Wierd clown behavior (imagine that)

[ryebread]

Okay folks, I need some help.
I added a fairly large True Percula to my tank a few days ago. I already have a small true perc (that is what the LFS said.......looks like a false to me) in the tank that is about half the size of the new arrival. Anyway......the percs did not get off to a great start but, after about thirty minutes or so they were best friends.
They are doing some strange things now ~
1. The percs are both sleeping in a large colony of Xenia each night right beside one another. Fine by me.
2. The percs are swimming by each other and rubbing thier stomachs together every once in a while. They will swim fairly fast toward each other and then slowly brush up against one another usually touching bellies. The fish are usually in opposite directions when they do this "ritual".
What are they doing? Is this a territory thing? Are they bumping uglies? I am cornfused. I have tried to get photos of this but, I have had no luck so far......it happens pretty quickly but, they have done it several times in front of me.
The smaller perc looks like a false to me but, the LFS sold it to me as a true percula. Is it possible for a true and false to mate? Little "maybe" babies. Thanks for any help.
Ryan

 

[chinnyr]

Do they kinda twitch when they get near each other.I had two become a mated pair and they would swim up to each other and do thier "twitching" thing.Later they started preening rocks for the spot where the eggs were to be deposited.They also could just be sizeing each other up.Sorta like the new big guy knows that it was somebody elses tank first,and does'nt want to ruffle any feathers.keep us posted.

 

[sggavin]

My 2 "True" clows also do this and mine also look like false clowns, they are only around 1". they do the "twitchy" thing you mentioned from the looks of it they are trying to dominate each other, but the larger one always "wins" and the smaller one puts its head twords the ground when they are done. im very interested in some more feed back on this

 

[iceburger]

i wanna know too... ^^^BUMP^^^

 

[ryebread]

They did it again tonight and do not seem to be aggressive while doing so.......it is like they are playing. No twitching happening. Hmmmm......

 

[silverturbobug]

Now that I have 6 TR False Percula and two BTA, THe biggest one has been switching BTA for the last two days but I think it likes the bigger one better, which only house 2 to 3 others at times. All 6 of them had established their rank and know their places, the smallest one get pick on alot but it is doing ok.
I also has one (not the big or the small one) of them swim/float through the overflow, and I have to net it back into the main tank, it did that twice last night. Now they are back together once again, and of course they will fight again like before but nothing to be concern about.
Just my two cents worth...

 

[ryebread]

What the heck is a TR False Percula?

 

[newreefers]

According to my book clownfishes by Joyce Wilkerson, this is normal behavior and they are establishing pecking order and dominance. This is a prelude to mating (here is where the bumping uglies and maybe baby's come in) the book says to put a ceramic tile in the tank leaning on something for them to lay their eggs on If you have clowns this is a great book.

 

[demosthenes]

Ryebread, and all those who are interested in the answer. Go to your local library and rent the book, or better yet, buy the book, From Beginner to Breeder by Martin A. Moe. It is the single most informative CLownfish reference known to man. It is a neccessity if one wishes to rear their clownfish fry, and IMO, it is a very fruitful venue. So, if any is blessed with a mated pair that is at this stage, I would definitely look into rasing them.
PS If anyone does manage to rear the fry, I would love to purchse some of them, in order to compare the brood with my own. Otherwise mine will become grossly inbred.