Clownfish Owners Advice

Copperkills

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2015
Location
London
Hey folks, I used to have a paired set of DaVinci clowns and Storm clowns. I lost a male storm and a female DaVinci and was left with a male Davinci and Female storm. They never really paired but slept side by side at night. The male recently has been hiding and the female is super dominant. They’ve been together for 5 months and this behaviour is very out of the norm almost like she’s rejecting him now. Am I wrong to think they may pair eventually or no? Everyone is fat and healthy but the persistent pecking is becoming bothersome.
 

Kman

Super Active Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2014
Location
KW
Female clowns can be quite aggressive towards their potential new mates. They want to make sure that the male doesn't change sex so she will constantly dominate him into submission. If the sizes are to close together this can take some time as he needs to learn to submit fully and quickly. Some females get super aggressive and cause damage or kill the potential mate if the size is to close together, the fish is to weak or just not to her liking. My female falls into that category unfortunately. I have had her over 20 years and she has killed at least 10 mates. (I used to call her the widowmaker)

The male she is paired up with now is the longest she has kept one around for and I hope it stays that way. I myself because of the aggression tend to pick a mate that is no more then half the body size of her to help speed the dominance process up and increase the chances she will accept it. A fish half her size submits fast because of the size difference and aggression from her. She is more likely to accept a juvenile over a larger fish that could turn into a female. If the fish is to big she will most likely just kill the potential mate as she will not tolerate risk to her reign.

With that being said if the aggression gets to a point where one stops eating or is looking super damaged you might have to take one out. Different color forms like you have can be tricky to pair. Since they still have weight on them give it some time as they could settle down.
 

Copperkills

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2015
Location
London
Female clowns can be quite aggressive towards their potential new mates. They want to make sure that the male doesn't change sex so she will constantly dominate him into submission. If the sizes are to close together this can take some time as he needs to learn to submit fully and quickly. Some females get super aggressive and cause damage or kill the potential mate if the size is to close together, the fish is to weak or just not to her liking. My female falls into that category unfortunately. I have had her over 20 years and she has killed at least 10 mates. (I used to call her the widowmaker)

The male she is paired up with now is the longest she has kept one around for and I hope it stays that way. I myself because of the aggression tend to pick a mate that is no more then half the body size of her to help speed the dominance process up and increase the chances she will accept it. A fish half her size submits fast because of the size difference and aggression from her. She is more likely to accept a juvenile over a larger fish that could turn into a female. If the fish is to big she will most likely just kill the potential mate as she will not tolerate risk to her reign.

With that being said if the aggression gets to a point where one stops eating or is looking super damaged you might have to take one out. Different color forms like you have can be tricky to pair. Since they still have weight on them give it some time as they could settle down.

thx for the advice, still healthy and eating, doesn’t look happy tho lol
 

Kman

Super Active Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2014
Location
KW
Just keep them fed and the hostility should settle. Well fed fish fight less usually. I am sure it will work out in the end. At this point because they are healthy and eating I wouldn't stress to much. It would suck to get beaten up all the time when all you want to do is swim around and mind your own business. lol
 
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