How to pair maroon clowns

Angel*Fish · #1 02/13/2007, 11:55 AM

I've run across numerous threads describing horror stories involving maroon pairing - All that carnage is not necessary! You may look down at this long post and think it's too much work...... it took me a lot of words to describe the process, but it's really pretty simple!

This is for folks who have an existing clown and want to add a mate.

First find the tiniest mate you can. Be patient in this & hold out for the right one for 3 important reasons:

It ensures you have a juvenile/male
The female will be less distrustful of him
He'll be small enough to fit through the holes of the eggcrate cage you will make

While you're waiting for the right candidate, begin preparations --- make an eggcrate cage (Something like 5x5 inches) - you can fasten it together with plastic ties and /or hot glue

Your ideal quarantine: A 10g on a table placed right up to the front glass of your main tank. Place the cage and the juvenile in the 10g. Try & feed him such that he has to enter the cage to get the food. That way he'll already be comfortable swimming in and out of it.

The quarantine period right in front of the female will:

help her get used to the sight of him and help him earn her trust.
Help ensure he doesn't start turning female during quarantine, since there will be interaction between them through the glass
Acclimate him to the cage, you can even train him to seek refuge there by gently chasing him into it with your hand (though possibly not necessary ---they learn pretty fast the hard way inside the tank with the female---still, anything you can do to prepare him in advance is good)
Accomplishes quarantine and helps the little male strengthen up during this time for the upcoming challenge, which is potentially the fight of his life

If you don't have a small enough quarantine or a 10g sized tank for this. Think of it as the cost of the fish. Many folks buy fish that cost way more than the combined expense of a 10g, small heater, small powerhead and a sheet of eggcrate. (Use water from your main tank)

When it's time to add him to the female's tank ---- add the eggcrate cage as far away as possible from the female's anemone (or territory), but where it is still visible to the female. If visibility means it has to be really close to the female, then just put it out of sight at first.

Then catch the male in a clear drinking glass, measuring cup, etc. (don't net him) and place him in the tank such that he can swim out of the glass straight into the cage. That way he knows where it is.

Then nature should take its course

Don't remove the cage until the male is allowed to hang out on the anemone during daylight hours. He may be allowed to sleep on the anemone at night before she accepts him during the day.

It may be instant love or it can take several weeks for him to earn his spot.

DMK · #2 02/13/2007, 01:05 PM

i didn't even read all that but simply put new smaller maroon in small specimen container, weight down at bottom near where female hangs. let them check each other out for about a day. release. worked for me, thanks to MSNguy.

GSMguy · #3 02/13/2007, 01:09 PM

nice job angelfish

GSMguy · #4 02/13/2007, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DMK
, thanks to MSNguy.

i think you mean me and you are welcome maroon pairing is easy to do but you have to do it the right way

GSMguy · #5 02/13/2007, 01:19 PM

my method is different and it allows the new fish to get used to the existing fish and vise versa
that is why i reccomend a specimin container with lots of small holes none big enough for the small clown to get out of

my method also entails taking the female and removing her from the tank and allownign the new clown to get used to the display without the female bothering him but also keeping the female in the same tank

Angel*Fish · #6 02/13/2007, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DMK
i didn't even read all that but in small specimen container, weight down at bottom near where female hangs. let them check each other out for about a day. release. worked for me, thanks to MSNguy.

Well unfortunately what you posted doesn't always work. And a "new smaller maroon", as you put it, could be easily another female. The point of my post was to give an elementary lesson to help someone who is completely unaware of the issues involved.

And I was going to say I'm sure GSMguy didn't recommend anything as flawed and sketchy as what you described, but I see he has already given clarification on his method.

Geez...that was so rude! I was just trying to help - not declaring this as "the way"

Angel*Fish · #7 02/13/2007, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GSMguy
nice job angelfish

Thanks! I was actually just trying to post a thread to link to when I see somebody asking about this - I'm sensing there is another thread out there I could have used if I'd known

I'm sure anyone running across this thread would appreciate a link to more details on your method. If you wouldn't mind...

GSMguy · #8 02/13/2007, 01:42 PM

i bookmarked your thread i will use it as well
my method is not really documented too many places i usually PM people so that way i dont get a bunch of jerks telling them its too hard and not to do it

i will put a description of my method here sometime today also i have pics of mine meeting for the first time

DMK · #9 02/13/2007, 01:43 PM

sorry not meant to be rude...i just couldn't believe how easy it was to pair mine up. couldn't have been easier.
sorry msmguy, i wrote msnguy, like you work for msnbc...LOL.

GSMguy · #10 02/13/2007, 01:46 PM

Gsm as in Gold stripe maroon
im glad it was easy DMK i thought it was easy too just have to follow the steps

DMK · #11 02/13/2007, 01:51 PM

i just put in a 4-5" RBTA 15 minutes ago. the maroons already are loving it. is that an ok size for a 2.5" and 1" maroon? they both seem gentle.

DMK · #12 02/13/2007, 01:52 PM

duh, gsm, not msm, i'll be ok. sometimes i read too fast...

Angel*Fish · #13 02/13/2007, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GSMguy
i usually PM people so that way i dont get a bunch of jerks telling them its too hard and not to do it

You are a wise man

Quote:

Originally posted by DMK
sorry not meant to be rude...i just couldn't believe how easy it was to pair mine up. couldn't have been easier.
sorry msmguy, i wrote msnguy, like you work for msnbc...LOL.

Thanks.

It was easy cause you did what GSMguy told you. Or if you didn't follow his instructions, you got lucky. It is a horrible thing to watch a maroon tear up a cute little male or smaller female and it doesn't have to happen.

I was just tired of hearing those awful stories & decided to try and do something about it.

GSMguy · #14 02/13/2007, 02:12 PM

My method is for people who have a single maroon that has been alone for a while allowing it to turn female. The biggest problem people have is that maroons get big, mean, and territorial and will kill any juvenile maroon introduced into the tank. but i have figured out the way around it most of the time.

1. confirm that you have a female ,

2. find a new juvenile clown best taken from a tank at the LFS with many juvi maroons in it. If a clown from a juvi tank is not available just make sure you are buying a small maroon the smaller the better an inch and a half or less works best (another rule is half the size of the intended mate)

3. Quarantine new fish(this part is up to you)

4. Purchase a Hanging specimin container the kind the LFS uses when they are catching fish that hangs on the edge of the tank dril with a small drill bit like 2/16ths size lots of holes in it
put it in the tank as close to were your existing maroon lives

5. put in the new clown At this point the female will be extremely agrressive to the clown in the container make sure to watch for an hour to make sure she doesnt get ahold of his fin thru a lil hole leave the new clown in the container 24 to 48 hours.

6. this is my signature step if possible catch the female maroon and put her in the container and put the male in the main tank. This allows the new clown to scope out the new territory and take up the anemone should there be one. wait 24 hours watch for them to swim together they will seem much more at ease then when they were first introduced .

7. this is the fun part. let the female out of the container she will go straight at the new clown and charge him hopefully he will immediatly shake for her and you are on your way to a pair watch this step most carefully if the New maroon is tearing up the new clown seperate them and post here for advice

8. Enjoy your pair

GSMguy · #15 02/13/2007, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Angel*Fish
You are a wise man

It is a horrible thing to watch a maroon tear up a cute little male or smaller female and it doesn't have to happen.

I was just tired of hearing those awful stories & decided to try and do something about it.

oh my god i am sick of hearing "my percula killed 5 "males"" makes me sad
this method will work for all types of clownfish and i would reccomend anybody attempting a pair use some method of keeping the new clown SAFE

GSMguy · #16 02/13/2007, 02:19 PM

this is normal behaivior these were taken as i introduced them for the first time

Angel*Fish · #17 02/13/2007, 02:25 PM

GSMguy well done & well said!
Thank you.

GSMguy · #18 02/13/2007, 02:25 PM

Angelfish i consider it my best post ever good idea i wanted to start this thread soo many times

GSMguy · #19 02/13/2007, 02:30 PM

all this aggression and my male clown did not have one rip in his fins from her not one scratch this looks scarry but they know what they are doing

GSMguy · #20 02/14/2007, 01:11 AM

anybody have any tips to add?
or observations

timrandlerv10 · #21 02/14/2007, 01:53 AM

just one observation:

I'm glad my wife didnt kick my @$$ in order to go on our first date...

happy valentine's day fishies!

kurt72 · #22 02/14/2007, 02:13 AM

this is great! i was just going to post a question on how to pair up maroon's. wanted to make sure the guy at the LFS was on the up and up on what he told me. and what he told me was pretty much what's posted here. i did find it strange that the LFS had 3 small maroons in 3 seperate tanks. now i know why.

Angel*Fish · #23 02/14/2007, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by timrandlerv10
just one observation:

I'm glad my wife didnt kick my @$$ in order to go on our first date...

happy valentine's day fishies!

Tearing off your arms and legs would have been kinda bad, huh?

A funny coincidence is that my female finally accepted the little male on Valentine's Day. I guess there was a limit to how mean she could be.

Maybe I just should have waited till Valentine's day and tossed him in the tank. Wouldn't it be nice if all female maroons set that day aside every year to accept a mate with no fuss.

GSMguy · #24 02/14/2007, 09:21 AM

mine seemed to be in love from the first bodyslam

happy Valentines day

Angel*Fish · #25 02/14/2007, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GSMguy
mine seemed to be in love from the first bodyslam

happy Valentines day

lol and....
Happy Valentines Day!