Is this normal of clownfish?

OneOtter · Jun 22, 2021

Okay so pretty simple I have a black snowflake clownfish I got from one store and a darwin clownfish I got a couple days later. The two get get along very well they are virtually the same size and I think they are just figuring out gender right now. So both were tank raised and never cared for anemones after I introduced them, but starting this morning the darwin was chillin in the anemone and the black snowflake has been interested but as he gets close the two have a standoff for a second then the darwin chases him from the anemone for a second. I personally don't see a major issue I think the darwin is learning to get use to the anemone and trying to show dominance over the snowflake, they don't really fight but I am just curious of others opinions and what happened with your clownfish when they first messed with anemones? (It's a green bubble tip anemone) so before taking the video the darwin nipped the black snowflakes tail and actually took a small nic out of it from what I saw so should I be worried or does that happen with it trying to be the dominant.

Azedenkae · Jun 22, 2021

OneOtter said:
Okay so pretty simple I have a black snowflake clownfish I got from one store and a darwin clownfish I got a couple days later. The two get get along very well they are virtually the same size and I think they are just figuring out gender right now. So both were tank raised and never cared for anemones after I introduced them, but starting this morning the darwin was chillin in the anemone and the black snowflake has been interested but as he gets close the two have a standoff for a second then the darwin chases him from the anemone for a second. I personally don't see a major issue I think the darwin is learning to get use to the anemone and trying to show dominance over the snowflake, they don't really fight but I am just curious of others opinions and what happened with your clownfish when they first messed with anemones? (It's a green bubble tip anemone) so before taking the video the darwin nipped the black snowflakes tail and actually took a small nic out of it from what I saw so should I be worried or does that happen with it trying to be the dominant.

How big are the clownfish? I am a bad judge of sizes.

OneOtter · Jun 22, 2021

in length roughly 2 inches each maybe a centimeter longer or so they are roughly the same size, and so when i look at them they stop and stare face to face for a second or two then the black snowflake starts to back up and they just do that but the darwin seems to be the dominant between the two from this so I think they are doing this so the Darwin can be the female is what it seems like tbh. I also just inspected the black snowflake and the nic on it's tail is the only nic on the fish and seems like the darwin only goes for the tail and the black snowflake is hanging by the rock next to the anemone like in the short video i posted.

JayA · Jun 22, 2021

my two clowns get along well outside of the anemone, but only one can go in... it keeps the other from it with a standoff if he gets too close, but no chasing or nipping fortunately.

OneOtter · Jun 22, 2021

JayA said:
my two clowns get along well outside of the anemone, but only one can go in... it keeps the other from it with a standoff if he gets too close, but no chasing or nipping fortunately.

It sounds like one is trying to establish dominance, granted in my other tank the female does that to the male all the time.

Azedenkae · Jun 22, 2021

OneOtter said:
in length roughly 2 inches each maybe a centimeter longer or so they are roughly the same size, and so when i look at them they stop and stare face to face for a second or two then the black snowflake starts to back up and they just do that but the darwin seems to be the dominant between the two from this so I think they are doing this so the Darwin can be the female is what it seems like tbh. I also just inspected the black snowflake and the nic on it's tail is the only nic on the fish and seems like the darwin only goes for the tail and the black snowflake is hanging by the rock next to the anemone like in the short video i posted.

Welp, 2 inches is pretty large. There's a chance both are females by now, though you are kinda at the boundary there so not 100% absolute. That's my only concern.

Unfortunately I don't know if you can actually sex clownfish unless you open them up. XD So in this case either have to let them be and hope for the best, or have to return one. D: