Pairing up a Clarkii Clown

bigdee65 · #1 01/10/2006, 11:55 AM

Hi all,

I currently have a 135g FOWLR tank that crashed due to my 16" eel getting into my plumbing. Anyway, the only survivor was my 4" Clarkii Clown that I have had for over a year and a half. He/She is very timid as it was in a tank with aggressive triggers a puffer and an eel. It used to get along really well with my Kole tang and ever since the tang died the Clarkii has been out of the rock work less.

Well I am planning on restocking my tank with more peacful community type fish and I was wondering if it would be wise to get him/her a mate? If I get a smaller Clakii clown what would be the likely hood they would get along? Remember he/she has been in my tank for over a year and a half and on its own for about 2 weeks since the crash.

Thanks for any help!

ezhoops · #2 01/10/2006, 12:02 PM

the clarki you own is a female and yes it would be ok to get a small juv (hopefully still sexless) clarki as a partner. WIth any amount of luck they should pair off and eventually mate.

good luck, just buy the smallest one you can find

bigdee65 · #3 01/10/2006, 12:17 PM

thanks ezhoops. Just a question, how can you tell mine is female? Is it because she was the only clarkii in the tank with aggressive mates?

If I get the smallest one I can find and she don't pair will she kill the smaller one?

Thanks again!

Soccer · #4 01/10/2006, 07:22 PM

Clownfish fight for dominence in pairing. The one that wins becomes the female. Yours having no other clownfish to fight for dominence with, became a female. The reason you should look for the smallest clown (about 1" or so) is that it guarantees they are juveniles and juvenile clowns are all male. Again they pair and then fight for dominence, or in yours case became female since there was no other male to contest this.

I think that covers it, its been awhile since I learned it so others feel free to correct if there is mistakes.

Good luck with the pairing.

ezhoops · #5 01/10/2006, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Clownfish fight for dominence in pairing. The one that wins becomes the female. Yours having no other clownfish to fight for dominence with, became a female.

your on the right track....

Quote:

The reason you should look for the smallest clown (about 1" or so) is that it guarantees they are juveniles and juvenile clowns are all male.

Well, there are no Guarantees

Juv clowns are Sexless (but some people do consider them to be males)

Let me clarify if I may (but I'm no expert)

I know your clarki is a female because she is 1 1/2 yrs old and 4" and has not been in the company of any other clownfish in that time frame (according to your post)

Quote:

my 4" Clarkii Clown that I have had for over a year and a half.

When any clownfish is sexually mature and they are left alone they will turn into a female within aprox 30 days. The reason is that in the clownfish world the female is the most important fish in the partnership, because she can produce offspring. That's the most important thing here, she can produce offspring and because she can, she usually will outgrow or be larger than her male counter-part. The larger the size the more eggs she can produce, the more dominant she can be over her male. This is true for almost every clownfish except a.akindynos in which the male and female can be of similar size.

Keep in mind: Once a female always a female (in the clown world) Once a male turns into a female she can never turn back. Thats why it is important to buy a small Juv (sexless) clarki for a mate.

Quote:

If I get the smallest one I can find and she don't pair will she kill the smaller one?

Most likely not, clarki's IMO are pretty mellow clowns and in a tank as large as yours you shouldn't have any problems. Heck I'm even seen clarki's kept in groups of up to 5 fish in the same tank with a breeding pair and no problems.

bigdee65 · #6 01/11/2006, 07:07 AM

Thanks for clearing that up ezhoops, I got it now. I always knew the female was larger but didn't know that they could be paired up after being alone for so long. After I get my Pakastani Butterfly out of the QT I will start looking for a small Clarkii.

Thanks again!!

ezhoops · #7 01/11/2006, 11:54 AM

anytime, it would be cool to pair her up with a black (Vanutau) clarki and have a different pair

bigdee65 · #8 01/11/2006, 12:22 PM

I was unaware that there we different types of Clarki's. I might have to do a little more research

ezhoops · #9 01/11/2006, 08:16 PM

Well not different kinds but different color morphs, the black clarki's are very nice.
check em out at this site and see the different colors

http://wish.wodonga.tafe.edu.au/~kwaldon/clarkii.htm