Maroon Clownfish?

[GrayBunny]

Hi there,

I want to get a pair of Maroon clownfish but was told by the lfs that you can never put two maroon clowns together.

The two I was looking at were more of an orange and gold stripe, leading me to think that they are young?

I didn't purchase either fish because I really want a pair. If two maroon clowns are introduced at the same time can they become a mated pair?

any insight?

 

[albano]

Are you sure you want maroon clowns? They can get very aggressive

If you get 2 'small/young' clowns they should pair up, but...(see above)

 

[GrayBunny]

I want to build an anemone nano tank and they would be the only fish aside from some inverts.

Is this a bad idea?

 

[Lostinthedark]

I have a pair that I acquired very young. They paired up very quickly. The smaller the better. They do get aggressive, so be sure thats what you want. They also tend to re-aquascape the tank when nest building.

 

[GrayBunny]

OK- to clarify: The clowns were juvenile, one an inch- one 1.5". They were already separated by the store in different containers in different tanks. The store owner actually stopped the sale and said the bigger would kill the smaller. This store has been very reliable in advise. If I want Maroon clowns do they need to come as fry/ before separation from others?

 

[skimacka]

WOW good LFS help there... which store was it?

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Maroons do get aggressive but that does not mean that you can never put them together or else how are we going to have tank bred GSM for you guys.

Correct that it would be best to get them when they are young, and it's also best that they come in different size when they both are young so that one will become dominant without much small fights. Be prepared to be bitten by them when you put your hands in the tank doing aquascape when they nest unless you train them to play with your hands early on. Since you say, they will the only fish there, so I assume your tank is small and you would readily be able to play with your fish with your hands. Train them early to get used to your hands. Like training Oscar, they let you lift them up the water if you get friendly with them early on. They are the smarter kind of clownfish.

In general, maroons should not be mixed with other non aggressive fish even in large tanks.

 

[GrayBunny]

Thanks for all the great advice! The store was Maximum Reef in Yonkers. After reading some reviews I did as you all said, and there was a tank with tomatos and cinnamon all very young and mixed together (maybe 20 fry or more) I bought two, one slightly larger than the other. They have not fought at all, granted its only been 4 hours at best.

I thought about going with the maroons but since the other cinnamon and tomatoes were already together and captive bred I felt really good about going in that direction. (Plus really they're cute)

All your input was a huge help! Pics to come soon.

 

[Jan]

Nasty fish!! Mine was so nasty it jumped out of the tank onto the floor when I treid to add food. I also tried to pair it with a smaller one and OMG it killed that baby in less than 20 minutes. It was horrific. Never again!!!

These clowns need to be paired very slowly over days and sometimes weeks. The newbie needs to be protected in a clear hang on box so the larger one can't hurt it. Even with all this there is no guarantee that once you release it into the tank they will pair. It's best to find two that have been paired already. Please do a lot of research on how to pair maroon clowns before you add two that haven't been together. They are vicious!!!

 

[ClownAquatics]

Maroons can be paired, it is more difficult than your average clowns, but possible. Our recommendation would be find them as small as possible as juvis and let them determine who will be male and who will be female.

One thing to note is that maroon clownfish get up to 6" and as others mentioned very aggressive.

 

[yesjenks]

I had a pair that I lost due to Sandy. I loved the colors but hated how aggressive they were. It got to the point that I couldn't put my hand in the tank without getting bitten. It didn't hurt, just made me jump. I really didn't like it!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Jan]

My meanie was about 4" and drew blood many times. I gave her away along with her anemone. She was nuts!!!

I had a pair that I lost due to Sandy. I loved the colors but hated how aggressive they were. It got to the point that I couldn't put my hand in the tank without getting bitten. It didn't hurt, just made me jump. I really didn't like it!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[tunicata]

I had a pair that got along fine (1-1.5"). they snuggled up with my baby BW occ. pair. I mean, total snuggle buddies, it was so adorable. BUT
Once the BW pair grew older, like 1 m older the maroons started fighting.

now i'm going to sell the maroon that is left (the girl died).

 

[Gabe]

I had a pair that got along fine (1-1.5"). they snuggled up with my baby BW occ. pair. I mean, total snuggle buddies, it was so adorable. BUT
Once the BW pair grew older, like 1 m older the maroons started fighting.

now i'm going to sell the maroon that is left (the girl died).

Similar story, in my case, my maroon female was a few years older than her partner, but I learned a technique on how to pair them and it doesn't take a long time. Females are usually the aggressive ones.

 

[GrayBunny]

Wow! Such awesome feedback. Thank you!

I decided to get a very juvenile pair. One tomato and one. Cinnamon. There were about 20 or so all housed together. As suggested, I got one slightly larger than the other. They've been together for a few hours and not so much as a scuffle. I know they are still more. Aggressive than other clowns, but they are the only fish plus anemone in a small tank. (Till they outgrow or I upgrade, whichever comes first)

I will post pictures soon!

 

[cmantis]

Maybe I got lucky but I picked up two from separate members here and just put them together. They fought for the first couple of hours but now are just fine. Might have something to do with the fact that they both came from the BX I dunno.

 

[RARECLOWNSNJ]

No clowns are truely paired till they lay eggs.

Like clown aquatics said if your gonna breed the only sure fire way is to stick to juvi fish.

I have had fish be together for months and the one day the female decides to not like the male.

They are only really a pair or even a bonded pair when they lay eggs.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Change of heart is a common practice among all animals while human beings may be taking the lead. LOL