Will my clowns bond again?

[fendanto]

Hi there! I’ve had some paired clowns since they were tiny juveniles. They spent every moment together since I brought them home and often slept nestled together under their mushrooms that they host.

It’s been about 6 months now since I got them and about 3 weeks ago they started fighting. Normal behaviour, so I let them work it out between them but after about 2 weeks, there was no clear victor as they are approximately the same size. At this point, I started noticing ripped fins and neither was letting the other eat so I

the one with the least ripped fins and set him in an in-tank jail out of sight from the other clown.

Everybody settled down and recovered from their injuries. I reintroduced them this morning and initially they both were excited and started rubbing on their mushrooms which then devolved back into charging and nipping behaviour. Mostly little mouth nips so I let that continue. Eventually, the clown who had been left out of jail started showing clear dominance. At one point I saw them exchange “shakes” and since then it seems like they’ve sorted out who’s on top.

Now the dominant one won’t let the other one join him back on the mushrooms and swims intimidatingly at them (not charging) if they get near them and will swim up and under them in a dominate manner while they’re trying to pick food out of the water column. I’ve attached a video of this behaviour: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pnjn...7-AM.mov?rlkey=j3516m1adkat5ygz5990ym4e1&dl=0

I’m wondering if I should just let this play out and whether they’ll eventually start bonding again and hosting their mushrooms together again (rather, what’s the possibility they don’t pair up). They’re the only fish in the tank.

Thanks so much!

 

[KrisReef]

They are going through puberty. There’s no way to know if they will get along or if they’ll fight to the death. They each have a choice and its up to them to decide whether they want to fight or live their lives together.

Only advice is to put carbon in the tank to absorb the excess hormones and hope for the best.

 

[fendanto]

Thank you! In the time it took for this post to get approved, they’re already back to their big dummy selves. The dominant one shaking occasionally and being basically ignored by the other (or returning a half-done little shake). Haven’t fed them yet so hopefully the dominant one will let them eat. They’re sniping pods at the moment so I think things are good for now!

I did notice the one that was in jail currently has a white stringy poop that’s not falling off. Currently going with a working theory of a change-up in diet (low food intake for weeks then suddenly mostly mysis) but will monitor if the white stringy poops continue.

 

[KrisReef]

Thank you! In the time it took for this post to get approved, they’re already back to their big dummy selves. The dominant one shaking occasionally and being basically ignored by the other (or returning a half-done little shake). Haven’t fed them yet so hopefully the dominant one will let them eat. They’re sniping pods at the moment so I think things are good for now!

I did notice the one that was in jail currently has a white stringy poop that’s not falling off. Currently going with a working theory of a change-up in diet (low food intake for weeks then suddenly mostly mysis) but will monitor if the white stringy poops continue.

@Jay Hemdal - "Stringy poop," does it matter, iyo, in the quoted post, from a symptomatic health concern?

 

[Doctorgori]

Hi there! I’ve had some paired clowns since they were tiny juveniles. They spent every moment together since I brought them home and often slept nestled together under their mushrooms that they host.

It’s been about 6 months now since I got them and about 3 weeks ago they started fighting. Normal behaviour, so I let them work it out between them but after about 2 weeks, there was no clear victor as they are approximately the same size. At this point, I started noticing ripped fins and neither was letting the other eat so I

the one with the least ripped fins and set him in an in-tank jail out of sight from the other clown.

Everybody settled down and recovered from their injuries. I reintroduced them this morning and initially they both were excited and started rubbing on their mushrooms which then devolved back into charging and nipping behaviour. Mostly little mouth nips so I let that continue. Eventually, the clown who had been left out of jail started showing clear dominance. At one point I saw them exchange “shakes” and since then it seems like they’ve sorted out who’s on top.

Now the dominant one won’t let the other one join him back on the mushrooms and swims intimidatingly at them (not charging) if they get near them and will swim up and under them in a dominate manner while they’re trying to pick food out of the water column. I’ve attached a video of this behaviour: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pnjn...7-AM.mov?rlkey=j3516m1adkat5ygz5990ym4e1&dl=0

I’m wondering if I should just let this play out and whether they’ll eventually start bonding again and hosting their mushrooms together again (rather, what’s the possibility they don’t pair up). They’re the only fish in the tank.

Thanks so much!

“Join Him” ?
in every clown relationship the dominate one is a her…
Now Watch yourself there ….
Do we need to “Cancel” you ?

 

[littlefoxx]

Hi there! I’ve had some paired clowns since they were tiny juveniles. They spent every moment together since I brought them home and often slept nestled together under their mushrooms that they host.

It’s been about 6 months now since I got them and about 3 weeks ago they started fighting. Normal behaviour, so I let them work it out between them but after about 2 weeks, there was no clear victor as they are approximately the same size. At this point, I started noticing ripped fins and neither was letting the other eat so I

the one with the least ripped fins and set him in an in-tank jail out of sight from the other clown.

Everybody settled down and recovered from their injuries. I reintroduced them this morning and initially they both were excited and started rubbing on their mushrooms which then devolved back into charging and nipping behaviour. Mostly little mouth nips so I let that continue. Eventually, the clown who had been left out of jail started showing clear dominance. At one point I saw them exchange “shakes” and since then it seems like they’ve sorted out who’s on top.

Now the dominant one won’t let the other one join him back on the mushrooms and swims intimidatingly at them (not charging) if they get near them and will swim up and under them in a dominate manner while they’re trying to pick food out of the water column. I’ve attached a video of this behaviour: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pnjn...7-AM.mov?rlkey=j3516m1adkat5ygz5990ym4e1&dl=0

I’m wondering if I should just let this play out and whether they’ll eventually start bonding again and hosting their mushrooms together again (rather, what’s the possibility they don’t pair up). They’re the only fish in the tank.

Thanks so much!

Probably will bond, my maroon female doesnt let the male share her nem, but occasionally she will go in his nem and hang out. They havnt completely paired with their size difference yet (female is 3 inches male is 1 and a half) but I think your two will be fine later!

 

[fendanto]

“Join Him” ?
in every clown relationship the dominate one is a her…
Now Watch yourself there ….
Do we need to “Cancel” you ?

Well they just got done fighting, so I’m gonna bet they haven’t gotten to that part yet!

 

[fendanto]

@Jay Hemdal - "Stringy poop," does it matter, iyo, in the quoted post, from a symptomatic health concern?

Ftr it fell off about 30-45 minutes after I made that post. Switched to a spirulina enriched brine shrimp earlier to be on the safe side and everyone’s appetite seems to be great. No behavioural or physical changes.

And they’re eating together and roaming away from the mushrooms together, something they actually rarely did before!

 

[littlefoxx]

Yeah clowns are weird. I got a 12 year old female and a 6 year old female from the store, guy said they can change back to male. So far they love each other. The big girl nipped a little at the others fins (the smaller one is half the size of the big female) but seems to accept that its a he now and shes the boss lady lol and just follows her everywhere

 

[fendanto]

It only took about a day before they were back at it. The one who had established dominance before seems to be have stayed the primary aggressor but neither of them will stop charging at or nipping at the other long enough for either of them to eat. I’ve been broadcasting whole frozen cubes of cyclops in batches so they can maybe eat a tiny bit while they’re swimming around. I guess one or the other will tire out before long with such poor nutrition

 

[Harold999]

Stringy poop that won't fall off is empty mucus, which means he hasn't eaten in a while.