Clownfish Questions...

I've had my salt water aquarium for about a month and a half now, stocked with a P. Clown, a Clown Goby (Citron), and 10 red legged hermits... Today I brought home a second P. Clown (larger than the original clown, I wish I had discovered this message board earlier!), a Lubbock's Wrasse, and a Green Chromis...

The original, and smaller Clown is doing the seizure-like dominant movement, and of course the larger, newer clown is completely ignoring him... This will be the first night... How long can I expect this to go on before the smaller one gives up, dies of stress, or the larger submits? Also, which is more likely? (I think I already know the answer to this one...)

Thanks folks...
Matt

 

it depends mine took a day to dominate the lil one.but the bigger one will acknowledge him and take oer.just takes time.but the bigger one wil become the female and dominate themale.then you got love dances every week lol.gotta love those clowns

 

Just to biggy back on what Nemo22 said, the larger one will evenually be the dominant female one and the smaller one will be male. There is no specific time, only time will tell. Mother nature doesnt have a watch,lol. Luna
BTW, clowns, like many others, will and can change their sex.

 

If smaller one is already doing "clownfish shimmy" and larger one is ignoring it...

Sounds like they have already had their mating tussle...and you now have a couple.

Good Luck!

 

Anyone have a video of the shimmy? I'm not sure what to look for.

Mine shimmy, but is it "the" shimmy. lol

 

if they cross each other and starshaking then its the love dance.

 

I thought they only did the love dance at night time under blue light?

 

arty-smi Oh, are they? Umm, yeah, can't watch this...

 

Maybe the "red light" would work better.

 

I'm pretty sure it isn't "the" shimmy... It happened within five hours of them being in the tank together... The little one does more of a skipping shimmy... Like he's had too many psyche meds, or has some sort of fish version of Parkinson's Disease (not a joke... just a damn good description of the motion)... I would imagine the shimmy you are referring to would look something like the clownfish shuffle they do while swimming... This looks like hes trying to do that, but the CD he's listening to keeps skipping... Now they seem to be minding they're own business for the most part, although, every once in a while one of them will race over to where the other is to investigate what he's investigating...

The only troubling thing I've noticed is that both clownfish are racing around the aquarium continuously, like they'd do when I'd change the appliances around... Any thoughts?

Matt