Introducing black clown with existing regular ocellaris Help Please

ejk17 · 02/16/2010, 11:55 PM

Hi, This is my first post in the clownfish forum. I am wondering if introducing a small black ocellaris clownfish (1inch) with regular larger (2-2.5inch)ocellaris is going to work out. They are both tank raised and the regular one is in a 20 gallon long tank. The regular clownfish has been with many other fish but not a clownfish. PLEASE RESPOND i am planning on doing this very soon because i am shutting down one of my tanks.

Thanks
Evan

Hwang · 02/17/2010, 12:30 AM

I want to know also, except mine's the opposite. I have the black clown, and want to introduce a regular clown.

FOSELONE · 02/17/2010, 02:30 AM

wont really know until you throw him in...they may pair up right away or the new one may get thrashed by the established one right away...

ejk17 · 02/17/2010, 09:43 AM

Have you or anyone else had experience with this?

flameangel9 · 02/17/2010, 09:54 AM

Fish are funny. The only thing I really don't like about this senario is the size of the tank. This can work for you and it may not too. It may be a disaster right away or it could be 3 weeks down the road. All you can do is moniter.
I have two pairs of clowns in a 180. One is black O's and the other percula. They have been fine. I also have a nano 2.5 gal. with 2 true percs. They are very tiny 1/2in. The went in together were and from the same hatch. They got along for 3 weeks and one day one decided he didn't like the other and beat the crap out of him. I had to seperate them. Its a crap shoot. Good luck!

rssjsb · 02/17/2010, 11:06 AM

given that they're both ocellaris and that one is twice the size of the other, you should be fine. If you're worried, you can put the new guy in a see-through critter keeper or something to let them check each other out first.

ejk17 · 02/17/2010, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rssjsb

given that they're both ocellaris and that one is twice the size of the other, you should be fine. If you're worried, you can put the new guy in a see-through critter keeper or something to let them check each other out first.

Yeah i have heard that the size takes a big role in the outcome of the 2. I will float the bag for a while near the current house of the regular clownfish and see how that goes. Does anyone suggest putting him in at night so the one clownfish in the tank is in a bit of a trance state, helping to ease the introduction? I am going to try to add the black one tomorrow night.
Wish me luck

footballdude2k3 · 02/17/2010, 04:20 PM

good luck, i hope this works out

Sinful Aquatics · 02/17/2010, 05:13 PM

I did this once and it was a success! I hope it works out for you

knights27 · 02/17/2010, 05:42 PM

im in on this i have a 55gal with mated pair of false percs and there is a black and white false perc at the lfs i wanted to pick

ejk17 · 02/17/2010, 07:26 PM

Ill let everyone know how it goes. It should be a interesting looking pair if they do decide to pair up. update later tomorrow.

Evan

clownman77 · 02/17/2010, 08:10 PM

they are just like any other occ pair ! I have a mixe pair too so dont worry!

ejk17 · 02/18/2010, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clownman77

they are just like any other occ pair ! I have a mixe pair too so dont worry!

Just wasnt sure...

ejk17 · 02/19/2010, 02:34 PM

Introduced the black clown last night. Everything looked like it was going to be fine, but in the morning I found that the bigger clown seems to be chasing after the smaller one and bitting him if he crosses into his "home". Does anyone know if this is going to persist or will he eventaully stop? Also the fins on the smaller one seem to be a bit frayed, not sure if this is stress or because of the bitting. Anything would help!

Thanks,
Evan

flameangel9 · 02/19/2010, 02:52 PM

I'd let them go for a bit there is always a little sorting out initially.

MatthewLaw · 02/19/2010, 08:26 PM

i put my false perc into a plastic bag and floated it in my DT where the lone ocellaris clown is. the ocellaris clown came up to him and then swam away. this went out for about 5 minutes. i crossed my fingers and let the false perc out of the bag and they see be getting along fairly well!! (knock on wood!!)

ejk17 · 02/20/2010, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flameangel9

I'd let them go for a bit there is always a little sorting out initially.

Flameangel, I have let them go at it for a bit and the instigator of the fighting seems to have calmed down. Hopefully the new guy makes it. He ate a bit today

SwampyBill · 02/21/2010, 02:01 AM

The larger one is probably a female & showing her dominance of the little guy. When larger one charges, does the little guy start shaking & look like it's having a seizure? Keep an eye out & if fins get torn up more & fighting gets worse, separate them. New one eating is great, & good luck!

RCMark325 · 02/21/2010, 07:23 AM

I did the exact same thing, except mine were in a 15 gallon tank. The smaller black one was always submissive (wiggles/shakes) when the larger orange one pushes it out of her coral. I wouldn't say that they paired up, but they tolerate each other and sleep in separate corals. I think you should be ok, and if not, getting one of them out of the tank isn't that hard, especially in a 20 gallon.

ejk17 · 02/21/2010, 02:41 PM

They seem to be doing fine now. The fins on the smaller one are growing back. There was never any shaking or anything like that, i have previously seen this with other clowns i have had. But our larger clown is not the brightest, so im not expecting him to understand the whole pairing up thing haha. na17 would understand.

Evan

na0404 · 02/22/2010, 10:52 PM

Haha, that he isnt! But they are doing great now! They even swim together sometimes and the big one doesnt chase after the little one anymore when he crosses "the line".

SwampyBill · 02/24/2010, 10:34 PM

IMO, don't add a 3rd in with your mated pair, Knights27. There's a good chance they'll gang up on the newer one & it won't make it.

02/16/2010, 11:55 PM	#1
ejk17 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Windermere, FL Posts: 364	Introducing black clown with existing regular ocellaris Help Please Hi, This is my first post in the clownfish forum. I am wondering if introducing a small black ocellaris clownfish (1inch) with regular larger (2-2.5inch)ocellaris is going to work out. They are both tank raised and the regular one is in a 20 gallon long tank. The regular clownfish has been with many other fish but not a clownfish. PLEASE RESPOND i am planning on doing this very soon because i am shutting down one of my tanks. Thanks Evan Last edited by ejk17; 02/17/2010 at 12:07 AM.

02/17/2010, 05:13 PM	#9
Sinful Aquatics Nano Reefer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: At Home Posts: 5,262	I did this once and it was a success! I hope it works out for you __________________ SCRK Member -Peter S.- ~The greatest thing a man can do in this world is to make the most possible out of the stuff that has been given him. This is success, and there is no other.~

02/21/2010, 02:01 AM	#18
SwampyBill Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: St. Pete, FL. Posts: 2,369	The larger one is probably a female & showing her dominance of the little guy. When larger one charges, does the little guy start shaking & look like it's having a seizure? Keep an eye out & if fins get torn up more & fighting gets worse, separate them. New one eating is great, & good luck! Last edited by SwampyBill; 02/21/2010 at 02:04 AM. Reason: added something I forgot.

02/17/2010, 12:30 AM	#2
Hwang Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: 90703 Posts: 660	I want to know also, except mine's the opposite. I have the black clown, and want to introduce a regular clown.

02/17/2010, 02:30 AM	#3
FOSELONE THINK BLUE Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: LOS ANGELES CA Posts: 4,865	wont really know until you throw him in...they may pair up right away or the new one may get thrashed by the established one right away...

02/17/2010, 09:43 AM	#4
ejk17 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Windermere, FL Posts: 364	Have you or anyone else had experience with this?

02/17/2010, 09:54 AM	#5
flameangel9 OnyxInc. Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Upstate N.Y. Posts: 439	Fish are funny. The only thing I really don't like about this senario is the size of the tank. This can work for you and it may not too. It may be a disaster right away or it could be 3 weeks down the road. All you can do is moniter. I have two pairs of clowns in a 180. One is black O's and the other percula. They have been fine. I also have a nano 2.5 gal. with 2 true percs. They are very tiny 1/2in. The went in together were and from the same hatch. They got along for 3 weeks and one day one decided he didn't like the other and beat the crap out of him. I had to seperate them. Its a crap shoot. Good luck!

02/17/2010, 11:06 AM	#6
rssjsb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,243	given that they're both ocellaris and that one is twice the size of the other, you should be fine. If you're worried, you can put the new guy in a see-through critter keeper or something to let them check each other out first.

02/17/2010, 04:20 PM	#8
footballdude2k3 Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 1,974	good luck, i hope this works out

02/17/2010, 05:42 PM	#10
knights27 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: columbus Posts: 55	im in on this i have a 55gal with mated pair of false percs and there is a black and white false perc at the lfs i wanted to pick

02/17/2010, 07:26 PM	#11
ejk17 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Windermere, FL Posts: 364	Ill let everyone know how it goes. It should be a interesting looking pair if they do decide to pair up. update later tomorrow. Evan

02/17/2010, 08:10 PM	#12
clownman77 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 61	they are just like any other occ pair ! I have a mixe pair too so dont worry!

02/19/2010, 02:34 PM	#14
ejk17 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Windermere, FL Posts: 364	Introduced the black clown last night. Everything looked like it was going to be fine, but in the morning I found that the bigger clown seems to be chasing after the smaller one and bitting him if he crosses into his "home". Does anyone know if this is going to persist or will he eventaully stop? Also the fins on the smaller one seem to be a bit frayed, not sure if this is stress or because of the bitting. Anything would help! Thanks, Evan

02/19/2010, 02:52 PM	#15
flameangel9 OnyxInc. Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Upstate N.Y. Posts: 439	I'd let them go for a bit there is always a little sorting out initially.

02/19/2010, 08:26 PM	#16
MatthewLaw Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Coast US Posts: 1,564	i put my false perc into a plastic bag and floated it in my DT where the lone ocellaris clown is. the ocellaris clown came up to him and then swam away. this went out for about 5 minutes. i crossed my fingers and let the false perc out of the bag and they see be getting along fairly well!! (knock on wood!!)

02/21/2010, 07:23 AM	#19
RCMark325 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Palos Heights, IL Posts: 52	I did the exact same thing, except mine were in a 15 gallon tank. The smaller black one was always submissive (wiggles/shakes) when the larger orange one pushes it out of her coral. I wouldn't say that they paired up, but they tolerate each other and sleep in separate corals. I think you should be ok, and if not, getting one of them out of the tank isn't that hard, especially in a 20 gallon.

02/21/2010, 02:41 PM	#20
ejk17 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Windermere, FL Posts: 364	They seem to be doing fine now. The fins on the smaller one are growing back. There was never any shaking or anything like that, i have previously seen this with other clowns i have had. But our larger clown is not the brightest, so im not expecting him to understand the whole pairing up thing haha. na17 would understand. Evan

02/22/2010, 10:52 PM	#21
na0404 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 13	Haha, that he isnt! But they are doing great now! They even swim together sometimes and the big one doesnt chase after the little one anymore when he crosses "the line".

02/24/2010, 10:34 PM	#22
SwampyBill Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: St. Pete, FL. Posts: 2,369	IMO, don't add a 3rd in with your mated pair, Knights27. There's a good chance they'll gang up on the newer one & it won't make it.