False Percula Clown?

J

JeffJ

Premium Member
Hey Guys,

I had a pair of Percula Clowns and one passed a couple of weeks ago. I know these guys are pretty aggressive towards their own and I wanted to know if I would have any luck trying to add a 2nd back to the tank again.

I would like to have a pair in there, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know! Thanks!
 
@JeffJ wrote:
Hey Guys said:
Jeff,

Pairing is always tricky, but percs are some of the easier ones to handle. Where the pair truly a pair, meaning mature female and male? Which one passed on?

Typically the best results are by dropping a significantly smaller one in the tank. This is a requirement if the one in the tank is a mature female as the smaller one will almost always be male.

I had a pair of B&W and the female passed on. I waited a few months until the male 'grew up' and morphed to a female, then stuck the smallest I could find in there. She hassled him a bit but he immediately went into his submissive shimmy and they have been fine ever since and currently host a big monti colony.
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Hey Dave,

I'm sure they weren't a real pair - just the "pair" I had if you know what I mean.

The smaller of the two passed (and the bigger was hassling it quite a bit near the end). Pretty green here - don't know male from female, etc.

Thoughts on what to do next? Just put a smaller one in there (the surviving one is about 2.5") and hope for the best?

Thanks for your advice,
jeff
 
@JeffJ wrote:
Hey Dave said:
Jeff,

A 2.5 perc is probably female... you can't tell them apart, or at least I don't know how, other than size. If you get a small one like 1", it should be okay. If you could get one of those hang on specimen holders like you see in the fish stores that might help you figure out her mood :) Just put him in it and see if she goes nuts. You'll know almost immediately if she is going to accept the new one. She will charge.. and if he rolls over and shakes... that's him saying 'Hey baby.. slow your roll.. daddy is just admiring the view' At that point she will either tear his fins off or tolerate him until he can work his pimp daddy magic on her and they will get along just fine.

I've got two mated pairs and they still squabble from time to time, so don't panic, but if she locks his fins in her mouth and proceeds to death roll him, fish him out.

One of the other techniques that people use if they have a spare tank handy, is to pull her out, put him in the target tank for a week and then drop her in. It changes the dominant equation a bit, she will still ultimately establish the head of the pack, but will be more prone to leaving him alone as she gets used to the 'new' surroundings.

Its surprising based on all the horror stories you read on RC etc of the difficulties mating a pair up like that, but I know a lot of people who have done it without a problem so I wouldn't hesitate to try it with a much smaller fish. Just be ready to dig him out if she goes postal on him.
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Thanks Dave. As always I really appreciate the sound advice and you taking time with a newbie!

Have a good one,
jeff
 
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