clown fish

[jamos5790]

Ok I'm looking to add a pair of clown fish to my setup and was wondering how do you know which is male and which is female? Do they change sex or you have to get them that way?

Edit: Also are most of them pretty Hardy or some better than others?

 

[jennm]

If you buy juveniles, one will become female. They'll sort it out themselves. The dominant one makes the change.

Most clowns are pretty hardy. They also become very territorial.

Jenn

 

[jamescook]

Percs, especially these new designer models seem to be less hardy than the normals.

 

[jamos5790]

well I was just thinking of getting some tank bred falsies.

 

[mc524]

If you get a pair, or even one, and then decide to add an Anemone. Listen closely to what Jenn said about being territorial.
I've now had to separate the Female and place her in my Sump as she was bullying the Royal Gramma for housing in the holes of a LR that was under where the Nem decided it wanted to stay. Even after relocating the LR, it would still hunt the Gramma and chase it into it's hole.
I'm hoping that reintroducing the Female after a months time, that things will change for the better.

Time will tell.

 

[sinbad]

We have a pair of Maroon Clowns - they are VERY territorial. We put in an anemone about a month ago and they will not leave it. The female claimed it immediately, finally after about a week or so she let the male join her.

Any other fish get close, and it's on...

 

[jamos5790]

So maybe I should wait to add them last? I'm wanna add a flame angel and some kind of Blenny or maybe a goby too.

 

[sinbad]

You should be fine. They will probably just claim a piece of the tank for themselves. Mine were the first fish in my tank. They stayed hidden for a couple of days, then claimed a spot until I put the anemone in. Now they just follow it as it moves around my tank.
Dang anemone - got caught in the powerhead the other day, has not moved much since then.

 

[kilralpine]

I bought my yellow stripes together as juveniles of pretty much equal size. One will outgrow the other significantly, at 8 months they're quite different. The female will get HUGE and MEAN (possibly) and the male will be the same size they both were at like 2 months lol. Take note that white stripes as opposed to yellow stripes tend to be a little nicer from what I hear.

 

[thanh386]

jamescook;795101 wrote: Percs, especially these new designer models seem to be less hardy than the normals.

Clowns are clown. Mine have gone thru everything and still lives. Tbh regular percs have a higher fatality rate for me than my designers

 

[jamescook]

wow, I was actually thinking of you when I said that.
But all clowns are not equal by a long shot. Even you should know that.

 

[thanh386]

jamescook;795586 wrote: wow, I was actually thinking of you when I said that.
But all clowns are not equal by a long shot. Even you should know that.

Mine are better . But yes, I know. I use to have terrible luck with all clowns. First success in keeping one was buying one at petco. Tim at keen reef use to call me the clown killer.