Clownfish gender changing question.

[PirateLove]

Hello ReefCentral. I bought a snowflake clown this year at macna for the snowflake clown I had at home and they were getting along great. My original started getting bigger but then at about day 12 the new one died.

Is my clownfish in gender limbo? Or does he go back to being a male or continue to be a female?

[Dkuhlmann]

I'm pretty sure they can't change back once they turn female. IMO when replacing a clown with a new one I would always get one that is around an inch to be sure of getting a male as you really have no clue if your male has turned or not.

[ThRoewer]

12 days may have not been enough to turn your old fish into a functioning female, but I wouldn't take the risk and rather add a smaller one who is for sure male.

[davocean]

It's safer to just assume your present is a female and get a smaller one, and no, they do not change back once they become female.