Hello from Kentucky

I've been tring to set up a sw tank form Feb to now. I need help. Ok I have a few questions and need some advice. I got everything under control and even set up a isolation tank. I got a new clown for my son before he had dental surgery. Our present clown is 1.5 in long and 1 in tall. We‘ve had it for about 3 weeks. From what I’ve read the larger clown would be the d. female. And that a clown this size is all ready sexed. So I special ordered the smallest clown that the lfs could get so I shouldn’t have a problem with putting them together. It came in while I was in Lexington for his surgery. Well my husband did everything to get it into the tank (an air stone, 2 hour drip acclimating regulated with a valve, and then floated for 30 min), .
Well our bigger clown and the smaller clown started swimming around together. The bigger clown then proceeded to back it’s tail fin up to the little one. After a while the clowns started just swimming around.
Now the trouble started the big clown stated grabbing the smaller clown’s fins. Before he could get it out of the tank, the bigger clown killed the little one. So now we have a 4 yr old in pain and begging for another “nemo”.
What did we do wrong? Any suggestions will be welcomed.

 

Welcome to 3reef! Sorry I can't help you., not educated in clown breeding.... Just wanted to welcome you.

 

Welcome to 3reef.

With trying to mate clowns it is a luck of the draw. You done right by getting a smaller one as they do change sex. I would try and get another one that is much smaller and see what happens. You may have a evil clown in the tank already.

 

Welcome to 3reef!

What kind of clowns are they? You cannot put to females in a tank smaller then 75g, or they will fight to the death. The original clown you have is a Female (they all morph into female when there is no female present they do not morph back into a male). In order to get a male, you have to get a baby and hope for the best unless you get them from a brood stock where there could 10-20 fish in one tank from one hatching, there will only be one female, the rest will be males (its called males in waiting). When the dominant female dies, the dominant male turns into the female and and the next male in waiting turns into the dominant male.

So more then likely you bought a female, put in your tank with another female, and they fought to the death. The tail rubbing "swaggle", is the way the big female was checking the other.

 

I would suggest buying the clown fish book by Joyce Wilkinson she has been breeding them for 20 yrs and was about the first to get them to breeding . She literally wrote the book on the subject.

 

Anything I have read on clowns is either to get a trio then take the odd man out when they pair up or buy a mated pair from the start. Hope this helps a bit. I have two Clarki`s that are paired up but have never spawned for me. They have done all the ritual dancing and cleaning of a nest area but never got any eggs yet.

 

They are percula clowns, which we were told are very easy going and not very aggressive. I'm not trying to breed them I just want my son to be happy. I'm planning to go to the pet store today when I take my pom to the vet and get another clown. Hopefully I can get another one if not I'll order one. I've got a breedery from when I had my fresh water fish. I plan to put the new clown in it but it has no lid. Would it be ok to use plastic wrap or press & seal to seal the top so that it doesn't jump out of the breedery? Is there any way to tell a male from a female?

 

Try to buy the smallest you can find. The smaller it is, the more likely it hasnt morphed yet.

 

I know your not trying to breed them. No way of telling as they can change their sex. I would still buy two of them not one. Let your LFS know that you will be bringing one back after they pair up. Or get a bigger one then the one thats in there but I think getting two of them would be better...JMO. No need to take anything with you, they place the fish in a bag.

 

Howdy and welcome to 3Reef