how long untill they stop fighting?

kook1e · 07/23/2009, 08:59 PM

How much longer untill my two clowns stop fighting for dominance? its clear one is bigger than the other and they are both the same species. (1 B&W Occ, 1 O&W Occ) its been going on for almost a month now?
Thanks,
Corey

Hop · 07/23/2009, 09:26 PM

Maybe never... You can try to mix up the habitat, but their instinct is taking over.

guinness0514 · 07/23/2009, 10:33 PM

maybe they are just still trying to establish the roles in their relationship. i have had my clowns for 1.5 years and the female has been established, but she still pushes the male around. I think it is normal

LiveRound69 · 07/24/2009, 12:15 AM

im all for what hop said about mixing up the rock work etc....see i have 2 clarkii's and they went thru the same thing...but i was introducing him into HER tank..she was there first and he came into the picture about 3 months after i had her , plus the LFS told me that she had been alone for 6 months before i got her. Thus she was used to being alone.....so i thought..hmmm good time to set up my new tank and start him and her off in a totally different setup than they were used to....low and behold it worked. And a matter of fact...it worked really good. My Clarkii's are now breeding and are very into each other. They defend the tank from me doing any kind of reg tank maintenance and are always following each other.

hope you get them to settle soon. Just make sure if the male starts to lose pieces of fins and scales , remove him , place him in a clear plastic container with holes big enough for water flow but also small enough to keep him in and her OUT. Place it near where she nests and watch them day after day till you see her hostilities calm down,...then you can try to release him. If she starts up again you will have to catch him again and retry.

Good Luck

der_wille_zur_macht · 07/24/2009, 06:18 AM

If both have morphed into females (possible, even though one is smaller) then they'll pretty much fight to the death.

It could be the case that they're just working things out, if the smaller one is still juvi. But, keep an eye on them, and if it gets bad, take the smaller one out.

EnglishRebel · 07/24/2009, 06:59 AM

Chasing is normal but if they start locking lips then it's serious and they could do damage to each other.

Whisperer · 07/24/2009, 07:30 AM

Did I miss when they started? One of them will become submissive first then they pair up. It's either that or if the aggression continues and no one budges, one will end up dead.

kook1e · 07/24/2009, 01:35 PM

i guess ill give the tank a new look soon? haha what if i kept the tank the same and just added some more lr? would that work as well? i really like the setup i have right now and dont wanna change it to much :P

07/23/2009, 08:59 PM	#1
kook1e Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 228	how long untill they stop fighting? How much longer untill my two clowns stop fighting for dominance? its clear one is bigger than the other and they are both the same species. (1 B&W Occ, 1 O&W Occ) its been going on for almost a month now? Thanks, Corey __________________ ~Kook1e` Current Tank Info: restarting tank due to move. It has been up for about 3 months

07/23/2009, 09:26 PM	#2
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	Maybe never... You can try to mix up the habitat, but their instinct is taking over. __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

07/24/2009, 12:15 AM	#4
LiveRound69 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: KY USA Posts: 183	im all for what hop said about mixing up the rock work etc....see i have 2 clarkii's and they went thru the same thing...but i was introducing him into HER tank..she was there first and he came into the picture about 3 months after i had her , plus the LFS told me that she had been alone for 6 months before i got her. Thus she was used to being alone.....so i thought..hmmm good time to set up my new tank and start him and her off in a totally different setup than they were used to....low and behold it worked. And a matter of fact...it worked really good. My Clarkii's are now breeding and are very into each other. They defend the tank from me doing any kind of reg tank maintenance and are always following each other. hope you get them to settle soon. Just make sure if the male starts to lose pieces of fins and scales , remove him , place him in a clear plastic container with holes big enough for water flow but also small enough to keep him in and her OUT. Place it near where she nests and watch them day after day till you see her hostilities calm down,...then you can try to release him. If she starts up again you will have to catch him again and retry. Good Luck __________________ LR69 Current Tank Info: 40 gallon Reef

07/24/2009, 06:18 AM	#5
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	If both have morphed into females (possible, even though one is smaller) then they'll pretty much fight to the death. It could be the case that they're just working things out, if the smaller one is still juvi. But, keep an eye on them, and if it gets bad, take the smaller one out. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

07/24/2009, 06:59 AM	#6
EnglishRebel Retired Rebel Reefer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Triad NC Posts: 1,902	Chasing is normal but if they start locking lips then it's serious and they could do damage to each other. __________________ Alan "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. " Sir Winston Churchill praising those young RAF pilots. August 20th 1940 Click on my name for drop down list and select "Visit EnglishRebels Home Page" for my build thread. Current Tank Info: 60x30x24 200G AO custom glass tank, basement equipment room, 30G and 55G Fuges, LifeReef sump & 30" skimmer.

07/23/2009, 10:33 PM	#3
guinness0514 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 404	maybe they are just still trying to establish the roles in their relationship. i have had my clowns for 1.5 years and the female has been established, but she still pushes the male around. I think it is normal

07/24/2009, 07:30 AM	#7
Whisperer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Punta Gorda, FL Posts: 4,020	Did I miss when they started? One of them will become submissive first then they pair up. It's either that or if the aggression continues and no one budges, one will end up dead. __________________ The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. --------- No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one. Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 30G sump, 10G QT tank

07/24/2009, 01:35 PM	#8
kook1e Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 228	i guess ill give the tank a new look soon? haha what if i kept the tank the same and just added some more lr? would that work as well? i really like the setup i have right now and dont wanna change it to much :P __________________ ~Kook1e` Current Tank Info: restarting tank due to move. It has been up for about 3 months