Stupid plan or genius?

[Sump Crab]

I have a pair of Ocellaris clowns that are currently happy as clams living in my large RBTA. I really want a pair of true percula clownfish but am worried about them not having interest in my anemone (not a natural host species). I came up with a scheme that I thought might help. I am thinking about removing one of my ocellaris and introducing one true percula. I’m thinking that they will pair up and the percula will learn about the bta from the ocellaris. Once the percula loves the anemone I plan on removing the ocellaris and introducing a second percula to pair with the first. What do y’all think?

 

[Jekyl]

I would allow some time before adding new. Also must be smaller.
As for another pair, if you don't have a very large tank it will likely end in disaster

 

[Sump Crab]

More than 2 clowns often ends in disaster. Tank size and feeding plays a large role.

Maybe I wasn’t clear enough but I never plan on having more than 2 at once. Remove one ocellaris add one percula. Remove second ocellaris add second percula. That’s kinda the sequence of events.

 

[Jekyl]

Maybe I wasn’t clear enough but I never plan on having more than 2 at once. Remove one ocellaris add one percula. Remove second ocellaris add second percula. That’s kinda the sequence of events.

Why not just remove them both and replace with new?

 

[Jekyl]

Sorry went through the post again. Not sure on if this would help or not but would be interesting. In my case the clowns being hosted ended up being a bad thing. I barely see them and they attack me viciously

 

[Tim'sReef]

Maybe I wasn’t clear enough but I never plan on having more than 2 at once. Remove one ocellaris add one percula. Remove second ocellaris add second percula. That’s kinda the sequence of events.

If the male female compatibility works out it would be a fun experiment. If you put 2 females together fighting is highly likely going to happen over the anemone.

2 males is also tricky. I don't know how long they take to transition but you also don't know how long it will take before it goes in the anemone.

But if you figure something out I'm very interested in finding your results.

 

[Sump Crab]

Why not just remove them both and replace with new?

If you read my original post you would see my concern is the new perculas not finding my BTA (not a natural host anemone). Adding and removing one at a time was an attempt for the new perculas to easily learn about the bta.

 

[Cell]

Seems a bit cruel to pair them up only to break them up purposefully. If you've ever had one of a pair die, you'd know how seemingly depressed the survivor can get without it's mate. Nothing to lose sleep over, but if you care about that sort of thing, it's something to consider.

 

[Cell]

Why not give the percula pair a chance first before breaking up any existing mates?

 

[xiongsy]

Should be a quick transition. I think it'll work! Remove old female, add new female. Once the female is in, remove old male (which was probably chased out) and bring in the new male. I have a pair living with 2 haddonis and I know how it feels to not see them take the host.

 

[Sump Crab]

Why not give the percula pair a chance first before breaking up any existing mates?

Just trying to increase the odds of anemone/clownfish association

 

[Rjramos]

I have a pair of Ocellaris clowns that are currently happy as clams living in my large RBTA. I really want a pair of true percula clownfish but am worried about them not having interest in my anemone (not a natural host species). I came up with a scheme that I thought might help. I am thinking about removing one of my ocellaris and introducing one true percula. I’m thinking that they will pair up and the percula will learn about the bta from the ocellaris. Once the percula loves the anemone I plan on removing the ocellaris and introducing a second percula to pair with the first. What do y’all think?

I think, Try before you Pry, here is a pair of Bali Onix Picassos (percula) in a swarm of Ultra BTA tentacles . They don’t engage in it like ocellaris, but they’re not afraid or stung.

 

[xiongsy]

Let us know how it goes.

 

[D-Nak]

BTAs aren’t the natural host for Ocellaris. There’s no real need to “teach” the Percula. It’s probably less stressful just to remove the Ocellaris and introduce the Percula. I just don’t think it’s worth the time and effort, along with the added stress on the fish, to do what you’re proposing.

 

[Sump Crab]

BTAs aren’t the natural host for Ocellaris. There’s no real need to “teach” the Percula. It’s probably less stressful just to remove the Ocellaris and introduce the Percula. I just don’t think it’s worth the time and effort, along with the added stress on the fish, to do what you’re proposing.

I know for a fact that if you have a single clown being hosted by an anemone and it pairs up with a new clown that you introduce that the new clown quickly becomes hosted as well.

 

[Rjramos]

pair of Bali onyx picassos (percula) in Ultra RBTA’s

 

[Tired]

They're very likely to fight, and splitting up the pairs, even temporarily, risks both stressing them out and potentially starting the males developing into females. Clownfish don't understand "oh, I just took you away from your mate for a bit".

A new clown joining an existing one in an anemone is doing that because it's joining its new mate in doing whatever the mate is doing, not because it had to be taught that the anemone exists. It'd join its mate in hosting a clump of hair algae. Clownfish host weird things, going far beyond simply "this isn't a species of anemone they normally host".

 

[Sump Crab]

A new clown joining an existing one in an anemone is doing that because it's joining its new mate in doing whatever the mate is doing, not because it had to be taught that the anemone exists. It'd join its mate in hosting a clump of hair algae. Clownfish host weird things, going far beyond simply "this isn't a species of anemone they normally host".

That is the entire point. My ocellaris live in an anemone. The idea is the new percula will pair up with the ocellaris and live in the anemone which means I don’t have to wait indefinitely for the percula to find the anemone on its own.

 

[Cell]

I think the answer is that it may work, bit also may have some unintended and undesirable consequences. I'd care more about the harmony of the pair first and then the potential host.

 

[Sump Crab]

They're very likely to fight, and splitting up the pairs, even temporarily, risks both stressing them out and potentially starting the males developing into females. Clownfish don't understand "oh, I just took you away from your mate for a bit".

all clownfish fight when they pair up IME