Adding another clownfish
 

I am currently keeping a 6 line wrasse and true percula (about 2.5" in size) in a 29g reef biocube and I am really tempted to add a black clownfish. Will they nesecerally fight? any chance of them pairing up?

Thanks!

from my experience, its a hit or miss introducing a new clown. i tried and they just ended up fighting with each other. returned the new one to the lfs new next day

I would recommend getting one a different size. If your first is quite large, then try introducing a small black one, so the larger clown can become the female & the small one the male. If they're the same size, it is more likely they will fight than pair off.

Unfortunately, in a small tank, you'll have to be much more careful to separate them if the fighting becomes too rough since there is no extra space to escape to for the newbie.

Anthony

I have read and it makes sense.. Do a big rock rescape and the old clown fish will be disoriented so they are both busy exploring at first.

It's hard to defend your territory if you don't have any.

^^^ interesting. I should try that sometime. But I've done this twice. The first time I added 2 black ocellaris to a 77gal with 2 orange ocellaris and they got along fine. The second time I added 2 small saddlebacks (thought they were ocellaris cuz they sold it to me as that and i didn't know. But canreef ID them for me!) to a 90gal with 2 orange ocellaris and they hated each other. Had to return the saddlebacks. I've also added 2 more orange ocellaris to my 90gal and they got along fine.

I find adding ocellarus or percula not a problem, but some of the other species just don't get along. Maroons, Tomato, Cinnamon, Saddlebacks (the larger, more aggressive species) tend to be much more territorial. For instance, even in a 210g, I could not keep Ocellarus with my Maroon pair before. Had to get rid of the Maroons eventually.

As mentioned before, adding new clowns is far easier in a bigger tank than your 29g though.

Anthony

Well depending on your tank size, I have had success with using a "critter keeper" and putting the newly introduced clown in there for a few days so that the other one can get used to his presence.

Regardless, they will always jostle for dominance.

I used this technique with a maroon, and botha re living in a 150gal tank now at the store withing 18" of each other and moving closer together.

Ken - BWA

+1 to that. I had a perc on its own and added a somewhat smaller ocellaris. They were swimming together within a matter of minutes and have been paired up ever since. Maybe I was just lucky. However, I had the new clown in a 30 gallon quarantine tank and moved the larger perc from the biocube into the Q tank for them to pair up there before moving both to the larger 75 gallon.

A naive question - My clown is about 2". Wouldn't it chase the balck clown if it is smaller (say 1.5")?

Also, can a black clown be paired with a typical orange percula? or only like ones can be paired?

I have a black with a true percula (mated pair).

It will chase the smaller clown but then it may decide to pair off once dominance has been established.

[quote=SeaHorse_Fanatic;445524]I would recommend getting one a different size. If your first is quite large, then try introducing a small black one, so the larger clown can become the female & the small one the male. If they're the same size, it is more likely they will fight than pair off.

Do clowns change sex like some other species do? Can you just get two clowns and they will turn into a pair??

Guys - I am super excited!!! So I listened to some of your advices and bought a smaller misbar black clown (tank raised). As soon as I put it in, it was swimming around my old onyx clown , whoc did not care about it at all. After about half an hour the old onyx was chasing the new black clown, at which time I covered the tank completely (the lights were off since the very begining) to make them fall asleep. They were sleeping next to each other and seem to swim together this morning!!!!!

Good sign! i hope that the onyx will proof to be the more dominant one and will become a female and they'll live hapily together!