Percula Clown "Pair"?

[nrage]

So, I've been reading a lot about clowns liking to pair up and such, and just had a few questions about it. I understand that they can change ---, and that the larger more dominant one usually becomes the female and smaller becomes the male. I'm still early on in my tank, and don't yet have an anenome.
So, when i first went to add my clowns, my preferred LFS only had one in stock, about 1.5 inches. I bought it, then went to another LFS and bought another Percula Clown that was slightly smaller, about one inch.
They were my first two fish, I released them into the tank at the same time, along with a green reef chromis. After a little while, they discovered one another. They seemed to get along well. They swam together a little and such. They still get along, are never agressive with one another, etc. Ocasionally in the morning, I'll wake up to find them near one another at the bottom of the tank (I assume sleeping), but to be honest, during the daylight hours, they don't spend much time together, and the little one seems to hang around with the chromis a lot.
So, I guess All I want to know is, are they "paired" up? Do I have to have an anenome beore the pairing will really take place? I'm not expecting them to breed yet or anything, I just want to know that at some point I might be able to try to breed them, and know that the pairing is vital for that to ever take place...

 

[smoney]

No, unfortunetly they arent paired up yet. Pairing up means that they are mating and laying eggs. Right now they are just together. If you get lucky they will pair up. It should take about 6 months to a year, thats if you get lucky. Anemones require high light like MH lighting. My two true percula clowns are currently hosting my frogspawn and hammer coral. Their really neat, at one point I had an anemone and they sleep like deep in the anemone, right now, at nights they sleep in my hammer coral. The clowns are some sweet fish. I hope I answered your question, do you have any more?
:happyfish :happyfish

 

[nrage]

Originally Posted by SMoney
No, unfortunetly they arent paired up yet. Pairing up means that they are mating and laying eggs. Right now they are just together. If you get lucky they will pair up. It should take about 6 months to a year, thats if you get lucky. Anemones require high light like MH lighting. My two true percula clowns are currently hosting my frogspawn and hammer coral. Their really neat, at one point I had an anemone and they sleep like deep in the anemone, right now, at nights they sleep in my hammer coral. The clowns are some sweet fish. I hope I answered your question, do you have any more?
:happyfish :happyfish
Thanks, That helped a lot. I didn't really know how long it would take, but I'm sure they aren't mating yet. Might not even be old enough to...I have a 4x65W corallife lighting system with the actinic lights, that should be enough light for an anenome and stuff down the road, correct?

 

[luckyever]

I have one Percula Clown for for six months. Then, I added a smaller Percula Clown three months ago. However, the larger clown is still agressive to the smaller one. Any idea to make them get along?

 

[coachklm]

i have a mated pair of percs......can these be in the same tank as 2 other (not mated)percs?

 

[smoney]

Originally Posted by nrage
Thanks, That helped a lot. I didn't really know how long it would take, but I'm sure they aren't mating yet. Might not even be old enough to...I have a 4x65W corallife lighting system with the actinic lights, that should be enough light for an anenome and stuff down the road, correct?
Well, what size tank is it? I really wouldnt recommend an anemone without Metal Halide lighting, they require alot of light.
Originally Posted by luckyever
I have one Percula Clown for for six months. Then, I added a smaller Percula Clown three months ago. However, the larger clown is still agressive to the smaller one. Any idea to make them get along?
The reason the original clownfish is aggressive to the new one, is become he got territorial, with that tank all to himself for like six months. They are like damsels, with there aggressiveness.
Originally Posted by coachKLM
i have a mated pair of percs......can these be in the same tank as 2 other (not mated)percs?
I wouldnt put them in a tank with the other two percs, if they really are mated pair, they will probably kill off the other two non-mated percs.

 

[coachklm]

ok can a maroon go in with 2 percs?unmated/?

 

[smoney]

Originally Posted by coachKLM
ok can a maroon go in with 2 percs?unmated/?
I wouldnt put a maroon clown with any two clowns, they are really aggressive. My rule of thumb is 2 clowns per tank. If you had a 180 gallon tank I would say, maybe 4-6 clowns, and thats a maybe. Clowns are territorial and will kill off all the other clowns until their are only two clowns left.

 

[nrage]

Well, what size tank is it? I really wouldnt recommend an anemone without Metal Halide lighting, they require alot of light.
It's a 60 Gallon. The light has 2 65 Watt 10,000k flourescent lamps and 2 65 Watt Blue Actinic Lights.

 

[smoney]

Dont tell anyone I told you, but you might be able to get away with keeping an anemone. My friend is trying one, in his 50 gallon tank that has 152 watts, its a big chance though. They really do require MH's.

 

[nrage]

Originally Posted by SMoney
Dont tell anyone I told you, but you might be able to get away with keeping an anemone. My friend is trying one, in his 50 gallon tank that has 152 watts, its a big chance though. They really do require MH's.
I had the exact same lighting system recommended at 2 different LFS. They both said that with my size tank and my setup, it would be adequate for about anything. i know its a LFS, but I kind of believe them. I mean I dropped about 5-600 on all my other equipment I was getting at the time, you think they would have offered a possible upgrade being as though I had spent so much.
Also, My GF was setting up her tank a little earlier, and later upgraded to this same system (reccommended by a store near her). She bought a nice green carpet anenome and it is thriving (although she hsa a 55 gallon).
Still I'm thinking it will be OK, but I want to be positive everything is cycling good and all before I go much further.

 

[smoney]

Thats good! let me know how it goes. Wait how much lighting does your gf have for the carpet anemone, I want one so bad, but They need tons of lighting.

 

[nrage]

Originally Posted by SMoney
Thats good! let me know how it goes. Wait how much lighting does your gf have for the carpet anemone, I want one so bad, but They need tons of lighting.
She has the exact same light setup, but on a 55 gallon (same dimensions as mine only a few inches shorter). The anenome has been in there a couple weeks, probably 6 inches in diamater when it spreads out, and looks great. She has a couple damsels that have claimed it, so the clown fish aren't using it yet...we're about to get the damsels out of there....

 

[wla1610]

About the only anemone you can keep without useing MH lighting is the Bubble Tip Anemone. Go to the clownfish/anemone forum. They will all tell you the same thing. Even the BTA needs a decent WPG. I can't remember what the minimum that they are recommending but I think you need atleast 4-5 WPG with PC lighting for the BTA.
Best bet is to go over there and read up a bit. Thomas has tons of BTA anemone in his tank. He posted a few pictures recently and he would be one of the best to talk to.

 

[thomas712]

My 55 gallon recommondation is this.
I once used 80 watts and that was no good, BTA shrank and was on its way out. Upgraded lighting to 360 watts of VHO and it sprang to life, split once, twice and they were doing great. Minimum I would suggest 220 watts of either PC or VHO, I much prefer VHO myself.
So 55 gallon aquarium
at least 220 watts of PC or VHO
enough live rock for a BTA to be able to go 1/2 or more up the water column
Tank raised BTA if possible as they tend to be hardier.
Sand substrate.
The VHO system that I used was a 4 bulb fixture. I used two URI 50/50's and 2- URI actinic bulbs.
Thomas