Fighting Clowns

[geoffer]

I've had two percula clowns in my tank for about 3 1/2 months. Over this time the larger clown (presumably the female) would occassionaly harras the other but for the most part they were fine. Over the past couple of days, however, the female has been continually harrasing the male to the point were the male looks extreamly stressed and is attempting to hide from the female. I don't have a separate quarantine tank to move it to. Any thoughts on why the female has begun harrassing the male all of a sudden?

 

[mandarin w]

As the clowns grow, one (the bigger one) becomes the female in the tank. She will normally pick and beat the little male to a pulp. Basically it comes down to she is deciding whether she likes him and will let him become her mate. If she decides that she doesn't like him. He will be in big trouble. It is not a giving that two clown that grow together and live in the same tank will become a mated pair. And with most species, us females are a force to be reckoned with.

 

[dmcrete]

r u not married geoff?/
typical female,, tell the little guy to do as she wants and wait on her scales and fins

 

[geoffer]

If she decides that she doesn't want him as a mate and kills him should I try to add another male right away or wait awhile and let her clam down?

 

[dmcrete]

i would get rid of her first,, she seems to be very territorial, and she will probably be that way to all courtships,, are you sure they were a mated pair when you purchased them??