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Unread 12/28/2017, 01:05 PM   #1
Papermonkeys
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Separate Clowns?

At what point should one step in a separate clowns for a little bit?

I have 2 currently a frostbite and mocha I believe. They have been in the tank together for several months (first additions.) They've been paired off for a while, pretty inseparable. But recently (maybe a few weeks after adding a flame angel (just speculating)) The larger one has been bullying the smaller one more than usual. Won't let him near any of the corals they host (frogspawn, hammer, torch.) The big one will spot the small one from across the tank and dart in full speed (I know usually pretty normal behavior)

And the small clown is starting to show lesions on head and side of body as well as fins nipped up a bit. He's resorted to hiding out behind the gyre to get away for periods of time. He's still eating fine and doesn't seem to be behaving much different other than hiding out a little more.

I know if i were to separate them i should probably pull the larger one out. I'm not sure if I:
1. Should do it all yet
2. Put larger one in an acclimation box (specimen container with holes to allow water to pass through)
3. Put larger one in 10g I have for QT
And if were to separate them how long would be a "good" amount of time?

I have an RedSea Reefer 250 (~55g)
Current fish (All still young and small)
2 Clowns
1 Yellow Clown Goby
1 Orange Diamond Goby
1 Flame Angel
1 Leopard Wrasse

I can provide other details if needed, thanks in advance.
Sorry this picture isn't great but if you look close you can see the lesion on the head and there are more now (hard to get a semi clear picture with my phone)


I will include a link to the original so you can zoom in even more:
https://i.imgur.com/Qe5hAYn.jpg


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Unread 12/30/2017, 01:48 AM   #2
Kinetic
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What are the size differences? If the beat up frostbite is getting bigger, that's probably the issue.

No amount of "time out" will work until the size difference is big enough again (that's only if the sizing was the cause).

One of two things will happen:
1. More aggressive clown will eventually kill the other clown
2. Aggressive clown will grow enough in size to not see the other clown as a threat (but this can take many many months, and less likely to happen before it's killed).


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Unread 01/03/2018, 11:16 AM   #3
Papermonkeys
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Thanks for advice! Their grown has been pretty linear after the initial change. I got them both at the same size and within a few weeks the mocha got visibly larger, still is.

The behavior has mellowed out a bit, it looks like the lesions are starting to heal or at least there are no new ones haha.

This photo doesn't really do it justice they look similar in size but the dark one is bigger for sure. I know the size difference is much more noticeable once they are older, one of my LFS's has a pair of maroons that gotta be at least a couple years old and the female is 2 or 3 times larger haha.



Anyways thanks again for the advice I'll keep an eye out just in case


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