Clown dominance

chowwil · Mar 6, 2019

Hi everyone,
I have 2 black storm clowns that have been in my 20gal for about a month and a half now. They where quit small at the time. Got one larger than the other hoping the become a bonded pair. My question is, how long does it normally take for the female dominance transition. The larger one has been showing sign of aggression toward the smaller one, but not seeing any damage or bit makes on the smaller one. Both eating well. Something they are together fine, sometimes she gets her aggression on.

jabberwock · Mar 7, 2019

Does the little one shudder? and do you have pictures...

chowwil · Mar 7, 2019

jabberwock said:
Does the little one shudder? and do you have pictures...

They both do to a point and then the little just runs off and the large one go after it. At one point the aggression level was pretty nasty looking where they were almost mouth locking, but I checked the out, not battle wounds

jd371 · Mar 7, 2019

I'm going through the same in my 20g as well. Chasing and a little aggression but not to the point of locking jaws or nipping. I've seen the shudder before from my clown in the other tank, but so far the small one hasn't yet. Besides that they're doing fine eating and look healthy. I've had these two for about two weeks now.

maroun.c · Mar 7, 2019

With all my clowns, dominance ahd submissive nehavior was established in 3-4 weeks

Geebs19 · Mar 7, 2019

I have had a pair for close to a year now. The female is still super aggressive towards the male, she pretty much wont let him out of the rock work.

chowwil · Mar 7, 2019

maroun.c said:
With all my clowns, dominance ahd submissive nehavior was established in 3-4 weeks

So I’m looking at another 2-3 weeks of this behavior.

jabberwock · Mar 7, 2019

Your mileage may vary. Fish are individuals. I have heard, and experienced that the designer clowns are more aggressive.
I would really like to see pictures of your Storm Clowns.

chowwil · Mar 8, 2019

jabberwock said:
Your mileage may vary. Fish are individuals. I have heard, and experienced that the designer clowns are more aggressive.
I would really like to see pictures of your Storm Clowns.

Geebs19 · Mar 8, 2019

By far my favorite designer! Im actually selling my 2 Darwin misbars today and will be on the look for another pair. My wife really likes the Wyoming Whites.

chowwil · Mar 8, 2019

chowwil said:

Here’s a video of the aggression. Pic was before the aggression started

Geebs19 · Mar 8, 2019

Very normal, thats actually not bad at all. The first 10 seconds shows the most aggression and mine never got over that.

jabberwock · Mar 8, 2019

Wow! Those are really pretty! Thanks for posting that.

The little one does not seem to be submitting, but the aggression is not that bad.
With my Darwin misbars, the female was almost twice the size of the male.
She would grab him by the stomach and drag him around. Never really left a mark, but she was mean as a snake.
She killed my firefish and my lawnmower blenny and just about did in my yellow watchman goby until I got rid of the clowns.

When the male would do his submission shudder, it looked like someone hooked up his nipples to a car battery.
And she still kicked his but every day. There were sold from the LFS as a bonded pair.

chowwil · Mar 9, 2019

jabberwock said:
Your mileage may vary. Fish are individuals. I have heard, and experienced that the designer clowns are more aggressive.
I would really like to see pictures of your Storm Clowns.

chowwil said:

jabberwock said:
Your mileage may vary. Fish are individuals. I have heard, and experienced that the designer clowns are more aggressive.
I would really like to see pictures of your Storm Clowns.

Here'e a video of the aggression. This is the mild case. The pic was before and the aggression happen. Sorry for the orientation of the video

jabberwock said:
Wow! Those are really pretty! Thanks for posting that.

The little one does not seem to be submitting, but the aggression is not that bad.
With my Darwin misbars, the female was almost twice the size of the male.
She would grab him by the stomach and drag him around. Never really left a mark, but she was mean as a snake.
She killed my firefish and my lawnmower blenny and just about did in my yellow watchman goby until I got rid of the clowns.

When the male would do his submission shudder, it looked like someone hooked up his nipples to a car battery.
And she still kicked his but every day. There were sold from the LFS as a bonded pair.

Thanks, I notice the aggression is much more when the light starts to dim down and less when the light are on full. When the light are is in moon setting, she goes wild on him, but no battle scare or wounds.

jd371 · Mar 9, 2019

Here's a video of my two going at it. Excuse the tanks appearance I started it in January and it's still going through the uglies, eventually this will be an anemone tank once it's more stable. The tank is in my workshop/mancave/boiler room where I like to keep busy on projects or just watch sports as you can hear in the background.

Mike1995 · Mar 9, 2019

I have a pair of maroon clowns. At first the female was super nasty to the male but she quickly out grew him and she's about 3 times his size. I think just from what I've observed is size. If they're too close in size they'll fight. My female ( nemo) still gives him a little chase here and there but he does this shaking thing which I assume is him submissing to her. But otherwise they sleep together. Swim together.

chowwil · Mar 10, 2019

jd371 said:
Here's a video of my two going at it. Excuse the tanks appearance I started it in January and it's still going through the uglies, eventually this will be an anemone tank once it's more stable. The tank is in my workshop/mancave/boiler room where I like to keep busy on projects or just watch sports as you can hear in the background.

The video link don’t work