dominate clown wont let little one eat

[scottkip91]

i have two clowns in a 50g fowlr, they have been together for 12 weeks. they have been sharing food well, but the last 3-5 days the more dominate larger clown seems to push the other away when i feed. the less dominate seems scared to even chase food but gets a little bit. the dominate one even takes food after he is full and spites it out like he doesnt want the other to eat. is that normal? the little one looks healthy, they swim and stay together but he just isnt growing like the other.
thanks

[Army_JAG]

clowns are all born the same sex, male if i remember correctly, and then a larger one will become dominant and turn female. There is a very good thread in the anenome & clown section of the forum, he has 27 clowns in one tank and spoke of one being under fed and less colorful, he upped his feeding and it solved his problem, you should check it out

[mykol]

My 2 percs did this when i first got them. Depending on how much larger the female is, and how recently she became larger, its just her asserting dominance. As long as the smaller clown looks healthy just give it a bit more time. The other option is drop flake in, then target feed the smaller when he shuns away.

Army's point about over feeding is valid, just be careful. When i had this happen with my clowns, all that i had for fish were the 2 clowns and a goby, i ended up spiking my nitrates trying to put enough food in to give him a chance at some. Pharmacies sell syringes for giving med's to babies, i ended up buying one, i'd mix up my frozen brine & flake, then putting some in the syringe, dropping the rest in the tank, then putting the syringe in to target feed my male. Female didn't mind because she was busy, and he ate like a champ =)

[streak]

I would suggest picking up Wilkersons book it seems like the Clownfishs bible. I belive most clownfishs are paritenel hermaridietes(sp?) when there juvi's there sexless. They either turn male then female depending on domince this is a one trip on the sex change. Female's are the ones that are the most dominate. And when 2 Bond off one will turn female the other male. and if you have any other clowns of the same species in the tank most likely they will be killed. by the bonded pair. I learned this the hard way. Mine are just about a year old when they bonded and they killed off the 3rd clown and i know the reason why he did not remain a juvi but had converted to a male.
I reread "clownfishs" by Joyce Wilkerson and found out why they killed off the 3rd clown.. now possibly if i had a bigger tank it might not have happend.