How fast can clowns pair up?

[Zebo]

Ive read somewhere that if u buy 2 juv clowns they will eventually become a mated pair correct? Well i bought 2 today, and they were the only 2 in this large tank, and wanted nothing to do with eachother. After an hours drive home, and another 2 hours of acclimating(the stores water was much different than mine, so i took a bit longer and added an airstone to the bag) i released them into the tank, just to find them at eachothers side every second. There is nothing but a cleaner shrimp in my 58 Gal tank and they do not move further than 2" from eachother at any given time. My main question is why the sudden interest in them? Is it cause they might have been a pair in the store tank? But wouldnt they have been at eachothers side as they are now, when they were at the store? Did they just grow a spark and notice how hot the other one was and are gonna start dating? Or is it cause they were in a bag for such a long time that they now like eachothers friendship in this new world they are in and feel somewhat safe together? Since they are hanging out nonstop now, will they become a mated pair eventually? AHH soo many questions, if anyone feels like hammering off 1 or 2 that would be great. BTW they are doing grrrrrrrrrrrrreat, they love their new home. Thanks guys
Lyle

[kris4647]

This is a sticky from the top of this forum. Over time if they are two juve's they should pair up..




http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=215098

[Zebo]

Thank you answered alot of questions, i just have 1 more, my clowns are non-stop hanging out together, does this mean they will pair sooner for their size? they are about 1", or does pairing occur at any age?
Lyle

[JHardman]

Originally posted by Zebo
Thank you answered alot of questions, i just have 1 more, my clowns are non-stop hanging out together, does this mean they will pair sooner for their size? they are about 1", or does pairing occur at any age?
Lyle

If they are more or less equal in size there may be some fighting to establish clear dominance once they acclimate to the tank. Right now they are acclimating and not acting in a normal way when compared to when they are acclimated. The fact that they are close to each other during acclimation is a very good sign. What you want to see from them is dominate/submissive behavior after they have settled into their new tank.

Yes a pair can be formed at any age. However with mature clownfish, you are potentially dealing with sexually mature fish and one must take into consideration the possible sex of a fish when pairing. You would not want to try to pair two females as worst case they would kill each other or "best" case they would form a pair but would never be able to spawn. Read the sexing clownfish FAQ that is linked in the pairing clownfish post for more information.