Lost a paired female clown --- now what?

[lakee911]

About 2-3 months ago I bought a couple of young true perc paired clownfish. They were doing great and eating quite well. Recently the female has turned up missing. I've searched high and low and I'm assuming that she's dead. (They never ventured very far from the corner of the tank anyways).

I'd like to find a new mate for the little male. He seems lonely. How should I do this? Buy a juvenile? Buy a new female?

Thx
Jason

[deansreef]

the clowns all start out as females and one turns into a male I believe...maybe someone else can help

[Craig Lambert]

If you buy one larger than the remaining clown, it will become a female. You might post this on the clownfish/anemone board to double check, but I'm pretty sure that's the thing to do.

[TomRep]

vice versa dean. All clowns start as males and turn to females. You'd probably be better off waiting until the single clown you have turns into a female. It can happen as quickly as a couple weeks. Then go find a male for her. If your female died within the last 2 or 3 days, you could go and get another and they would work out who will be male and who will be female. Good luck!
tom

[israelnajar]

Well actually all clowns start out unsexed. Since you already have a male and you know it is a male, you will want to get a smaller nonsexed clown and then introduce it into the system. The male will become female and the unsexed clown will become male. This is how it is in the wild.

Clownfishes by Joyce D. Wilkerson would be a wise investment for any clownfish owner.


But before you introduce a new clown. Did you look in your overflow box, your sump/fuge if you have one? Any place that has a partition that she may have jumped over.

[lakee911]

Well, it seems that I got a little of everything there... Ha Thanks for the advice though. Maybe I'll see if others weigh in as well.

I've looked in overflow boxes, skimmers, floor, sump, etc. No where to be found. :(