Natural or Aggressive behavior?

am00re34

Member
I have 2 false percula clowns that i've had for about a month now. I bought them at the same time and they were getting along great. (swimming together etc). In the past week maybe the one has become really aggressive toward the other. Chasing it around and forcing to basically hide out all day. the one that gets picked on does come get food but usually take a bite then swims away and keeps doing that.
I got really worried when the one that is getting picked on backed up into a hole in one of my rocks and just stays there completly surrounded by rock.
Is this a natual process for two clowns to go through or should i be worried and maybe seperate them for a while?
 

dawman

Active Member
Is the bigger Ocellaris picking on the smaller on ? This is normal behaver . They are having a dominance role play to determine who is boss . Basically the female[larger clown] is telling the male[smaller one] who is boss . This is a common behaver when they start to grow older .
 

earlybird

Active Member
Originally Posted by Dawman
Is the bigger Ocellaris picking on the smaller on ? This is normal behaver . They are having a dominance role play to determine who is boss . Basically the female[larger clown] is telling the male[smaller one] who is boss . This is a common behaver when they start to grow older .
The smaller male should submit to the female. If not she may kill him if he is stubborn.
 

dawman

Active Member
Originally Posted by earlybird
The smaller male should submit to the female. If not she may kill him if he is stubborn.

Not really . The only reason the female would kill it if the smaller one is a female . When one is kept alone for a while it will turn to female . Even though it is smaller , it is possible .
Were the two in the same tank together in the LFS ? Or were they in seperate tanks ?
 

am00re34

Member
these two were actually in seperate tanks. I bought 2 from the same tank, but when i got them home i realized one of the clowns was all nipped so i took him back the same day and they only had ones from a different tank.
They are small clowns (a inch to maybe 1 1/2 inches from head to tip of tail). Neither one is really larger than the other, but the mean one has a much brighter color than the other one. It doesnt appear that the mean one is nipping at the smaller one because the fins are fine, just chasing it around.
Its odd to me because the mean one chases the other one around then for a few minutes they swim around together like they are buds.
so is it safe to say i have nothing to worry about and i should just let them be?
 

am00re34

Member
thats how i bought them and they appear that way for me to. The only thing that throws me is the top one is really orange w/ really black fins where the other one is more brownish/orange.
they have started to get along better since i posted. I still seem the bully chasing the other one, but not nearly as often.
 
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