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Signs of a clown pair?


Melissa

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I got two clowns one, false perc, one true a few weeks ago. I have what I think is a largish true perc female that was in a tank for about 2 years, and went to the Dome and picked up a small false, (thinking the one I just got was a false too). I let them meet through the transfer containers, and the large one shook like she was having a seizure. After about an hour of acclimation next to each other, she calmed down and I released them. They both claimed a rock/cave and have since stayed together. They killed my firefish as well. :unsure: Yet, they leave the two convict blennies, and the two PJs alone...

Sometimes I see the "female" shake at the smaller one, almost to keep it in place. But never have they actually fought. No sparring, locking mouths, or damage. Just shimmying. Is it possible for a true and false perc to pair? Saltwater is new to me so sorry if this is dumb. Please share any info that could be useful. Thank you so much.

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no its not. They will most likely kill the odd one unless you have a very large tank. It might take a little while, but unless there is enough space, you will have some huge territory issues.

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I saw Martin Moe speak at a MAAST meeting years ago and he speculated on hybrid clowns. Hybrids are almost commonplace with some of the angels. I saw what looked like attempted courtship behavior several times between a Yellow Tail damsel and two Fiji damsels. With your trio my guess is you've got about a 50/50 chance of one of them getting ostracized but probably it will be chased into a corner where you can catch and remove it before it is seriously injured or killed.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I finally reread my post, and I realized I wasn't really clear.Let me try again lol. I only have 2 clowns total. I got what I thought was a false perc, so right after I picked it up, I went to the dome and asked for another to match her. But when I got them side by side in the car, they looked different. They still will not leave each other more than a few inches, and are acting like they are in love with a piece of real estate (rock). I should have first posted pics of them asking what they were to make sure. I guess I can do that now, and then come back with what I find.

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The seizures sound like the mating dance both my pairs do. Keep an eye out for eggs on the underside of rocks where they hang out. They're bright orange when first laid and turn brown over the next 7 days.

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How old do they have to be before they lay? I know one (who i believe is female) is two years old, the other not sure. What age or size do they have to be before they become "mature"?

Thanks for all the great replies too. :wub:

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Lower salinity levels have been known to trigger many fish into spawning(but can be quite detrimental to corals and inverts)

corals hate me anyways so I will just admire them from a distance, on the other side of peoples tanks lol. I'm no where near ready to breed them, so for now until we finish putting their new home together, they can just eat and dance all they want.

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How old do they have to be before they lay? . . .

I haven't read anything on when they reach sexual maturity but based on my own own experiences with captive raised clowns I'd say about 2 years.

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