that as I was kind of nervous to say in fear of backlash, but I actually do have two RBTAs in this tank, which I know is very spartan for a 16 gallon. Actually 3 because I got a two-for-one deal (3 RBTAs for the price of one !!). Plan on taking one to a local fish shop to cash in in fear that they’ll take over, but I actually don’t mind the look of your tank and how it looks full of them.
At night usually they’ll seperate and go to their nem but at daytime they battle over the smaller of the 3 for some reason…. Very strange

 

[Mikemilly245]

Where is the attack? I see no attack in either video.

Looks like to me small one really likes anemone, big one still doesnt know what to make of it.

I only start thinking of separation if there is multiple substantial fin damage.

Looks like they might have some interesting months coming though, as small one looks more confident than big one.

Right at the beginning of the 1st video you see the female sorta charge the male that’s sitting in the anemone… that’s the attacks I’m talking about… I’ll try to get a better video today

 

[reef_1]

Right at the beginning of the 1st video you see the female sorta charge the male that’s sitting in the anemone… that’s the attacks I’m talking about… I’ll try to get a better video today

I still dont really know what to see, if you mean when the big one starts swimming towards the nem then turns the other way sorry thats not an attack, not even a loud word (Or maybe my video player doesnt work correctly!?)

An attack starts when one grabs the other at the fin/mouth and shakes the hell out of it and the one on the losing end runs for its life with half of its fin missing.

Before that there are many grades of "disagreements", chasing eachother, chasing each other pretending to bite which are all non serious, when they really go at it they will move like lightining, they will bite, hold, shake and cause damage.

Here both seems to be slightly upset maybe cuz of the environment change.

 

[reef_1]

I tried to get one large one and one significantly smaller one to make sure they would mate quickly but still bickering.

Thats not how it works, while they are young they are together as a group of sexually not mature "kids" playfigthing each other all the time like all other kids in the world - once they get to their "teens" and start to mature sexually, only then they sort out who is the boss, which is gonna be the bigger one, but the male also needs to agree with this, for some its instant, for other pairs its months of proper fighting until they settle this.

 

[zoomonster]

It's funny how they are... I had my original (9 yrs) pair of true percs that frequently laid eggs (no chance of catching fry so fish food). The male died a few years ago and I added a pair of black snowflakes about the same time. One of the blacks ditched the other and hooked up with the orange perc although they sometimes let the 3rd hang. Not too long ago the blacks just suddenly died. I thought I found another true perc but when I got it, it was a true perc blizzard (mostly white) and pretty small. Thought it would be a goner, but it hooked right up with the big orange.

And yeah, I think you have mostly playful fighting/interaction as someone said.