Clown fish questions

Ryan · #1 01-31-2012, 04:47 AM

I guess you could think of it like that but in the Joyce D. Wilkerson book its stated that clowns are born with both sexual organs but they are not fully developed until they fish sort out who is male or female and who stays adolescent.

Who knows whos right. I have never actually cut one open to see.

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #2 01-31-2012, 07:22 AM

Everything I've heard for years tells me that they are all born "genderless" then the largest one develops into a female and the second biggest turns into a male. If the female dies, the male turns into a female and the next largest one develops into a male. If the male dies, the next largest develops into a male and the female stays the same. I've had this happen in my tanks before so I have personally witnessed these types of gender transformations.

Right now, in the cube tank, the two largest have bred and adopted the RBTA (although they have a third roommate). The other four or five small Ocellaris stay away from the mated pair and live on the other end of the cube tank.

Acipenser · #3 01-31-2012, 11:48 AM

Yeah i think it was a mistake on my part to introduce this other clown at this stage, It's a Clarkii and from what Iv'e read are a little anal to tank mates - so Iv'e pulled the 2 smaller ones out. I guess one would need to start from scratch with 5 or 6 juveniles .

Aquattro · #4 01-31-2012, 01:11 PM

I "had" 2 ocellaris and 2 clarkii in my 180, it didn't end well. I'd stick to the pair...

Ryan · #5 01-31-2012, 01:26 PM

Clarkii clowns are probably the most tolerant of other clown, they just have to be from the clarkii complex. Clarkiis will pair off with a other clowns that arent even clarkiis. Such as clarkii x and 2 band are pretty commOn.

Gripenfelter · #6 01-31-2012, 03:00 PM

I'm hoping mine will be ok together. I have 2 yr old false perc clowns and 6 month old Ocellaris.

The Ocellaris are not hosting anemones though...weird.

Haven't added the false percs to the tank yet.

MMAX · #7 01-31-2012, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gripenfelter

I'm hoping mine will be ok together. I have 2 yr old false perc clowns and 6 month old Ocellaris.

The Ocellaris are not hosting anemones though...weird.

Haven't added the false percs to the tank yet.

Not totally weird, some do and some don't. I have had a big momma ocellaris for about 4 years that has never hosted anything. Over the years she's had 3 different husbands, 2 of which hosted and 1 that didn't.