Maroon clowns…will they pair? 6/16/08
First let me say good day to you all.
<Thanks! A splendid day to you as well!>
I have two Maroon clownfish in my 90gal tank. I introduced both of them almost two months ago at the same time. Their current sizes are: big is probably 1.5” to 2” and the smaller one is maybe 1”. Two days of introducing them in my tank, they swim and stay close together. After that they separate their ways, one stayed at the right corner of the tank and one on the other side.
Sometimes I would see the big one chasing the small clown, but no major attacked.
A week ago I bought a GBTA and the bigger Maroon took over the anemone instantly. I have noticed that once in a while the small one will go near the GBTA and the bigger Maroon, just to hang around. The bigger Maroon will sometimes ignore the small Maroon or sometimes would chase. The bigger Maroon doesn’t nip any part of the small Maroon not even when they bump with each other during feeding time. This morning while the actinics were on, I saw the two moving in a circle and have their cheeks touched. After a while they break away and are on their separate locations again. So far I have never seen the smaller Maroon do some twitching when being chased or attacked by the bigger Maroon.
With these, do you think these two Maroons will ever pair? I know I am beginning to be impatient on what is going to happen next, but I want to hear some confirmations from people like you that they might have or the worst will not.
<May, it sounds like your clowns are still pretty young. Keep in mind an adult female-morph Maroon can reach 6"- yours have a long way to go! They are probably displaying pre-pairing behavior (Hashing out who will play the husband and the wife!) and will likely pair if given time, space.>
Thank you and continue the great work you are doing.
<Will try!>
-May
<Benjamin>

Maroon Clownfish Breeding 4/29/08
Hi there guys and gals of WWM!
<Yunachin here today.>
First, thank you for being always able to answer all our questions and thanks for the great site where all practical approach to marine/reef keeping are always ready.
<You are welcome! We do try hard around here.>
Anyway, I’m in the process of pairing a maroon clownfish (Premnas Biaculeatus) in my 90gal tank. Currently they are the only fish in my tank (after the crashed almost a month ago). I bought two maroons few days ago and I believe both are still juveniles. One is bigger and the other one is smaller.
<If this is significant then the female/male roles have already been taken.>
The bigger one has a rusty maroon color and the small one is bright maroon almost reddish. These are definitely not a tank bred. For the past days there are only few times that the bigger one attempted to attack the small one. Right now they are swimming on the same area and sometimes side by side and no attacks from either one.
<Sounds good so far. The occasional attack is most likely the female establishing her dominance and as long as this does not get out of hand, it will taper off. >
My question is, is it premature to assume that they will pair up? Are they still too young to show the aggressions the maroon clowns are known for? Is it possible that in the long run they are going to pair?
<If given a good tank environment, with scheduled vitamin enriched feedings, pristine water conditions and a consistent light pattern then there is a great chance that they will pair up. Be patient because this can take some time. Maroons can also be the most stubborn when trying to get to mate but being alone in the tank gives them a good chance.>
Again, thank you very much! Your response will definitely help me with my
current endeavor.
<You’re welcome. Good Luck! –Yunachin>
-Rogie

Pairing Maroon Clownfish – 9/27/07
<Brenda here tonight!>
Thank you for your help in the past.
<You’re welcome!>
I have another question. I have two Maroon clowns, one gold stripe and one white stripe in separate QT tanks and I'm getting ready to move them into my 180 display tank. The white stripe is a large size and the gold stripe is a medium size. What are the chances the two will pair up?
<Is difficult to say. It is always best to work with juveniles that have not yet become male or female. If two juveniles is not an option, I recommend one being a juvenile, with a way for the juvenile to escape the larger one. If you introduce two males, one will likely turn into the female. If you introduce two females they will likely fight to the death of one or both. Maroon clownfish can be very aggressive. I have heard horror stories of other “innocent” fish getting in the way of two Maroon clownfish fighting. Keep a very close eye on them and be prepared to separate! Brenda>

Re: Pairing Maroon Clownfish – 9/28/07
I have the smaller Maroon in my 20 QT, I got him first. I have the larger one in the 10 QT.
<It is good to hear you quarantine your fish.>
Should I move the larger one from the 10 to the 20 with the smaller one first to see what happens before putting them both in the 180? Or just put them in the 180.
<I would place some PVC in with the smaller Maroon. Make sure that the PVC is too small for the larger Maroon to go in. You can also divide the tank with eggcrate for a few days, then remove, and just keep the PVC in there. There is no guarantee with clownfish, and Maroons can be brutal. Keep a very close eye on them. Placing them in a larger aquarium would be better for introduction, but I am afraid the 180 will be impossible to catch them if you need to separate. Brenda>

Pairing Maroon Clownfish, Premnas biaculeatus 8/14/07
Can a white-striped maroon and a gold-striped maroon form a pair?
<Yes, they are the same species. More information here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/maroonclnart.htm>
I purchased what my LFS told me was a gold-striped maroon about 8 months ago. This fish still has white stripes so I am thinking about adding a larger gold-striped maroon to the tank.
<This is not a good idea. The clownfish you currently have is likely female. If you purchase a larger clownfish, you risk adding another female. Two female clownfish in one tank is asking for trouble. It will likely result in the death of one or both clownfish. I’ve heard horror stories were other fish were killed by getting in the way of two fighting Maroons.>
I just don't know if the two varieties of clowns are compatible? BTW, the maroon that I have was tank-bred.
<I recommend getting a smaller Maroon Clownfish, and keeping a very close eye on them when they are introduced. These are territorial fish and do not always welcome a partner. There are a couple of different techniques that can be used to introduce them, please read through the FAQs on Maroon Clownfish for more information: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/premnasfaqs.htm Good luck! Brenda>

My maroon clowns and fry  - 05/01/07
Hello to you all. I am in need of some advice as i do not know what to do for the best. I have a reef tank 400Lt for almost 7 years now. I have 6 perc clowns host a bubble anemone and all get along great. My dream was to have a Maroon clown but knew i needed another tank to do this so i got one. Thought i was doing good getting a small Orca but soon realised it was not big enough. I came across a tank for sale within my area and quite cheep so i bought it. At the moment i have the tank set up to re home my Gold stripe Maroon clowns. It's 36 x 15 x 26 with around 35kl live rock, sand bed of around 4" there is a weir in the right hand side with volcanic rock (sorry forgot the right name for it) and bio balls the triangle shaped ones with a layer of pond filter on the top and egg crate to hold it down. dose this sound OK?
<Mmm, am not a fan of Bio-balls, nor most volcanic rock... too sharp, not enough surface area for bio-filtration, contributes nothing in the way of biomineral or alkalinity...>
  The weir is drilled in the bottom water is collected in a very tiny sump size of sump is 18 x10 x10 it is too small i know.
<Mmm, not really... should be fine for the rest of the volume/the system here>
There's no space to up size the sump but i have managed to get my skimmer, heater, 3 pieces of live rock and a 2" sand bed  in. I placed 5" of Perspex to stop sand from going near my return pump would this be OK?
<Likely so>
  Next there is an eternal filter which has 2 substrate's in (no sponges) 1st is like hula hoops second is like a stone coloured course gravel with a layer of pond filter on the top. I have never had a tank with either a weir, sump, or external filter before. I have had this tank set up and running now for 4 weeks. Nitrate at 0.5, Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0 PH 7.8. readings have been the same from day 3.
<Okay>
  I was hoping to put in my clowns soon but they decided to spawn. The eggs hatched and i had fry everywhere. there in a small 58Lr orca cube hence why the 3ft is set up.
<I see>
  I had not seen eggs so was quite shocked to see the fry. Problem is she decided to spawn again 10 days later.
<Yes... right on schedule>
Now i have tiny fry and larger fry whey have not been fed rotifer or brine. To be honest i am shocked there still alive without a helping hand in feeding apart from i have been adding liquid Cyclopes and there eating it. There also eating frozen baby brine and scrupled flake food 3 different sorts mixed together with a tiny drop of garlic. I have Joyce Wilkerson's book on order as you recommend and hope it will be with me soon.
<Good>
In the mean time what do i do with the parents?
<I would move them to the new digs>
Do i move them to the new tank?
<Yes>
will the fry be better off away from there parents?
<Yes... otherwise will be eaten>
there are no other fish in the orca just a few bristle worms and small snails.
  I understand if i move the pair they will stop breeding for around 6 months or so is this right?
<Mmm, no... likely they will spawn again in about two weeks... for a good long while... You will come to understand this by reading... there are reproductive "checks"...>
This is not a problem as I'm sure the rest will do her good. I am worried about the tank being so small and there being the 2 different size fry around 14 days and 3 days old. apart from this she is cleaning the rocks at the back of her cave again and doing general housework the little guy is getting all protective and hates me taking a peek in the tank. There acting the same way they did just before the second spawning so she may just be wanting to spawn again.
  Any advice you can help me with to guide me on the right track while i am waiting for my book to arrive would be a huge help and an Honor to receive.
   thanks Elaine Snowdonia, North Wales UK
<Do use the water from the new tank to make regular changes to the smaller/fry tank... keep monitoring water quality there... Make plans of where to sell, move the young (perhaps local stores). Bob Fenner>

Re: my maroon clowns and fry   5/2/07
Thanks ever so much for your prompt reply. i plan to move the parents into there new home in the morning so i can keep an eye on them during the day. I do have a few more  questions just to make sure i have everything right before i transfer the fish.
  Would i be better to remove the bio balls from the weir ?
<... yes, posted>
and the volcanic rock ?
<Ditto>
if so what could i replace them with ?
<Please read on WWM re... the indices, search tool...>
  would i be better to also remove the media from the external canister and use it for water movement only ?
<IMO, yes>
or would i be better off removing it from the tank all together ?
<Possibly... what would you do to "make up" the lost filtration, circulation?>
  thanks again for all your help and advice it is really appreciated
  Elaine
<Glad to help. Bob Fenner>

Baby Maroon Clowns – Priceless! 1/17/07
Hi,
<Hi Amy! Brenda here.>
I am an avid reader of your site and I’d just like to say that you guys are great.
<Thank you!  We appreciate your kind words!>
I have a question.  I’m hoping one of you will be able to answer.  I’ve had my reef tank set up for about 6 years and my maroon clownfish finally decided to breed.  
<Very exciting!>
I read a ton and have been learning how to raise them.  My question is....If I go through all the trouble of raising the young, how much do you think my LFS would be willing to pay for 25mm size healthy young fish?  Like what price would be a "fair" price, just an estimate would be good (Bay Area in California). Assuming I deliver them to the LFS, and they buy from me on a regular basis.  I hate to bother you guys but couldn’t find the answer on the site.
< I suggest contacting your LFS and local Reef Club.  Keep in mind that when it comes time to sell, your LFS may not have an immediate need for them. The experience however, will be priceless!>
Thanks,
Amy
<Your welcome.  Brenda>

Re: Maroon Clown Maturation/Pair Question  9/15/06
Hello Mr. Fenner/Crew
<Bora>
I think it's time this website is given awards left and right. :)
<Heeee! We won't disagree>
Thank you for the priceless knowledge/experience shared here. Not to bother you more than enough, and sorry if I skipped my answer during skimming the wet web media, here are my questions:
To keep it short, after the male's death of the original mated pair of maroons I introduced another male. It was very young but I got him about a year now. Finally it's developing yellow stripes. I assume that these two are paired up since no one is dead over 8 months and they do hang out together and protect this cave under the anemone (and literally carry food to the anemone together).
<Very likely so>
Is developing yellow stripes can be an indication of maturation and could I expect serious pair activity from now on or this 100% a nutritional issue.
<Mmm... maybe something else entirely... could be sterile for instance>
(I feed them with Fenner's recipe added garlic guard zoo/phyto plankton and everything kept marine as in ingredients + they get treat size Hikari and ocean nutrition varieties on random times in a day).
My active "thank you"s Mr. Fenner, your books are sold out in my store! (I almost bought two but it would have been too weird even for me) :)
Have a great day WWM Crew.
Bora
<You may need a "whipping boy" added animal here to trigger "pair behavior"... Much we could/might discuss re. Bob Fenner>

Death of female clown fish
Hi, I just lost my female maroon clown. Is it possible to find a mate for the male?
<Mmm, better to get a much smaller individual, have the present male turn into a/the female>
I had the clowns for 2+ years and the female was laying eggs about every 8 weeks The clowns have a bubble tip anemone which had split, and now the bubble tip the female preferred is on the move it has been neglected for about 3 weeks as the female was not caring as in the past (feeding, etc. ) I have many corals in the area and would hate to see a battle between the anemone and corals Thanks  bhumpire
<Lots we could chat re... Have you read over the materials archived on WWM re Clownfishes? Bob Fenner>

Re: Sexing Maroon Clowns 11-25-05  Update (01-06-06
Crew-
<Craig>
I hope you all had a happy New Year, I just have a few follow up questions. I did pick up Joyce Wilkerson's book, and I am having some success pairing my female maroon. The last two weeks, I have had the smaller maroon isolated in the corner of the main display using a drilled panel of Lucite. I removed the Lucite two days ago, and since then the male has remained in the corner, even
though he is no longer confined there. The female periodically comes over to check him out, and he exhibits the "shivering" behavior that I have read signals the beginning of pairing behavior. Swell right?
<Very swell, correct.>
However, I cleaned the glass in the corner he was in and he moved to the other side of the aquarium. The female FREAKED, and chased him everywhere. Minutes later, I intervened, and only after I put him back in his corner with the Lucite did the female chill out. I removed the Lucite a few hours later and got more shivering behavior, so it was cool again. The thing is, as long as the Lucite is there, I do not get any shivering or other interactions that occur with the barrier removed. With the holidays being over, I cannot keep close tabs on them all day. Can I leave the barrier out? The male gets the idea he needs to stay in the corner, and there are no other fish in the aquarium with them now to disturb them. But God help him if for whatever reason he leaves the corner
and I am not around. Remembering that the barrier inhibits the "good vibrations" I am getting, should I keep the barrier in the tank?
<You should remove the barrier, but put some hiding places in the corner for the male. I suggest some small pvc elbows and tees. Make sure he can get in, but she cannot.>
Sorry for another issue, but any idea why would my BTA sometimes regurgitate partially digested silversides?
Most of the time it expels just the mucous and
slime, but occasionally there are barely digested fish in it. Would I be
correct to suspect overfeeding? I feed it 2-3X/wk when it really stretches
itself out and looks "hungry."  The BTA is under 250W of metal halide @ 14K
and 32W PC @ 6500/10K. I have had it for 3-4 months and it is otherwise
growing and doing great.
<This one is easy. BTAs cannot digest whole silversides. Those that feed them regularly just are not seeing the regurgitation as it usually occurs at night. BTAs do best with chopped or small pieces of food. I feed Mysis, Omega enriched brine, and even Formula One cubes to my anemones. The smaller pieces increase the surface area of the food and allows the anemone to deal with it and digest it much easier.>
Thanks as always for your time and advice,
<Anytime. Travis>
Craig     
 

Pairing Maroon Clowns  9/12/05
Hello,
I have a medium sized y-striped maroon right now in a 30 gallon tank.   I am preparing to transfer him over into a 135 gallon reef tank, which is newly  set
up and currently empty.  I would very much like to mate him up with a  second y-striped maroon.  Obviously when I add him to the tank I will add  his would
be mate at the same time.  Is there anything else I can do to  ensure that hostilities will not take place?  I was told by a friend to get  a maroon that is
larger, as the larger ones are usually the females.  Is  this good advice?
Thanks,
Frank Janes
>>>Hello Frank,
You were given poor advice I'm afraid. First of all, this fish gets to be about the size of your hand, so if you indeed have a "medium" sized maroon clown, then you already have a female in all likelihood, and not a "he" as you describe. This means you need to get a MUCH smaller individual which will remain a male.
This is the easy part, the hard part is introducing the little guy and not having him get killed. I recommend placing him in a clear plastic container with holes in it, kind of a "shark cage" idea. Leave him in this container for several days to allow the female to get acclimated to him. Make sure he gets fed. You can then release him, and just hope for the best! This is how I paired my maroons. However, I also had 6 bubble tip anemones in the tank for the little guy to move between and thus escape the females' attentions. Even though I used the method I just described to you, she was quite rough at first.
Also, not sure what you mean by "medium", this is a rather ambiguous term don't you think? Your female should be 3"+, then get the smallest Maroon you can find to introduce to her.
Good luck!
Jim<<<

Maroon Clown Pairing?
Hi. I was hoping you could help me out. Now I know you probably been ask this question a thousand times but here goes. I purchased 2 Maroon clowns a couple of weeks ago from a LFS that had 3 of them in a tank together. The 2 I purchased seemed to have gotten along cause they were sharing a BTA and were both chasing the other Maroon around. The Maroons are I would say 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. I had them in QT and while in there they stayed on opposite ends of the tank with an occasional chase here and there but with not actual assaults. Now I have introduced them to a 55gal reef. (They are the only fish in it) One of the Clowns seems to be trying to host a Bubble Coral and a Frog Spawn. He's what's going on though. When that clown that's trying to host sees the other clown A chase breaks out and seem to lead to some Jaw locking between the 2. There hasn't been any damage to fins or anything. Just the whole jaw locking thing. I would like to know what you make of this behavior? And what you suggest I should do? If anything? Thanks for your help in Advance..<I would separate these fish, it sounds more like signs of aggression to me, IanB>
~Don~

Gold Striped Maroon Anemonefish 
Good morning this is Joann 
<Hi! Ryan with you today> 
My question is regarding the behavior of my pair of Goldstripe maroons. <Surely> The two have been in the same tank for about 6-7 months now. The male was a "replacement" because the original suddenly died. The second male and original female went through a rough adjustment period (the male preferred swimming through the divider and staying with the miniatus grouper and the harlequin tusk. About 2 months ago a 30 gal reef was set up for the maroons and other "community" fish. Their BTA wasn't looking good so about 1 month ago was taken out and is being nursed back to health. Two days ago the male seemed to be "sitting" on a rock the has a section of hair algae growing and is located where the BTA use to be. Since he has been continuously "resting" there and fanning the area. Could you give me some advice on what's going on. <In the absence of a hosting anemone/coral, some clowns will adopt a rock as their own. Have you considered a Sarcophyton for him? If you have the lighting to house an anemone (4+ watts/gallon) then a Sarcophyton may be perfect for your system. Much hardier, and doesn't require supplemental feeding.> Could the pair have become a mated pair? <Possibly, but maybe not. By definition, a mated pair has spawned. Are there eggs in your tank?> 
Thanks for your time and advice!! <Absolutely. Good luck! Ryan>

Maroon clown harem
If I introduced 3 juvenile (~2") clownfish, will they form a harem upon maturity?  Would I need to start out with more than 3?  Just wondering, and considering.  Thanks  M. Maddox
Not a prayer IMO... and I hesitate to speak so absolutely, but if there are three things you can count on in life: the sun will rise tomorrow George Bush stutters and hesitates during press conferences because he's slow picking up on the answers given to him through his earpiece and 2 or more maroon clowns in the same tank will usually fight to the death I watched a batch of tank raised juveniles beating the hell out of each other during a freshwater bath! They were more concerned with territory than the fact that they were suddenly in desalinated water Anthony

-GS Maroon clown Concerns-
Hi guys,
  I found your site for the first time today, and I have to say, I am overwhelmed by the amount of great info you put out. <Great!> I have a few concerns I would like help with.  To give you some background on the situation, I have a 75G tank with a 20G sump.  I have a UV sterilizer, a mesh sock <Personally, I wear cotton ones, sometimes w/ the gold toe ;) >, and a Kent Nautilus TE protein skimmer.  There is about 120lbs of live rock, and a couple of corals I have kept for about 6 months now.  First, what do you think of the setup? <Sounds fine, although I'd only run the UV when necessary, which should be never. It would be better used on a quarantine tank.>
   Living on an island in Washington, the nearest respectable LFS is about 3 hours away, <Ouch> depending on the ferry backup, up to 5, so getting livestock is a gamble.  Speaking of gamble, I ordered a mated pair of Gold striped maroon clowns online last week, and upon arrival, I found that the male was dead.  You can say I learned my lesson on buying fish without seeing them. Can I add another small clown, or will she kill it? <That's the $20,000 question: how rotten is this female? I suppose you won't know until you try, so make sure that you have somewhere to relocate (likely permanently since you can't get around to any local shops to trade him in) the new male should the female be too aggressive.> I also found a white spot on her lower right fin, and I don't know how concerned I should be, I really don't want her to die. <Just keep an eye on it for now, you could do a preventative fresh water dip if you like.> I know I made the huge mistake of not putting her in a QT before adding her to the reef, and I know ignorance is no excuse. <Yep> She seems healthy otherwise, she spend all her time in the anemone, eats and breathes quite regularly. <Sounds like she's in good shape>  In the tank I have a cardinal fish, and a pair of firefish.  When I got the clown I also received a very large Bubble tip anemone which I found lost all pigments, it only has a very light green residue on the tip of
it's tentacles, and I was wondering if there is anything I can do to regrow the pigments on it, or is that's just not possible. <Sounds like it bleached, and what's left are the pigments (the zooxanthellae died off due to lack of proper lighting or other factors).> The clown helped it acclimate quite well, and I feed it silversides for now, because it is just too large for Krill.  Please guide me, I love everything about my reef tank, but I want my livestock to thrive in it, and not just survive in it.  Again, thank you for the great info, and your site is just amazing, you can count on my visit on a regular basis from now on. <Well, it seems that you've forgotten to list what type of lighting you are running on this setup, which is very important since you have an anemone. If it is inadequate, it's likely the source of your BTA problem, which is serious. -Kevin>
Respectfully
-Frank

Buying two tank raised Gold Bar Maroons, will they form a pair?
<Hi Nathan, MacL here>
I would really like a pair of Gold Bar Maroons.  <Very nice choice. Very pretty fish.  But they are known to be pretty aggressive so that will make a difference as to the fish you can have with them.> I know that generally speaking, established pairs are wild caught.  <Not always. Some places are offering breeders for sale.  You also might consider checking the boards and local clubs to see if someone has a pair that they would like to sell or trade.> I would like tank bred fish. <Very wise. I do know that ORA and some other places have been selling tank raised for many years.  I believe that while they don't sell retail they could connect you with a place that does sell their fish.> I found on Dr. Fosters & Smith that they have tank bred maroons!  <Great>If I purchase two will they form a pair?  <If you get two young, small ones, one will change its sex more than likely.> Any help would be greatly appreciated. <You are doing wonderfully and very wise to check out what you are doing in advance.>
Thank you,
Nathan Brown

-Pairing up maroon clowns-
Ok, here is my story.. I purchased 2 maroon clown fish, both came from the mail <ah, the USPS now sells fish? ;) >and both were the same size. As expected they fought for 2 days until one became the dominate one. The other sat in the corner, flat, scared and not eating. I was waiting for mating <?!> but the other just kept nipping at it for about 4 days. <That sometimes happens, you probably should have separated them previous to this.> I decided that the scared one needed to be removed. OK, now that the dominate one is all alone, it now hides behind the skimmer box, barely comes out, and shows no interest in eating. Maybe he misses the other? <No emotional attachment here, not clear what's going on though.> Any ideas of what's up. Before I removed the other, the dominate one was fine, eating, swimming around? <Interesting, it may have been the stress of you actually going in the tank to remove the other one that spooked it. There could also be another fish in the tank bullying it.> Should I put the other back, maybe they were about to mate and I ruined it. <Fish are not like horny stray dogs, a pair of clowns only 'mates' (i.e. lays and fertilized eggs) after several weeks or likely months of courtship.> I also have a bubble tip anemone that for 1.5 weeks now, the maroon clown has not even touched it yet? <Although E. quadricolor is the natural host of your clownfish, there's no guarantee that the clown will actually take to it> The clowns were tank raised. <Tank raised or not, same chance.> One more thing. the anemone has moved to a place that is between a feather duster and a button polyp. I found the tentacles laying on the button polyp, is that polyp doomed. <Unlikely, I'd move the polyps. This is also an indication that you could probably use some more flow, since these very light tentacles were just sitting by their previous owner.> I did move the polyp over and it looks like some of the polyps are shrived, will they all die, will the shriveled pieces come back to life. <The shriveled polyps are a bit burnt, but will likely make a full recovery.> It also touched the feather duster, is that doomed too, the tube is getting dark and flimsy looking but the feather still comes in and out ok? <The tube is made of their excrement, so it doesn't matter what it looks like. A good way to judge feather duster health is to look at the crown, which I'm not sure if it can actually be stung... I must roll that one around for a while since I'm not sure what the crown is actually made of.> Can it get stung as well. I am rambling, I let you answer. Thanks, Mark <I hope this helps, -Kevin> 

Maroon Clown Pairing
Hi Wet Web Peoples… <Hi Brett, MacL here tonight>
I have put a small – ¾ inch, hopefully male – maroon clown with my 1 ½ inch female housed in a 75 gallon well furnished reef tank.  She’s given him(?) a hard time. On the first day, I thought she was going to kill him, chasing and biting his fins.  Day two and she’s a lot better behaved. He’s got a few pieces missing from his tail, but is otherwise ok. <That's typical.> She leaves him generally alone, but stays close by with only the occasional chase and doesn’t seem to want to kill him. He seems to be petrified of her, but still wants to stay near to her. Does the tempering of aggression mean they are slowly pairing? <Probably.> How long can the process take? <That's up to the individual fish. I wish I could give you a certain time but unfortunately it depends on the fish.>
Also regarding anemones… I have one that is a rose pink, with cream tips – sorry but I have no idea what it is, but I guess its locally collected in South East Asia, as a lot of corals are here.  Any ideas what it could be?  The female clown has ignored it from day one. <They don't have to have an anemone to be happy but if you want one that she will breed in its best to get what is natural to her.> Will having a mate change that or should I take it back to the dealer and wait until they can get a green bubble tip in – they seem hard to come by here – but occasionally available. <One of their natural anemones is the bubble tip so if I could I would buy one of the natural hosts.> I heard they are a better match – is that correct? <Yes>
Yours Sincerely
Brett
Bangkok, Thailand

Maroon clown questions 1/2/05
Hi guys. I just found your site and it seems to have a ton of good information.  I have been reading everything about maroon clownfish and have not found my answer yet, so I thought I'd see if you guys could help.  I recently (about 1 month ago) purchased a pair of maroon clowns which I found for $50 Canadian! (usually they go for about $45 each), these two were rubbing against each other in the store, and they continued to rub each other in my tank... they appear to be a true pair... they even look like they're in love!  I am relieved that I was able to get through the pairing process so easily and cheaply, but a few things have happened and a few questions have come up.
<Glad you found the site and have benefited.  If your clowns were not a pair, one of them would be dead, so yup, you've got a pair!>
To start with, they immediately started rubbing against  the tips of my Condy anemone (which I have had for about 6 months, has a pinkish/brownish tinge except for the very purple tips and the very neon green disk/mouth) and after about an hour of  increasing contact, they were both diving in like crazy.  They girl at the store assured me that this would not happen, that  I should buy the $70 BTA that I couldn't afford.... but I guess you don't know till you try.  <Most clowns will not adopt a Condylactis anemone, but IME, Maroons are amount the most likely to do so.>
Another funny thing with these fish is that 1 (the larger, about 2-21/2" female I suppose) has gold stripes and the other (1"/ 1 1/2" male) has white stripes.  I understand that they are still the same species, but does this say anything about where they have come from?  I am sort of assuming that they are captive bred fish as they took to the Condy, but the girl didn't know.
<The gold striped variety are collected in Sumatra.  They don't develop gold stripes until about a year old.  Your male could still be too young, or could be from a different collection area.  They could be captive bred, but their acceptance of the anemone is not an indication one way or the other.>
Anyway, these oddities aside, the fish have been looking happy and healthy (and still are!) they love their totally incompatible :) Condy anemone (and rarely venture more than 6" from it except at feeding time, which appears to be the norm).  However, now the larger of the two seems to have stopped eating.  She has no visible marks, looks very vibrant, does not appear emaciated (sp?) and otherwise looks happy, perhaps she is staying in the anemone a little more than before ( and more than the male).  She was accepting all kinds of food, just like the male (Mysis, flakes, "Marine Mix" and brine shrimp) but not only takes a piece of food in, then spits it right out.... then swims to the net piece and does it again.  This all started about two days ago.  I have seen that these fish can safely go for a week without eating... but I was wondering if this could be some type of pre-spawning behaviour. <My female clowns are much more aggressive feeders, except immediately before spawning.  Look for a very plump belly, and a lot of rock cleaning activity as signs of an impending spawn.  More likely, she is just having a bit of a slack appetite.  Nothing to worry about unless it goes on for more than a week.>
I am fairly new to the marine hobby (about a year and a half) but this behaviour is very reminiscent of a brooding Mbuna cichlid. ( I realize they are not at all the same). I have read several article about breeding these fish, but none seem to go into any detail about the courtship and pre-spawning details for these beautiful fish and what exactly I should be watching for.  I really want to try my hand at raising some of these little devils and don't want to miss a spawn.  I would really like any info you could give me on the mating rituals and what not that these fish perform, and perhaps some tips on how to find the eggs when they do come.  <Courtship consists of a lot of side by side shimmying, picking at a spot at the rocks (cleaning to lay eggs on) and the female becoming slightly aggressive toward the male (making sure he keeps working!).  You may also notice the females ovipositor extended.  The eggs are hard to miss.  They will be bright red/orange and in a tightly clustered patch within a few inches of the anemone.  Actual spawning behaviour consists of the female making a pass over the rock and depositing eggs, followed by a pass by the male to fertilize them.  Spawning takes anywhere from a half hour to two hours.  Raising the babies takes quite a bit of preparation, planning and dedication. See Joyce Wilkerson's "Clownfishes" for excellent info on the subject.>
Here is my system specs.
1 50 gal tank, 1 35 gal tank, 1 20 gal sump, 1 5 gal hex tank
These tanks are all plumbed together  and into the sump, making a total system size of about 110 gal.
About 75 lbs live rock, about 10-15 pounds lava rock (which I am seeding to use as base rock for a future set-up, this is packed into the 5 gal hex, with some LR rubble, plumbed to sump)  
2-3" live sand in 2 show tanks 35, and 50
5" live sand in refugium
5" dead sand in hex, seeded with some live sand, also for future set-up.... I'm a patient man.
lighting,  50 gal- 250  watt MH pendant,  1 actinic 3' Florescent
35 gal  1-3'actinic,1 3'powerglo
temp 76, Nitrate-0, nitrite- 0, amm-0, phosphates-0, ph 8-1/8.2
Critters and corals
50 gal- 1 black/white stripe damsel (2"),  1 "eel goby"(8"long)P. leucotaenia (I think), 1 red legged hermit crab, 1 huge Brittlestar (that I haven't seen come out from under the rock for at least 9 months, could it be stuck?),  about 20 turbo snails, several Nassarius snails,  a rapidly splitting green Ricordea (sp?)... bought 1 6-7 mo.s ago, now I have 3) some brown green mystery polyps, and a leather coral which I don't know much about, other than that it's brown with green  little stalked food grabbers that stick out all over it (sorry if I'm getting too technical here ;). ) and it seems to grow quite well. There also are (were?) two mystery crabs which I haven't seen for at least 6 mos.  Also many Aiptasia (Grr.....) and some sponges and other little worms, squirts and small branchy corals growing on my rock.
35 gal-  Scooter blenny, purple striped Basslet, banded coral shrimp, peppermint shrimp, spider crab (this is some type of decorator crab, but it is BIG, about 5-6" across), two supposed blue leg hermit crabs (that are not the least bit blue and now quite large, they have brown striped 'sticklike" legs, any idea?), a serpent star, 'Cyano eating conch'.  I think that's it.
<Your serpent star is probably not stuck.  They do tend to stay out of sight.  BIG crabs are SCARY!  They will kill and eat just about anything.>
I am running only a RedSea prism skimmer, and there is also a canister Eheim filter running, other than that there is are no filters other than my rock and sand bed.  I have been thinking about more skimming but don't know it it's really necessary.
Holy cow... what an epic question... sorry guys, but I can't seem to get any good advice....  thanks a lot!
<Your system sounds good.  The real test is the health of the animals.  If the animals are healthy, don't fix what ain't broke!.  Best Regards.  AdamC.>

More Maroon Clown input
Hi guys.
I just found your site and it seems to have a ton of good information.  I have been reading everything about maroon clownfish and have not found my answer yet, so I thought I'd see if you guys could help.  I recently (about 1 month ago) purchased a pair of maroon clowns which I found for $50 Canadian! (usually they go for about $45 each), these two were rubbing against each other in the store, and they continued to rub each other in my tank... they appear to be a true pair...
<Premnas pairs are very distinctive... the males are relatively tiny, of very different color>
they even look like they're in love!  I am relieved that I was able to get through the pairing process so easily and cheaply, but a few things have happened and a few questions have come up.   
    To start with, they immediately started rubbing against  the tips of my Condy anemone (which I have had for about 6 months, has a pinkish/brownish tinge except for the very purple tips and the very neon green disk/mouth) and after about an hour of  increasing contact, they were both diving in like crazy.  They girl at the store assured me that this would not happen, that  I should buy the $70 BTA that I couldn't afford.... but I guess you don't know till you try.
<Clowns can/do take to Condys... may be too vigorously, damaging them>
Another funny thing with these fish is that 1 (the larger, about 2-2 1/2" female I suppose) has gold stripes and the other (1"/ 1 1/2" male) has white stripes.  I understand that they are still the same species, but does this say anything about where they have come from?
<Mmm, not much>
I am sort of assuming that they are captive bred fish as they took to the Condy, but the girl didn't know.
<Not likely captive bred... due to the price you state, size of specimens... very likely wild-collected>
    Anyway, these oddities aside, the fish have been looking happy and healthy (and still are!) they love their totally incompatible :) Condy anemone (and rarely venture more than 6" from it except at feeding time, which appears to be the norm).  However, now the larger of the two seems to have stopped eating.  She has no visible marks, looks very vibrant, does not appear emaciated (sp?) and otherwise looks happy, perhaps she is staying in the anemone a little more than before (and more than the male).  She was accepting all kinds of food, just like the male (Mysis, flakes, "Marine Mix" and brine shrimp) but not only takes a piece of food in, then spits it right out.... then swims to the net piece and does it again.  This all started about two days ago.  I have seen that these fish can safely go for a week without eating... but I was wondering if this could be some type of pre-spawning behaviour.
<Maybe...>
I am fairly new to the marine hobby (about a year and a half) but this behaviour is very reminiscent of a brooding Mbuna cichlid. ( I realize they are not at all the same).
<Ahh, Amphiprionines and their larger family, the Damsels, family Pomacentridae are indeed very closely related (phylogenetically) with the cichlids...>
I have read several articles about breeding these fish, but none seem to go into any detail about the courtship and pre-spawning details for these beautiful fish and what exactly I should be watching for.  I really want to try my hand at raising some of these little devils and don't want to miss a spawn.  
<You might look for Joyce Wilkerson's work on the subfamily>
    I would really like any info you could give me on the mating rituals and what not that these fish perform, and perhaps some tips on how to find the eggs when they do come.
<These will be obvious... attached to the substrate, in an area near the anemone (under its foot if it were big enough)>
  here is my system specs.
1 50 gal tank
1 35 gal tank
1 20 gal sump
1 5 gal hex tank
These tanks are all plumbed together  and into the sump, making a total system size of about 110 gal.
About 75 lbs live rock.
about 10-15 pounds lava rock (which I am seeding to use as base rock for a future set-up, this is packed into the 5 gal hex, with some LR rubble, plumbed to sump)  
2-3" live sand in 2 show tanks 35, and 50
5" live sand in refugium
5" dead sand in hex, seeded with some live sand, also for future set-up.... I'm a patient man.
lighting,
50 gal- 250  watt MH pendant,  1 actinic 3' Florescent
35 gal  1-3'actinic,1 3'powerglo
temp 76
Nitrate-0
nitrite- 0
amm-0
phosphates-0
ph 8-1/8.2
Critters and corals
50 gal- 1 black/white stripe damsel (2"),  1 "eel goby"(8"long)P. leucotaenia (I think), 1 red legged hermit crab, 1 huge Brittlestar (that I haven't seen come out from under the rock for at least 9 months, could it be stuck?),  about 20 turbo snails, several Nassarius snails,  a rapidly splitting green Ricordea (sp?)... bought 1 6-7 mo.s ago, now I have 3) some brown green mystery polyps, and a leather coral which I don't know much about, other than that it's brown with green  little stalked foodgrabbers that stick out all over it (sorry if I'm getting too technical here ;). )
<Hee!>
and it seems to grow quite well. There also are (were?) two mystery crabs which I haven't seen for at least 6 mos.  Also many Aiptasia (Grr.....) and some sponges and other little worms, squirts and small branchy corals growing on my rock.
35 gal-  Scooter blenny, purple striped Basslet, banded coral shrimp, peppermint shrimp, spider crab (this is some type of decorator crab, but it is BIG, about 5-6" across), two supposed blue leg hermit crabs (that are not the least bit blue and now quite large, they have brown striped 'sticklike" legs, any idea?),
<Nope>
a serpent star, 'Cyano eating conch'.
<Good luck here>
  I think that's it.
I am running only a Red Sea Prizm skimmer, and there is also a canister Eheim filter running, other than that there is are no filters other than my rock and sand bed.  I have been thinking about more skimming but don't know it it's really necessary.
<With your new tank>
Holy cow... what an epic question... sorry guys, but I can't seem to get any good advice....  thanks a lot!
<Keep good notes. You may well be writing up your experiences. Bob Fenner>

Marooned II
wow, two responses... you guys don't mess around!
Thanks for your advice,  I am glad to say that my lovely clown has now eaten!  It is very interesting that they ARE related to the cichlids... I had no idea... where could I find out more about that?
<And recently both families have been moved to the same sub-order of Perciformes as the wrasses and Parrotfishes!>
I didn't think that the eggs would be so close to the anemone, IN it?
<Well, under the pedicle/foot>
wouldn't the anemone eat them? (well, I guess not).  Anyways, I'm going to go looking for that book by Joyce Wilkerson, hopefully the local library has it.. I'm poor.
<In some respects perhaps>
    I am very impressed with your site and I can say with certainty that this is my new fish resource.  Thanks a lot guys!
Tom
P.S.  What did you mean when you said more skimming for my new tank?  Do you foresee some kind of disaster with my current tank?
<Was likely my cohort's reference to having a bigger, better skimmer the total gallonage of your systems. Bob Fenner>

Marooned III
<You might look for Joyce Wilkerson's work on the subfamily>
I checked my library for this book with no luck... but they did have this one:
http://ipac.brantford.library.on.ca/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1104786JG518T.1283&profile=main--1&uri=link=3100006~!634321~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=subtab22&menu=search&ri=3&source=~!training&term=Clownfishes+and+sea+anemones+%3A+everything+about+purchase%2C+care%2C+nutrition%2C+maintenance+and+setting+up+an+aquarium+%2F&index=ALTIT
    Is it any good?
<Worthwhile, but I'd ask your local library to borrow Joyce's work within their system (takes about a week)>
I've seen some pretty terrible cichlid books in my time with mis(dis?)-information on every page, don't need to get myself confused with a bad book.
thanks.
Tom
<John (Tullock's) works are well-done, but this ones a bit short on content. Bob Fenner>

Yellow stripe maroons
Hey guys,
I have several questions on yellow stripe maroons.
1.) I was told that TR yellows will not show any or very very little yellow in their stripes. Is this true?
<What? There is only ONE species of Maroon Clownfish, Premnas biaculeatus... some are more/less yellow striped... and this varies... with nutrition, care...>
I had a TR yellow stripe for about 4 months now and I moved him/her to another tank. I have read that if a clown is kept solo for a while it will most likely be a female?
<All eventually become females if they live long enough>
2.) How reliable is this info?
I have been visiting a LFS several times in the last couple months and they have had 2 yellows in the same tank. 1 of them is a approx. a 1/4 inch bigger than the other ( fish approx. 1" to 1 1/2"). I know the recommendation is to have one much bigger than the other to have a pair. But these two never have shown any aggression against each other. I would watch
this fish about 10 to 15 minutes each day. The bigger one was also darker then the other.
<Ahh, a good clue that this one is or is becoming a/the female>
I know that this is not something to count on but from my reading generally this occurs. I purchased these fish which is why I moved my other maroon to another tank. It is day 2 now and the darker bigger one has chased the other one all around. I noticed today what appears to be 2 sores or nicks on the smaller one. Recommendations: 
3.) Should I take one of them out? Or should I by bigger maroon and put him in there and see which he pairs with?
<Up to you... I do hope this tank is big enough... sixty or more gallons, uncrowded otherwise...>
4.) If I take one out which should I remove? I know that if a clown is a female it can not turn into a male. So my concern is that the bigger of the two is already a female?
5.) What about the idea of putting several maroons in a tank of assorted sizes and seeing which ones pair up and remove the rest?
Thanks, Greg
<Not necessary. Please read through our "Clown" materials and consider a good book or two... Joyce Wilkerson's would be my pick for you. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clownfis.htm  and the links above (in blue). Bob Fenner> 

- Clownfish Behavior -
Hello again,
We have a maroon clownfish and in the past couple of days he is digging around his anemone. Just curious as to were this behavior is coming from. 
<It's in their genes... pretty typical, and in truth hard to know the actual motivations of any fish.> 
Thanks in advance
<Cheers, J -- >

Frisky Maroons
Hello,
I have a question about maroon clown fish reproduction. I have two maroon clown fish, and they have been in my tank for approximately 1 month. One is about twice the size of the other, and much lighter. I realize that this is very early to have my fish mate, but yesterday they were displaying some very odd behavior. First, I noticed a large dip in the sand where they were hanging out. The smaller darker one kept shaking and burrowing into it. I also noticed a few tears on his left fin. Is this normal? Are my fish just mating, or do I have something to worry about?
Thanks a lot
<Please read on WWM re clownfish reproduction, behavior, Premnas... Bob Fenner> 

Maroon Clown sandstorm
Hello crew! 
<Hi Jim>
I just received a Maroon Clown from a friend. My tank is about 1 month old. The 3 fish in the tank seem happy. Here's my problem. I have a 4-5" DSB. The clown has found a nice little cave, but decided there wasn't enough clearance. He's been blowing sand all over the tank. Since the sand is very fine, I have a dust cloud perpetually in the tank.
1) Is this normal? He's really going nuts with the home decorating. I don't want him destabilizing the rock structure.
2) Will he stop once he's happy with the digs? I don't mind another day or so if he'll stop once he's done.
I'm hoping he stops soon, because the other fish are probably annoyed! Plus it's been about 3 days since they've been introduced to the tank, and I'd like to feed them today! 
<I've seen this behavior quite often. I had one that did the same thing. Once they rearrange the furniture, he should be fine, though occasionally he will sweep up from time to time. James (Salty Dog)>
Thanks as always! ~Jim
<You're welcome>

Moving Maroon Clowns
Hi <Good day to you>
I have a mated pair of maroon clowns that spawned a few days ago. <Congrats> I hope we can keep the fry living and healthy.  Anyway, my husband and I will be moving to another town which is 5 hours drive away in a couple of months' time and we intend to move our livestock along, although it will be an entirely new setup.  My questions are :
1) Do these maroon clowns have to re-establish their 'relationship' in the new tank? <Shouldn't have to.  Probably best to ship them together.>
2) If so, what is the best way to ensure minimum 'conflict'?  It took us 4 months to pair them up.
3) What precautions should we take to ensure that we do not lose any livestocks due to this move?
We have a 2.5" blue tang, a 2" yellow wrasse, an orchid Dottyback, bicolor blenny, black sailfin blenny and an okinawae.  As for corals, we have softies like frogspawns, cauliflower, etc... plus some Zoanthus and mushrooms.  <Read here my friend.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm  James (Salty Dog)>
Thank you for your time. <You're welcome>
Ai Kun

Maroon clowns
Hi Bob, Anthony and Steven,
I ran into your web site the other day and found it quite interesting and informative. I have a question that none of the local fish-people can answer (I doubt they know a whole lot about this), so you guys are my only hope so far:
<I shall do my best>
I have four maroon clowns, or at least I think they all are. Three are small (one is less than 2 inches, two are just over 2 inches) and one is about 3 inches long. 
<the largest is already a female (clowns change sex... they are protogynous hermaphrodites, not unlike some of the entertainers in New Orleans)>
I was hoping to pair them up if I can.
<you don't have to do anything... the dominant female will stake a site, drive all fishes away, then drive a male into the nest, and then try to kill the other two clowns... in that order>
The trouble is, two of them are one color/pattern, two are another.
<has nothing to do with the price of tea in China... same species>
The smallest and the medium are dark orange with wide white stripes and dark brown fins. The large one and the second smallest are light orange all over the body with very thin white stripes.
I am wondering if the different colors are a male/female difference or are they collected from different regions? (The smallest one has been bought locally about 7 months ago, the others came from fishsupply.com in California and are supposedly wild caught). 
<yes...color morphs/races>
My small one has been alone all these months and the others had been placed in tanks individually at the store (I do not know how long). Is there any chance I have 2 males and 2 females or have they all become female by now? 
<by size, it is not likely that they are all females... although if they are, then you are beat. All start unsexed then turn to male. Solitary and dominant individuals (believed) then turn to female. In the event that the female of a pair is killed, the male turns female and the next dominant male in the colony steps up or an unsexed juvenile changes. But a female cannot change back to male as I understand it>
(I have heard that if a clown is by itself for more than a few days, it will irreversibly turn into a female).
<much longer than days...weeks at minimum... genitalia take some time to throw together properly... hehe>
I just got the three today (by FedEx) and placed them in one tank. The two small ones started fighting immediately and the large one ignored them completely. The smallest of the two beat the living daylights out of the larger one. The smallest (aggressive) one was the light orange/thin striped clown, just like the largest one. I removed the victim and now the small and the large one are getting along just fine. 
<maroons are very hostile conspecifically... more than two should never be placed together>
Could they be a potential pair and if so, 
<likely sexed at least>
should I try to pair up the other two when the "victim" is healed? 
<same tank with a course divider (lie egg crate) will give you your best chance for gender switching>
Or should I try to pair up the lighter ones with the darker ones?
<a moot point>
Also, I can not see cheek spines on the smallest one (my first one)- is it just too young (about 1 year old, I imagine) to have them (or are they small and hard to see?)
<I suspect just hard to see>
And one last question: do they use cyanide in catching the clowns and if so, how can I find out if mine have been poisoned? Thank you so much in advance, Julia.
<more prevalent in Indonesia than the Philippines as it used to be, yes... cyanide is used liberally. Symptoms include unusually stark color in fishes, normal feeding behavior, sudden loss of appetite and then death with gills flared and pale in color (light pink or white... not red). Anthony Calfo>

Marooned? (Forming A Maroon Clownfish Pair)
I have a 3.5" maroon clown. If I were to get a much smaller one, what are the chances of creating a mated pair? Is this a crazy idea? Will the larger one just tear the newer one to shreds?
Thanks, Eric
<Well, Eric- there is no guarantee with Maroon Clowns (or any other clownfish, for that matter). I am a firm believer that this "pair forming" technique is  the most viable one with Maroon Clowns. The technique usually works, as the smaller fish, if not overly intimidated by the larger one, will generally submit and a pair will form. Do keep an eye on these fishes, to make sure that the little guy doesn't get shredded...Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Pairing Off Clowns
Hello:
<Hi there! Scott F. here!>
Thank you guys for being the finest source for salt water fish
information on the web. I don't know where I'd be without you.
<And we would be nowhere without you! Thanks for the "props"!>
I have a 2.5 inch maroon clown that's done well by his/her self for a year, but I'm thinking of getting a mate. I'm guessing it's a male, because of the size and the lack of grown since I obtained him. What would be the process of doing that? Can I just buy another maroon and  one will naturally become a female? It's a very dark maroon color phase with pale yellow stripes, if that makes any difference.
<Not really, actually- color is not as reliable as size, in most instances>
It lives in a 65 gallon semi-reef with a couple of wrasses (fairy,
six-line), a Royal Dottyback, a Rusty Angel, and a Scopus tang. It
spars with the Dottyback occasionally, but so does everybody else. The clown has made its home in an Atlantic Anemone.
Thank you-Ian Berger
<Well, Ian, Maroons are a bit different than most other clowns, in that they can't simply be allowed to pair off by growing up together from juveniles. These fish will beat the *@$#%& out of each other in most cases! A better way with these guys is to attempt to pair a much smaller fish with your larger one; the thought being that the smaller fish will submit to the larger one. However, you need to be prepared to remove the smaller one if the big guy attacks him and threatens his life. Also, provide a place of refuge within the tank for the little guy. Your sign of a pair being formed: When the little fish stays next to the large one, and trembles in her presence (without freaking out and running for cover). You just need to be patient and keep a really close eye on things. Hope this helps! Regards, Scott F>

- Maroon Clown Behavior - 
Hello Crew, 
Visit your site daily. Quick question. I have a pair of yellow striped maroon clown fish. Female about 2X size of male. Both share a BTA. They have been in my reef for less than 2 weeks. (tank is a 65 gal AGA with 2 corner overflows, 5+inch DSB, 100 lbs LR, 384 watts PC 10,000k and 03 actinic, 30gal sump/refugium with "MUDD" 24/7 light on refuge, Aqua-C remora hang on skimmer, 20+X water turnover). 
Multi LPS, some SPS frags, Xenia, Ricordea and softies. 2 other fish - Purple Tang and a red headed goby. My question is about the behavior of the female clown. Over the last several days it has been "sweeping" the DSB from around its territory. It has swept at least an inch of the aragonite away with its tail fin. Does not appear to be cleaning any rock around the BTA for possible spawning. I have been keeping SW/REEF aquariums for over 30 years. (Built my own all glass tanks when the only available tanks were MetaFrame). I have had clowns spawn before but never so soon after introduction to the system and never noticed this behavior. Is this common or is its behavior something other than pre-spawning setting up house. <I'd go with something tied to spawning... setting up house as you mention. Hard to imagine what else it would be, but then again fish sometimes do things without explanation.> Thank you in advance for your opinion. 
Tom 
<Cheers, J -- > 

- Maroon Clown Behavior, Follow-up -
Thanks for the quick reply. <My pleasure.> Quick follow-up question.  So far the clown has "swept" away the aragonite down 3" in depth. Is there any major harm being done to the DSB? <Major? No... is there some affect, yes.> Total depth of DSB is 5-6 inches. Also I noticed the deeper layers to be solidified in spots. Is this normal? <Hmm... depends on what is hardening the sand - in my own sump, I have a mysterious sponge-like growth that is aggregating the sand in places... appears solid but can be broken apart. In some systems where calcium and alkalinity are out of balance or too high the sand bed can solidify... essentially turning into calcium-based rock. A careful examination of your calcium/alkalinity and the nature of clumps should reveal the source.>
Thanks.
Tom
<Cheers, J -- >

Clownfish and anemones
Hello, <Howdy!> a few questions could you please answer
I have just got a bubble tip anemone and a pair of maroon clowns one is about 9 cm long and the other is only 2-3 cm long I was wondering will they mate if so then when?<They probably will, I couldn't tell you when as there are many factors that effect this from the fish themselves to their environment.> What factors are they?
<<The size of fish, tankmates, size of tank, how long they have been together, water quality, if they have a anemone or not...>>
The bubble tip anemone keeps moving around, is it normal what is wrong, also how can I stop it from moving? <Do you have enough lighting? If so just let him be and he will find a place that he likes.> I have 2 actinics and 2 daylights is that enough and is that alright?
<<What size of tank do have, what kind of bulbs and what wattage?>> I have a 5 ft tank and 4 ft lighting with 2 40w actinics aqua coral and 2  36w daylight Sylvania <This is not nearly enough lighting for these guys. You will either need to return him or invest in some more lighting. Again you can find tons of info at our site mentioned below.>
Should the anemone be on rocks or is it ok for it to be on sand?  They usually climb up onto your rockwork. Cody> The anemone is half on a rock and half on sand, is that ok?
<<Sure. You can also find lots of info on our website: www.wetwebmedia.com.>>
Is there a problem if the anemone doesn't stop wandering?<It is probably still wandering because of the shortage in lighting. This guys needs to be moved into a more suitable environment quick or his needs to be improved upon. In the future please research all purchases before you buy them and don't just listen to the fish stores advice as unfortunately many are just out there to make money and don't care about the animals they handle or are not very well educated. Cody>