help>>> Clownfish not doing to good

[claude]

Hi I currently have two clownfish in my quarantine tank and one does not look like it is doing to good...  I know that they can change their sex and the one that is getting bigger is not letting the other one eat when I feed them...When I first purchased these they were both eating very well...the bigger one keeps attacking the smaller one and he is starting to lose some of his color and even small parts of his fins...what should I do...I've had them in quarantine for 1.5 weeks...is there anything I can do to help the smaller one or should I just leave them be and hope for the best???  should I put the bigger one in my main tank so that I can concentrate on the little one or will this just start the whole process again once they are both in the main tank...thanks for the info

Claude

[az]

why are they in qurantine? clowns can be aggressive at times, i'd just put them back in the main tank if situation dont improve soon, thx.

[PowderBlueTang]

The larger clown is jockeying for the dominate one, my two false perc's clowns still fight once in awhile and they are in a 120 gal. I would just leave them alone in the Q-tank and keep an eye on the smaller one. As long as the little one isn't getting beaten badly, they will settle their position in hiearchy. I separated my Maroons after the larger female took a chunk of flesh out of the male (Maroons are one of the meanest clowns)! If you stick them in the display they will still fight for dominance, you have to let them settle it on their own!

[claude]

Hi az, I just purchased them 1.5 weeks ago...just going by the book...that's why they are in quarantine...

[luvfishies]

What size is the QT? What size is the main tank?

If it's doable, move the smaller one to the main tank, then after a couple weeks, move the aggressor in.

[claude]

the quarantine is 8 gallons and the main tank is 75 gallons...