Extreme clown fighting, help?

[An_Enemy]

Our first clown is 8-15 months old and 1.7 inches in size and has been with us for 3 months. The second is just over 2 inches and we're not sure how old it is.
The second was introduced a few days ago and everything seemed fine, the first was submitting.

This morning we woke up to find the clowns had been fighting viciously, squaring off and ramming at each other. We put the first clown in a bag in the hopes that it would lose any aggression.

Is clownfish fighting usually this violant? Could a clown that's less than two inches and barely over a year old be a female?

 

[NY_Caveman]

Our first clown is 8-15 months old and 1.7 inches in size and has been with us for 3 months. The second is just over 2 inches and we're not sure how old it is.
The second was introduced a few days ago and everything seemed fine, the first was submitting.

This morning we woke up to find the clowns had been fighting viciously, squaring off and ramming at each other. We put the first clown in a bag in the hopes that it would lose any aggression.

Is clownfish fighting usually this violant? Could a clown that's less than two inches and barely over a year old be a female?

Clowns can be violent to each other. An acclimation box might help them get used to each other, but might not. Usually it is recommended to add a smaller clown than the one that is already established (I know, too late for that). If they happen to be two females they will probably never get along.

How big is the aquarium? If small that may make it tough as well.

 

[An_Enemy]

Clowns can be violent to each other. An acclimation box might help them get used to each other, but might not. Usually it is recommended to add a smaller clown than the one that is already established (I know, too late for that). If they happen to be two females they will probably never get along.

How big is the aquarium? If small that may make it tough as well.

I've been looking for something to put him in with holes that's big enough to not cause too much stress. I took apart the live rock to put a separator in but the smaller clown squeezed through the holes.
The tank is a 20 gallon, they're not adults yet so but is it still too small?

 

[NY_Caveman]

I've been looking for something to put him in with holes that's big enough to not cause too much stress. I took apart the live rock to put a separator in but the smaller clown squeezed through the holes.
The tank is a 20 gallon, they're not adults yet so but is it still too small?

A standard 20 should be fine for those fish. Are there any others? Let me summon #reefsquad and see if there are other suggestions.

 

[An_Enemy]

A standard 20 should be fine for those fish. Are there any others? Let me summon #reefsquad and see if there are other suggestions.

The only other fish are a coral goby and a chalk goby. The chalk goby likes to bully the clown, so I was hoping that had suppressed any feeling of dominance.

 

[kristinarenee]

Our first clown is 8-15 months old and 1.7 inches in size and has been with us for 3 months. The second is just over 2 inches and we're not sure how old it is.
The second was introduced a few days ago and everything seemed fine, the first was submitting.

This morning we woke up to find the clowns had been fighting viciously, squaring off and ramming at each other. We put the first clown in a bag in the hopes that it would lose any aggression.

Is clownfish fighting usually this violant? Could a clown that's less than two inches and barely over a year old be a female?

They are probably both female and can actually fight till one kills the other. Best to get a baby to make sure its not female. I have a 4" female and added another that was only about 9 weeks old after quaranteen. I was scared cause it was so small but she immediately started protectimg him from all other fish.

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

I agree most likely you have two females that are going to fight till the end.

 

[reef lover]

Yupchose the female u want and get a new male very imprtant hes still in a group so hes still male and try agiain...took me 3 times to pair up my one black and white clown.

 

[Captain Quint]

A clownfish kept by its self will become a female quickly if it is physically mature enough. In fact, that could be in as little as a month.

Two female clowns will fight.

The tell-tale sign that you have two females fighting ending with the two locking their mouths together. Has that been happening?

 

[davocean]

At those sizes I agree, good chance both female.
Usually we add smaller to existing, no more than an inch and a quarter, to make sure still male, and even then we use acclimation box, as a female does not always accept certain males

 

[reefwiser]

I wouldn't put two clowns in a tank that were not a mated pair. A breeding pair will do fine together in a 20 gallon even a ten-gallon works. I had 5 ten gallons with pairs when I bred them hooked together no problem

 

[davocean]

Many people pair up clowns successfully, it's not that big of a deal most of the time, but some can be fussy, why we use acclimation boxes, safe, easy to pull if female is obviously trying to get at it wanting to kill it, which usually is fairly obvious