A pair of maroon clowns and heteractis crispa

Ive just added a pair of maroon clowns (both approx 1 to 1.5 inches
long) and a fairly big (10inch) heteractis crispa to my 125 gallon
tank.
Ive read about getting the clowns young so they pair up and was told
these would pair no problem by the guy in the shop. He also told me
the heteractis would be a fine anemone for them.
This was 2 days ago.
Im not sure if the clowns are ok or not. One keeps chasing the other
to the corner of the tank, or if the mood takes it, it'll chase it all
over the tank. One 'seems' to be submitting to the other, which makes
me think the pair is forming but Im a little afraid that this will
keep on and eventually, the weaker one will die. Is this Likely?
Also this lovely big anemone I bought for them to live in is still
vacant! Neither has shown the slightest interest in it. Is it normal
for these fish to ignore the anemone for this long and how long will
this last?
I have posted some pics on my website, http://www.rhodesfamily.co.uk
If anyone has ANY information I'd appreciate it.

"Karl" <> wrote in message
news: om...
> Ive just added a pair of maroon clowns (both approx 1 to 1.5 inches
> long) and a fairly big (10inch) heteractis crispa to my 125 gallon
> tank.
> Ive read about getting the clowns young so they pair up and was told
> these would pair no problem by the guy in the shop. He also told me
> the heteractis would be a fine anemone for them.
> This was 2 days ago.
> Im not sure if the clowns are ok or not. One keeps chasing the other
> to the corner of the tank, or if the mood takes it, it'll chase it all
> over the tank. One 'seems' to be submitting to the other, which makes
> me think the pair is forming but Im a little afraid that this will
> keep on and eventually, the weaker one will die. Is this Likely?
> Also this lovely big anemone I bought for them to live in is still
> vacant! Neither has shown the slightest interest in it. Is it normal
> for these fish to ignore the anemone for this long and how long will
> this last?
> I have posted some pics on my website, http://www.rhodesfamily.co.uk
> If anyone has ANY information I'd appreciate

I had two Maroon clowns 7 years ago and I find them *very* territorial
They were of similar size but one had to be top dog.
My friend ended up with one, and I still have the other, now a big
lovely fish. There are powder blues in with it an a yellow tang (seven
years together) the tangs are boisterous at times but if push comes to a
shove , the Maroon takes control.
It took 6 weeks to decide to get on with its anenome, since then it
carries any large food particles to it . Bliss.

IME maroon clowns are the more aggressive of all the clowns and will chase
other fish (potential mates as well) into hiding and keep them pinned there.
I have one that got along with everyone fine till one day it decided to
chase my other clown up behind the overflow and would NEVER let him out from
behind it. if he came out the maroon would quickly go snap him until he
retreated to the overflow. I cured this by moving the aggressor to the sump
where he now lives with a CC starfish and a few pep shrimp and gets along
with everyone.

as for your anemone, some clowns take a long time, some are quick, some
never take to them. its no perfect science, its just hit or miss.

FWIW my 5 yrs old 18+" green carpet died a few months back after I moved the
tank from one side of the room to another to allow for a bigger tank, the
two clarkia's that lived in it were heart broken and have sense taken to
hosting in an open brain and some nearby xenia.

today I got a new carpet (actually traded two xenia frags for it, what a
deal) and the clarki's were checking it out in the bag as I acclimated it.
within a min of being in the tank, they found 'home' and haven't left its
side sense.

one of the 3 porcelain crabs that used to share with them on the larger
carpet has moved in tonight. this anemone is only about 5" when fully
expanded so there isn't a lot of free space like on the big one. we'll just
have to see who gets to call it home tomorrow I guess.

kc

(Karl) wrote in message news:<. com>...
> Ive just added a pair of maroon clowns (both approx 1 to 1.5 inches
> long) and a fairly big (10inch) heteractis crispa to my 125 gallon
> tank.
> Ive read about getting the clowns young so they pair up and was told
> these would pair no problem by the guy in the shop. He also told me
> the heteractis would be a fine anemone for them.
> This was 2 days ago.
> Im not sure if the clowns are ok or not. One keeps chasing the other
> to the corner of the tank, or if the mood takes it, it'll chase it all
> over the tank. One 'seems' to be submitting to the other, which makes
> me think the pair is forming but Im a little afraid that this will
> keep on and eventually, the weaker one will die. Is this Likely?
> Also this lovely big anemone I bought for them to live in is still
> vacant! Neither has shown the slightest interest in it. Is it normal
> for these fish to ignore the anemone for this long and how long will
> this last?
> I have posted some pics on my website, http://www.rhodesfamily.co.uk
> If anyone has ANY information I'd appreciate it.

UPDATE.

Just got home from work and found both clowns in a real state. They
haven't been very happy all week, but things have taken a turn for the
worst. Both have damaged pectoral fins and the mouths have lost alot
of colour today and look a bit tattered. I've pulled them both out and
put them in baskets floating in the tank. These keep the fish apart
and allows the water to flow through.
Im going to call the shop where I bought them tomorrow and see if
they'll take them back as the chap in the shop said that they'd pair
no problem, but its seems theyre going to kill each other instead!

Neither has found the anemone either yet either, which is a bit
disapointing. How often should I feed the anemone if the clowns arent
doing the job? I see that some anemone need feeding 2-3 times a week
while others need food only once in 2 weeks! This is a Heterctis
Crispa if that helps. I'm mulling the idea over to get a bubbletip
aswell as the Heteractis. Will these anemones get along ok, or does
anyone know of problems when both these anemones are in the same tank?
Again any help is greatly appreciated.

(Karl) wrote in message news:<. com>...
> (Karl) wrote in message news:<. com>...
> > Ive just added a pair of maroon clowns (both approx 1 to 1.5 inches
> > long) and a fairly big (10inch) heteractis crispa to my 125 gallon
> > tank.
> > Ive read about getting the clowns young so they pair up and was told
> > these would pair no problem by the guy in the shop. He also told me
> > the heteractis would be a fine anemone for them.
> > This was 2 days ago.
> > Im not sure if the clowns are ok or not. One keeps chasing the other
> > to the corner of the tank, or if the mood takes it, it'll chase it all
> > over the tank. One 'seems' to be submitting to the other, which makes
> > me think the pair is forming but Im a little afraid that this will
> > keep on and eventually, the weaker one will die. Is this Likely?
> > Also this lovely big anemone I bought for them to live in is still
> > vacant! Neither has shown the slightest interest in it. Is it normal
> > for these fish to ignore the anemone for this long and how long will
> > this last?
> > I have posted some pics on my website, http://www.rhodesfamily.co.uk
> > If anyone has ANY information I'd appreciate it.
>
> UPDATE.
>
> Just got home from work and found both clowns in a real state. They
> haven't been very happy all week, but things have taken a turn for the
> worst. Both have damaged pectoral fins and the mouths have lost alot
> of colour today and look a bit tattered. I've pulled them both out and
> put them in baskets floating in the tank. These keep the fish apart
> and allows the water to flow through.
> Im going to call the shop where I bought them tomorrow and see if
> they'll take them back as the chap in the shop said that they'd pair
> no problem, but its seems theyre going to kill each other instead!
>
> Neither has found the anemone either yet either, which is a bit
> disapointing. How often should I feed the anemone if the clowns arent
> doing the job? I see that some anemone need feeding 2-3 times a week
> while others need food only once in 2 weeks! This is a Heterctis
> Crispa if that helps. I'm mulling the idea over to get a bubbletip
> aswell as the Heteractis. Will these anemones get along ok, or does
> anyone know of problems when both these anemones are in the same tank?
> Again any help is greatly appreciated.

ANOTHER UPDATE.

Ok, So I called the shop on Saturday and they agreed to take the
clowns back, even though they believed the clowns would eventually
pair. I think the shop deserves a respectful mention here. They have
been very good.
http://www.waterzoo.co.uk
I changed the maroons for a pair of common clowns (wasnt told if the
were perculas or ocelaris) one at about an inch and the other almost
twice the size. When I got them home I used a small net to transfer
them to my tank and placed the net right over the anemone. The only
way out was through the anemone, and they have both taken to it like,
erm, a fish to water?
Im a very happy chappy. However, I have been promised a pair of
maroons if I want them as a gift. My tank is 125 gallons and as I have
learned the maroons are terratorial. If I get a genuine matched pair
and do the same to them as I did with the commons (ie, 'throw' them
into a bubbletip anemone at the opposite end of the tank) would I be
ok or asking for trouble? I do very much like the maroons, but want a
happy tank.

Maroons are very aggressive and they would probably fight the other clowns.

(Karl) writes:
> I changed the maroons for a pair of common clowns (wasnt told if the
> were perculas or ocelaris) one at about an inch and the other almost
> twice the size. When I got them home I used a small net to transfer
> them to my tank and placed the net right over the anemone. The only
> way out was through the anemone, and they have both taken to it like,
> erm, a fish to water?

Sounds like a happy story.

> However, I have been promised a pair of
> maroons if I want them as a gift. My tank is 125 gallons and as I have
> learned the maroons are terratorial. If I get a genuine matched pair
> and do the same to them as I did with the commons (ie, 'throw' them
> into a bubbletip anemone at the opposite end of the tank) would I be
> ok or asking for trouble? I do very much like the maroons, but want a
> happy tank.

The maroons will not get along with your new "common" clowns. The territory
size is around a two foot cube. It's unlikely that your tank is large enough
to allow those four fish to coexist, without the maroons attacking (and
probably killing) the "common" clowns.

If you get really, really, really lucky, perhaps the respective anemones will
anchor at opposite ends of your tank, and both pairs of clowns will avoid the
no-man's-land in the middle. But it's unlikely.

-- Don
__________________________________________________ _____________________________
Don Geddis http://reef.geddis.org/
If you're traveling in a time machine, and you're eating corn on the cob, I
don't think it's going to affect things one way or the other. But here's the
point I'm trying to make: Corn on the cob is good, isn't it.
-- Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey