Pairing up Clowns

S

Serk

So, I've had a solitary True Percula for 9 or so months now...

Added a smaller (2/3 the size of my current true Percula) this morning. This clown has also been solitary, I'm not sure how long...

They immediately went at it, locking mouths, and just fighting viciously (Looked vicious to me)

My thinking was "This isn't submissive fighting, this is to the death fighting" so I seperated them...

My guessing is the newly added Perc was solitary too long and became female, and this one can't be added to my anemone tank now, as two females = 1 death one and 1 beat up one...

Is that thinking correct, or am I just being overly sensitive to 'em, and they just need some time to see who's the boss?

Thanks!
 
According to Wilkerson, if they've spent more than a year alone, they're likely female, and can't change back to male. Without a true female to stimulate the metabolism of androgynous hormones into testosterone, they likely metabolize into estrogen, and within a month, ovaries are formed and the change is complete.

She also recommeds separating them for a while in the same tank (she doesn't specify how long) if agression is intense. Also reccomends having lots of hiding spaces for the smaller new guy.

Serk, are you seeing shredded fins, or just mouth locking?
 
No shredded fins, but I've not left them together for longer than 10-15 minutes at a time (3 tries so far)...

There's plenty of rockwork to retreat into, but the new clown doesn't try to hide, she (?) goes straight to the anemone and the two just battle instantly and non-stop...

How long SHOULD I let the two of 'em go at it before seperating 'em, just to see if there's any chance of 'em settling their differences?
 
Well, I'm a wussy too, so I'd probably watch them for a couple of hours, ready to snatch one out if either shows signs of damage or exhaustion.
 
And, has thou paired the Clown fishes?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

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I decided to give it one last try (4th time I tried to pair them up). I moved the new Perc (Named Paris) into the Anemone tank. As in the three previous attempts, they immediately went at it fighting (Mouth dancing, I call it). I decided to let 'em go at it as long as I could bear it, so I moved over to my main tank and started fragging some Zoanthids (Decided to start tossing random Zoanthid polyps into the Anemone tank and seeing how they do)...

Every once in a while I'd look sideways over at the tank just to make sure no one was really being hurt. After 10 or so minutes of this, I glanced over, and saw one of the Perc's doing the "Submission" dance... W00t!

They're now, while not appearing to be bestest friends in the universe (Yet! I hope!!) more or less swimming together... So I'm hopeful now!
 
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