Hi,
I will try keep this brief - In January I purchased an Orange storm clownfish only about an inch long, but she had been in a tank on her own for a few months - so we assumed she was female.
I really wanted a black storm to go with her, so found a seller with a bunch of juveniles (all swimming together in a massive group like they do) and picked the smallest one.
When I got them home I realised they were actually pretty much the same size, but they were inseparable immediately for a month hosting a pvc pipe in the qt tank and spending their nights swimming side by side up the back wall. Then there was a little fin nipping, nothing serious, always healed in a day and it was fairly even, not constant at all, no chasing etc. That then stopped and they seemed fine.
Since then the black/white one has grown A LOT and the orange one hasnt, black one is very dominant in terms of food and I have to make sure the orange one gets her share.
The black one has been doing the vibrating movement but its never been reciprocated.
For the last week the black one has been acting differently, more aggressive/territorial in general, she now sleeps on the pvc pipe, not swimming up the back wall with the other. Still has a ferocious appetite and totally normal during daylight hours, just seems to be lazy at night, flopping to one side on the pipe. I did initially think she was dying or had some sort of internal parasite, but since watching some videos of sleeping clowns I think she's lazy/sleeping...(they are due to be treated with GC this week as a precaution anyway).
I have noticed for the past few days they are keeping separate and the orange one is actually hosting a filter block at the back of the tank now...it looks to my novice eyes I have 2 females...should I leave them a while to see if they get over their tiff, or at what point will a female kill another female, obviously dont want to leave it too long!
If I need to split them I will be rehoming the black storm, ideally to replace with another much smaller one - do you think I would have any issues with that? The orange one is much more timid out of the two...
I will try keep this brief - In January I purchased an Orange storm clownfish only about an inch long, but she had been in a tank on her own for a few months - so we assumed she was female.
I really wanted a black storm to go with her, so found a seller with a bunch of juveniles (all swimming together in a massive group like they do) and picked the smallest one.
When I got them home I realised they were actually pretty much the same size, but they were inseparable immediately for a month hosting a pvc pipe in the qt tank and spending their nights swimming side by side up the back wall. Then there was a little fin nipping, nothing serious, always healed in a day and it was fairly even, not constant at all, no chasing etc. That then stopped and they seemed fine.
Since then the black/white one has grown A LOT and the orange one hasnt, black one is very dominant in terms of food and I have to make sure the orange one gets her share.
The black one has been doing the vibrating movement but its never been reciprocated.
For the last week the black one has been acting differently, more aggressive/territorial in general, she now sleeps on the pvc pipe, not swimming up the back wall with the other. Still has a ferocious appetite and totally normal during daylight hours, just seems to be lazy at night, flopping to one side on the pipe. I did initially think she was dying or had some sort of internal parasite, but since watching some videos of sleeping clowns I think she's lazy/sleeping...(they are due to be treated with GC this week as a precaution anyway).
I have noticed for the past few days they are keeping separate and the orange one is actually hosting a filter block at the back of the tank now...it looks to my novice eyes I have 2 females...should I leave them a while to see if they get over their tiff, or at what point will a female kill another female, obviously dont want to leave it too long!
If I need to split them I will be rehoming the black storm, ideally to replace with another much smaller one - do you think I would have any issues with that? The orange one is much more timid out of the two...
