Bonded pair aggression

Rglad91 · Feb 5, 2018

I picked up a bonded pair back in December. The smaller one would always shake at the bigger one and they were best friends since day one. But 3 days ago things seem to change for the worst and the bigger one has constantly been chasing and attacking the smaller one. It also seems like it’s not doing the shaking dance like it use to the past two months. The little one is getting pretty banged up. It seems pretty brutal and there’s no letting up.
Is this normal. I thought they were already sexed when I got them but maybe one just turned female and the other is not giving in and submitting to easy.
The little keeps jumping over into my overflow during there battles too.
I keep telling my kids they’re just playing tag

Crabs McJones · Feb 5, 2018

Sounds like normal behavior to me. Just keep a close eye on the little guy, if he gets beat up to much you may want to switch him over to a quarantine tank for a bit.

Rglad91 · Feb 5, 2018

This is the best pic I can get of how he’s looking but his fins are more damaged then you can see in the picture, while she is flawless. And I t’s whole body has little marks all over that must be bite marks, but I can’t get a picture that shows. I give credit to all you all that take good pictures cause that’s a art of its own.
I can watch these two all day long go at. I sure hope I’m not witnessing a slaughter and just letting it happen.

Rglad91 · Feb 5, 2018

Pretty sure all my other fish are like what the heck is going on with these two clowns. Here they invading my gobies rock island. He’s trying to hide but she found him

chizerbunoi · Feb 5, 2018

They are establishing territory and submission order. If you feed well (don’t pollute your tank) the fins typically heal in a week or two.

Clownfish may look friendly because of their odd behaviour, but Nemo is a very mean fish.

Mustangtodd97 · Feb 6, 2018

I had a similar situation go on for me over about a 2 month period. I tried everything to fix it. Even quarantine of female in an acclimation box for 10 days (which worked for a few days after the reintro, but then agression again). It was at the piont where the male would only come out of hiding if I personally interviened. I evicted the female, replaced her with another clown. No problems now.

Rglad91 · Feb 6, 2018

I’m gonna ride it out and what for them to kiss and make up, hopefully then they’ll be laying eggs everywhere and be one happy family.
I got lots of swimming room and plenty of caves and hiding spots but it makes me think I need a bigger tank then this 125.
I keep debating if I want to add an anemone or not and see what happens. Maybe they want a spot to call their home of their own. Cause they’ve been in my DT for alittle over two months and from what I’ve noticed they really haven’t found a spot of their own yet. They are all over the tank Day and night. Where all my other fish seem to have their own sleeping spots at night

chizerbunoi · Feb 6, 2018

I think it will get worst once you add the anemone. Unless it’s a large Magnificent. But typically they should get along first.

Rglad91 · Feb 9, 2018

Update. Here’s what the little clown looks like. It seems like it just won’t be submissive at all to the bigger one and appears like it quit doing its shake like it did for the first couple months I had them. The bigger one swims all around everywhere and then comes up to the little one and and it takes alittle bit and it’ll even do a shake at the little once but since it won’t be submissive that’s when it’ll bite at it which starts a chase around the tank. But it’s eating fine

JJ Ocean · Feb 10, 2018

As long as it is eating and there is only fin damage you should be fine ... they will figure it out in time.

Rglad91 · Feb 10, 2018

Here’s a picture I just took. Had to catch it to take one and I’ll give it a break to while I got it caught. It’s eating fine, just fin damage and it’s shiney black coat is now like a pale cloudy looking.

wowkingjames · Feb 10, 2018

Wow he is a tough dude hopefully he will survive.

chizerbunoi · Feb 10, 2018

Let him heal for a couple weeks. Then when it’s time to release him, put the female into the trap for a week. You might have more success before you reintroduce. Hopefully, she won’t bully him as much.

Rglad91 · Feb 10, 2018

I’m worried that removing one that they both turn female. I do have a 125g sump with lots of room and a 10g qt running that I could put one in temporarily. I’m thinking about just putting an egg crate divider in DT and let him heal up some while being with each other still.

JJ Ocean · Feb 10, 2018

If you remove one - remove the female and let the male heal in the tank. He does look a little tattered up. After 2 weeks the female will lose the feeling of her territory. I'd put her in the sump as long as you are sure she can't get to any pumps. No worries in the male turning female over a couple weeks, they don't turn that fast.

Rglad91 · Feb 11, 2018

So I put up egg crate last night and added the bigger female to the small section to give the little guy some freedom. This morning I see him randomly keep going over towards where the female is and doing his shake again. She just wants out has has been trying to find a way to escape out since

Rglad91 · Feb 11, 2018

I just removed the divider and right away they went to each other and both started shaking and they’ve been swimming around like a happily married couple since and dancing around the tank.

chizerbunoi · Feb 11, 2018

Nice job. Glad they are getting along.

Keep at it if you see bad aggression again. I would use the egg crate in a corner. That way she loses all territory and then comes back again.