Pairing going wrong?! Fighting maroons

[mnkchckn]

I have had a gold nugget in the tank for about 6 months who’s about an inch and a half and decided to try pairing with a lightning maroon that’s 2 and a half inches. My smaller fish seems more aggressive. They both occasionally do the submissive wiggle to each other then fight?! I rlly love both fish and want them to pair. I am alternating them in and out of the nursery. Also someone advised me not to pair maroons at all on the forum however my local reef shop premium Aquatics said that it could go okay.

 

[lmforbis]

Guaranteed they are both female. Maroons change very fast and at a very young age, if they are alone. It is very rare you will get a bonded pair. You need to start with two very small clowns picked from a large group and add them at the same time. I’d pick the one you like best and recomend the other. Most likely outcome is one will kill the other.

 

[mnkchckn]

Guaranteed they are both female. Maroons change very fast and at a very young age, if they are alone. It is very rare you will get a bonded pair. You need to start with two very small clowns picked from a large group and add them at the same time. I’d pick the one you like best and recomend the other. Most likely outcome is one will kill the other.

Well the gold nugget has also done the shaking/wiggle thing several times with its back towards the larger fish

 

[lmforbis]

That is because they are both female. You can’t have two female clowns. They will fight until one dies.

 

[lmforbis]

Never trust your local store. They are trying to make a sale.