Clownfish Heram and breeding

[Reefing_addiction]

I have one female and two males
They get along just fine
But if they do decide to breed will she pick one male over the other?

 

[ThRoewer]

I have one female and two males
They get along just fine
But if they do decide to breed will she pick one male over the other?

There is no such thing as a clownfish harem, they form monogamous pairs. One of the two smaller will pair up with the larger (female or female to be) and the other will be lucky if he is left alive.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

There is no such thing as a clownfish harem, they form monogamous pairs. One of the two smaller will pair up with the larger (female or female to be) and the other will be lucky if he is left alive.

Clownfish can live in herams. This much I know is fact.

 

[Oscar47f]

Correct they can live in harems.... I have seen a dominant female and a dominant male and the other males kinda just hangout I want to say it was in one of the blue planet documentaries... and there’s many reefers with harem tanks... usually there’s more than 3 though to help keep aggression down but good luck to ya m8

 

[Jekyl]

Harem yes, 3, no. Chances are you'll have 2 before breeding ever happens.

 

[reefer402]

In the wild yes. Clownfish actually have 1 female, a dominant male, and a sub male. They do this in case the female dies, the dominant becomes female and sub will be a dominant male. They will allow another smaller male into the hierarchy as long as he can hold his own. This generally doesn’t work in home aquariums as there isn’t enough space for the less dominant to get away. When they actually spawn is when they will start killing other tankmates(not just clownfish). I’ve had females and males jump out of the tank when pulling their pot trying to attack me, and even had a black ice female draw blood from biting me protecting her eggs. I currently have 3 together in a tank with no issues but sizes are far away from each other. I wouldn’t expect a fairy tale ending though and I plan to take the smallest male out at the first sign of aggression(if any). Good luck

 

[Reefing_addiction]

In the wild yes. Clownfish actually have 1 female, a dominant male, and a sub male. They do this in case the female dies, the dominant becomes female and sub will be a dominant male. They will allow another smaller male into the hierarchy as long as he can hold his own. This generally doesn’t work in home aquariums as there isn’t enough space for the less dominant to get away. When they actually spawn is when they will start killing other tankmates(not just clownfish). I’ve had females and males jump out of the tank when pulling their pot trying to attack me, and even had a black ice female draw blood from biting me protecting her eggs. I currently have 3 together in a tank with no issues but sizes are far away from each other. I wouldn’t expect a fairy tale ending though and I plan to take the smallest male out at the first sign of aggression(if any). Good luck

Ok so I need to have a way to isolate my smallest male if the other two breed.

I received an extra clownfish in an order and he is smaller than the other male in the tank. Currently all three are very happy. Doing their little seizure dance lol. Smallest male does it to the larger one and the female. No aggression what so ever. Tank is lightly stocked 75. 2 mandarins, one tomini tang, cherub angelfish. And the three clowns.

I don’t want to get rid of the 3rd wheel if I don’t have to. I just want to know what I’m getting myself into.

there is more than ample room in the tank and they occupy a different location than the other fish.

You can see obvious size differences between all three. Enough of a difference that the female is the only one that has completely changed colors (3 mocha clowns) the middle male has less orange than my smallest male.
They of course all host the overflow, two inches away from my black widow nem.

 

[ThRoewer]

You guys have a wrong idea what a harem is. It means that either a male spawns with several females or a female with several males, something you see with Anthias or dwarf angels.
Clownfish generally do not form harems. What you have with them is a sexually active pair and a number of sexually immature "reservists". That isn't a harem.
Now, there are some rare cases where a Amphipron female was spawning with two males or two females with a single male. But those cases are extremely rare and more common with the larger species that live often in larger colonies.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Correct they can live in harems.... I have seen a dominant female and a dominant male and the other males kinda just hangout I want to say it was in one of the blue planet documentaries... and there’s many reefers with harem tanks... usually there’s more than 3 though to help keep aggression down but good luck to ya m8

So far no aggression out of any of them there is a noticeable size difference between the three.

and this was an accident, that male shouldn’t have been shipped to me! Iol

 

[Cook]

I have a breeding pair of ocellaris with a third small male black clownfish in a 40 breeder. In short, they tolerate him, but hate my sps frags, go figure.