Need help pairing clownfish

D_Reep1106 · Dec 21, 2015

Hey guys,

I have never paired clownfish that I didn't buy at the same time out of the same tank so I need some experienced help and any advice is greatly appreciated. I have one goldflake maroon clownfish that I've had about a year and the coloring is just starting to come in and its around an inch and a half. It's docile and rarely messes with other tank mates(all peaceful).I am upgrading tanks to a 120 or 150 here soon and am getting a gold nugget most likely for this clown. Any advice besides I plan on introducing them at the same time to the new tank or should I introduce them to each other before hand? Thanks again and any advice is helpful!

DeniseAndy · Dec 21, 2015

I don't have direct experience with maroons. However, I do with ocellaris, percula, clarkii, nigripes (skunk). These guys have been pretty easy (except my black and white ocellaris). Two instances I had to add to an existing fish, others I usually buy babies and let them decide.

When added to an existing fish, I found the best way is to get a juvenile (small as possible) to add to with the already established clown. This way, they do not feel as threatened and the established will become the dominant one (as it will surely feel anyway). This has worked wonderfully for me in all but my black and white. She has not accepted any babies I put with her. She already had a nem, and I think that had a lot to do with it. However, I think she just may want to be a lonely old catfish lady too.

I am giving her to a breeder who is going to try to match her up by giving the baby the home first and adding her a bit later. We will see how she does.

Try to get a baby (6 months old or so), she should do okay.

D_Reep1106 · Dec 21, 2015

Thank you that's very helpful I'll see if the guy I'm getting them from has a juvenile.

reefhobby · Dec 21, 2015

I heard gold lakes are very hard to pair

Liquid360 · Jan 31, 2016

I had a pair... After a year the female murdered the male. She then paired up with another maroon and they've been okay. Maroons are finicky about their mates. You might have to lose a few before she's happy.

ddwatson · Jan 31, 2016

When pairing maroons you will have to keep a close eye on the male you introduce. The females are very picky and harsh to the males even once successfully paired. They often kill them. When I was breeding clownfish I only bought already mated pairs of maroons, because they were just too hard to pair without loss. They are unlike all the other species of clowns that may beat their potential mate up, they rarely kill them. Maroons often kill, sometimes quickly so please keep a close eye.

Liquid360 · Jan 31, 2016

Your best worst option would be adding a MUCH larger maroon. Then let nature take its course.

D_Reep1106 · Jan 31, 2016

So I have a female that is just starting to change colors and a very small gold nugget that is still all white that I plan on introducing into the new tank when I move the big maroon over so they are both in a a new tank at the same time.

Liquid360 · Jan 31, 2016

How do you know it's a female?

D_Reep1106 · Jan 31, 2016

Her mannerisms, size, and aggression. Ive had many maroons single and mated pairs but have never tried to introduce 2 singles into a pair.

Liquid360 · Feb 1, 2016

Just stick with adding a much larger clown. It's your best bet at minimizing dead clowns.

Sully · Feb 1, 2016

Liquid360 said:
Just stick with adding a much larger clown. It's your best bet at minimizing dead clowns.

That makes no sense to me. His is almost surely a female. Adding a larger one would most likely be a female as well. That's just asking for a blood bath.

Liquid360 · Feb 2, 2016

Not true. They're both male/female. The dominant fish becomes the female. A larger clown can defend itself and will then become the female/dominant. They aren't actually make or female till they actually reproduce.

DeniseAndy · Feb 2, 2016

To my experience and understanding the clownfish are certainly all born male. As they mature, the more dominant and stronger aggressors will become female.

If only one exists in an aquarium, it will become female as it ages. Now if there is a hosting possibility, the clownfish will take host and then turn female if no other more dominant clown exists.

I have had many pairings of babies to older clowns, never the other way around. If I tried once to add a clown even similar in size to my black and white (which has lived alone with her nem) she will kill it ( I removed before happened). She has chased even babies out of the tank.

Clownfish cannot go back to being male, so if one has changed and you add a larger (more than likely female), you are asking for a death.

Liquid360 · Feb 2, 2016

This method is how have a maroon goldflake pair.

D_Reep1106 · Feb 2, 2016

DeniseAndy said:
To my experience and understanding the clownfish are certainly all born male. As they mature, the more dominant and stronger aggressors will become female.

If only one exists in an aquarium, it will become female as it ages. Now if there is a hosting possibility, the clownfish will take host and then turn female if no other more dominant clown exists.

I have had many pairings of babies to older clowns, never the other way around. If I tried once to add a clown even similar in size to my black and white (which has lived alone with her nem) she will kill it ( I removed before happened). She has chased even babies out of the tank.

Clownfish cannot go back to being male, so if one has changed and you add a larger (more than likely female), you are asking for a death.

This has been my experience too and why I am being careful of sizing. I have the 2 fish already and they are a great fit as far as sex. What tips to pairing an established female with a smaller male do you have?

DeniseAndy · Feb 2, 2016

Maybe maroons do not change as fast as the other species. I know they are a special species of their own.

Glad it has worked for you. I just have not had that experience.

DeniseAndy · Feb 2, 2016

Every time I have introduced a baby to a larger clown already established, I just put them near each other. I have done this in a 210g, 40g, 6g, and in my sump sections that are maybe 10 -20g each.

The 210g introduction was two baby snowflakes to a mocha that lost its mate to jumping in overflow (down, down, bang in sock, not good). One baby seemed to bond immediately to the mocha. Then, by the next day the other baby was on the other side of the tank miserable and bullied. I removed the little guy and placed him in another tank.

In my 40g I introduced a baby onyx perc to my year and a half old onyx perc and they took immediately to each other.

Now my black and white occellaris would not pair with any babies I placed with her when she lost her bonded partner. She was only 1.5yrs with a nem, but could not get her to accept another. I did not try a larger one as she was in a small tank and ready to leave to go back to breeder anyway. He will try to pair her up. I think without the nem she will do fine.

My others were just all young 6months or so and I paired them up and put them together confined for a few months. My maldives (nigripes) are in my 210g and paired up nicely in qt. Female is huge and male is tiny. They came in around the same size.