Possible Future Mated Pair?

[pyro]

I bought 2 true tank raised percs from a LFS about a month ago. Both were about an inch if not a little under. The one is slightly larger, but not significantly...
They still pick on each other here and there, does that mean they will never mate? I thought it was just a way to establish a female.
Will they settle out in time?
Thanks!

 

[gati]

I wouldn't bet on it. unless you bought them as a mated pair, then one will grow bigger than the other, establish domiance as the female, pick on the male and then you will have to get one out of your tank. I know this becuase it happend to my tomatoe clowns.
good luck though

 

[thegrog]

I disagree completely. They will pick and nip for a while and then one will establish herself as the dominant female and the other will become male. In absence of any other clowns, they will pair up. It is normal for the female to pick on the male for a while. She is just asserting herself as the dominant one of the pair.
I have never had percs start out as a juvenile pair not become a mated pair.

 

[gati]

all i know is that the female picked at my male until he had no dorsal or tailfins-almost down to the bone. I thought eventually she would stop, but she didn't. I had to take her out of the tank. guess i just didn't get a lucky pair.

 

[thegrog]

Originally posted by gati
all i know is that the female picked at my male until he had no dorsal or tailfins-almost down to the bone. I thought eventually she would stop, but she didn't. I had to take her out of the tank. guess i just didn't get a lucky pair.
You may have inadvertantly picked up two females. In LFSs, they get large shipments of clowns in. Many of them were raised in different grow out tanks. Each one will have a dominant fish (female). They take fish from multiple growout tanks and send them off. You may have gotten unlucky and picked two females. They can establish --- early so getting them small is not a true guarantee.