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Gold Stripe Maroon

2K views 27 replies 10 participants last post by  luvmylo 
#1 ·
Hey I think my GSM needs a friend. How do I go about pairing them???? I love the little guy I have so I don't want to get him hurt or worse. Are there any tips and tricks to pairing clownfish??
 
#3 ·
GSM's are the hardest to pair - you almost have to buy them as a pair... They are the most vicous of all clownfish when it comes to others... The best thing to try is to get the smallest GSM that you can find, take a small strawberry basket that he can fit through the slits, but not the big one... cover the top with plastic wrap so the only holes are in the side - then acclimate him in that box and put him in the tank in there so he knows he can go hide and get away from the bigger one... Then maybe they'll learn to get along and you'll have a pair... Otherwise - the big one may simply kill the smaller one upon introduction.
 
#24 ·
what if I bought one about twice the size I have now
it may work but it could be that the existing one would feel tough enough to protect it home. Try it but be prepared to catch the little one and put it in the sump for a little while so it can heal/recoup.
 
#6 ·
Maybe someone has an easier way - I recently bought a pair that had been together in a tank at the store without showing major aggression... still waiting to see if they'll be ok - it's been almost 5 days and they're both doing good - but the larger one is definitley in charge...

I took those suggestions straight out of Joyce Wilkenson's Clownfish book... Maybe someone else has other advice?
 
#7 ·
That might work - how long have you had the one you have? I know missize is always the best way to go... I guess I would wonder though if it's possible that the one you already had has already turned female? I'm not sure on that process - but if that has happened it would be a catastrophe in your tank with to GSM females - one would likley die...

If it were me - I'd try to find a smaller one...
 
#9 ·
What else is in the tank with him? If he's getting along with others in the tank - then he might do ok... I bet if you wait you can find a smaller one than him... My smaller one is just barley an inch and my larger one is probably between 1.5 and 2 inches.... Can you talk to your LFS about ordering one? I saw a sight online that sold them small... I'll see if I can find it - but I have NO experience ordering fish online - so know that!
 
#22 ·
I think the GSMs are the most aggressive of all the clowns. I've had one for over 9 years now, the Grandaddy of my reef tank - he is the boss too, all the other much larger fish know it. He's about six inches and a monster.

If I were going to try and pair them off, I'd buy a much smaller GSM and move all the rocks around ("Confuse A Fish") first before putting the new one in the tank.

Good luck!
HHC
 
#25 · (Edited)
Here are mine. She was fairly large when I got her. Several months later I brought him home. He was a tiny little guy with white stripes. As he matured, they turned yellow. For the first couple of days she nipped at him and even left a few marks. He was persistent though and determined that no was an unacceptable answer. She finally gave up and let him in the anemone.
 

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#26 ·
These are my favorite fish by far and I have a pair of them in my 75 Reef. Here are a couple of pictures:



This is the larger of the two, presumably the female based on size and attitude, but I have yet to see them spawn so I will not say mated pair yet. She likes to host in both of my leather corals.



This is the smaller one and he loves to host in the Kracken.

:beer:
 
#27 · (Edited)
We had a female that has been by herself for about 2 yrs (2 - 3 inches long now) and just this past October we bought a 1 inch little guy to introduce into the tank with her. We got a small acrylic box and drill some holes in it for extra flow, put him in and sunk it to the bottom of the tank right in front of her anemone with a piece of rock rubble on it to hold it down. She investigated for a couple of days but showed no agression, so we let him out. He went right to her and they swam in circles for a few minutes and then he slid in under the anemone. She let him stay that way for about 2 weeks and then allowed him in the topside. She actually laid eggs for the first time just before Christmas (I think it was). They are a happy couple now and she's even become less aggressive towards me when I put my hand in the tank (she use to bite me and draw blood everytime before he was introduced).

Hope you have the same luck!



 
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