Maroon Clown Fish

[jpontier212]

I have a small little guy maroon clownfish. I want to possible pair him up but i keep hearing that If i bring 2 of then together they'll kill each other. Can i successfully pair some up? My little one is about 2 inches long. I was thinking if i put both of them in the QT at the same time no one is none the wiser of their surroundings or won't stake claim to their new surroundings. Thoughts please. I don't want to lose my clown.

 

[jsker]

Maroons are feisty little guys. I have one now, and I am waiting till it gets older before I add another. The one I have now was added 6 moths ago to par with one that I already had. The larger one passed and I have been told to wait. Mine is about 2 inches now. I will probably wait anther 4 months before I add another

 

[BluewaterLa]

Around the same size would be your best bet. And putting them into a QT together is a smart idea, this would allow you to separate them easier if they don't get along.

I have had success with pairing maroon clowns. Got two the same size about an inch or less in size, they were small.
At first all was fine as they stayed on separate sides of the tank. It seemed almost as if they notice the rose bubble tip anemone at the same time.
This is the point where they started to scuffle. I did get nervous fearing I wouldn't be able to get one out in time to save it in such a large tank with full stock of corals. To my surprise just some tattered fins from the fighting and three days later they worked out a pecking order where the more dominant one hosted the huge anemone while the other stayed below it. Within about two weeks they both were hosting at the same time and enjoyed one another's company.
So it can be done, it will get to your nerves some as well.
Just remember that in a smaller tank like a Qt you can always be ready to put a divider in the tank or just remove one if you feel you can't watch the scuffles or one clown is clearly not going to make it through the aggression.
Hope this helps,
Good luck and happy reefing

 

[jpontier212]

Around the same size would be your best bet. And putting them into a QT together is a smart idea, this would allow you to separate them easier if they don't get along.

I have had success with pairing maroon clowns. Got two the same size about an inch or less in size, they were small.
At first all was fine as they stayed on separate sides of the tank. It seemed almost as if they notice the rose bubble tip anemone at the same time.
This is the point where they started to scuffle. I did get nervous fearing I wouldn't be able to get one out in time to save it in such a large tank with full stock of corals. To my surprise just some tattered fins from the fighting and three days later they worked out a pecking order where the more dominant one hosted the huge anemone while the other stayed below it. Within about two weeks they both were hosting at the same time and enjoyed one another's company.
So it can be done, it will get to your nerves some as well.
Just remember that in a smaller tank like a Qt you can always be ready to put a divider in the tank or just remove one if you feel you can't watch the scuffles or one clown is clearly not going to make it through the aggression.
Hope this helps,
Good luck and happy reefing

Thank you so much. This is so inspiring. I thought he would be alone forever.

 

[jpontier212]

Maroons are feisty little guys. I have one now, and I am waiting till it gets older before I add another. The one I have now was added 6 moths ago to par with one that I already had. The larger one passed and I have been told to wait. Mine is about 2 inches now. I will probably wait anther 4 months before I add another

Thank you so much for the advise

 

[FishOfHex]

I have a small little guy maroon clownfish. I want to possible pair him up but i keep hearing that If i bring 2 of then together they'll kill each other. Can i successfully pair some up? My little one is about 2 inches long. I was thinking if i put both of them in the QT at the same time no one is none the wiser of their surroundings or won't stake claim to their new surroundings. Thoughts please. I don't want to lose my clown.

If you are able to get another one that is the same size that is best I would wait until you can do that. What will happen if they are around the same size one will become the female and they will pair off. As always do a 4 week min quarantine period. Best of luck

 

[jsker]

Thank you so much for the advise

Your welcome

 

[Oceansize]

Maroons are notoriously finicky about what other clowns they will allow in their midst. Left alone for just a few months (or weeks?), clowns will invariably turn female, and as far as I understand, they don't turn back. Therefore, your current clown will soon be female if it isn't already and will always be that way. So a successful pairing means you'll have to get lucky and introduce a male. The new one should be the same size or smaller. It can be done, but there could be some trial & error. I have yet to succeed introducing any other clowns, fortunately my LFS has taken back the new one(s) without issue. That's because, if they aren't getting along, I isolate them immediately until I can get back to the LFS, since the LFS won't take back a damaged fish.

My wife has a salad spinner and the mesh bowl inside floats just barely at the surface. I found it works great for isolating bullies. We don't use it for salad any more. lol.

 

[james lance]

It's best to get one alot bigger so they will pair easily.

 

[BluewaterLa]

From my understanding of all the literature I've read through the years is that all clowns are born male. All will stay male until the need arises for a female or the dominant female dies in the case of communal species like the ocelleris clowns.
For the maroon species it takes more than just a few weeks or months for the single kept to become female.
The males usually stay small around or under 2 1/2 inches while the females are the ones that reach the larger size of 3 - 5 inches matured.

I'm no guru here just passing along what has been read in books and from actual experience with clowns from personal tanks and friends tanks.

Getting a larger size clown would increase the mortality rate of the smaller one as the aggression will be worse or more intense. Think of it as an 20 year old male beating up on a grade school kid, big size and strength difference.

 

[Oceansize]

It's best to get one alot bigger so they will pair easily.

The female will be the bigger one. Assuming the current tank inhabitant is the female (based on time in solitude), the new addition should be the same size or smaller. If you add a much bigger one, odds are you're putting two females in the tank together.

 

[Oceansize]

For the maroon species it takes more than just a few weeks or months for the single kept to become female.

FWIW, the reading I've done stands in direct contradiction to this. But I can't recall my source and I'm not in the mood to argue so, I'm merely mentioning this so the OP knows we're not authorities, lol.

 

[I Take Cars]

I added 1 to a pair... The female wasn't happy at first and kept him in the corner. Added another nem and they are all happy. Pair is a gold flake maroon and the 3rd is a misbar maroon

 

[I Take Cars]

Miss Chops alot... attacks me every time I put my hand in the tank

 

[I Take Cars]

 

[RyanCSGO]

If or when you do add a second one. Do not be surprised if the smaller one twitches in front of the larger. It almost looks like a little seizure, freaked me out the first time i saw it. Its the clown sub-missing to the other. Clowns are fun, so much personality

 

[jpontier212]

Awesome. Thank you so much. It's giving me more confidence by the second. Great pictures by the way