occlown426

I have 2 ocellaris clowns in a 24 gallon nano cube. One fish is a little smaller than the other. Up untill now they have both swimming around but today the smaller clown now stays pretty still in one corner (the upper left) and the slighly bigger fish comes by and bumps into it, nips at it and generally keeps it there because it doesnt swim to far from the smaller one. When I fed them the bigger one ate but the little one stayed in it's spot. It nips at food as it passes by him though. Is this slightly bigger fish basically bullying it and establishing dominance? Could it be that the bigger one is already a female? (the fish aren't too big about an inch and a half long)

Mike

Quite possible... I think the Ocellaris size differences between males and females can be less pronounced. It could be that the larger one may have turned into a female and the smaller one is turning into a functional male.

Bickering can sometimes last several weeks while they fight for the dominant female role but it sounds like yours is coming close to the bonding stage wherein the "male" has accepted his role.

But, being at the top of the tank sounds a bit off. The clown pairs I've witnessed have been lower in the tank near an anemone or without an anemone, close by their territory in the rocks. Does the smaller one look ok? Is it showing any signs of increased respiration or disease?

occlown426

I don't think so although I'm not sure. Sometimes I feel like it is but I'm not sure if I'm overreacting/ The little one just "likes" that part of the tank just points down and swims in that spot. Water parameters are perfect 8 pH, 0 ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. No visible signs of disease. Right now the slightly bigger one is doing the same thing on the other side of the tank. Its so odd. Are they just being "clowns"?

Mike

Ha - no not clowning around - Hanging out at the top of the tank wouldn't be considered normal behavior in my experience with them. The ph is on the low side, needs to be around 8.3 - 8.4. A few partial water changes over the coming days should help correct that. Refresh my memory on your setup, do you have liverock, how big is the tank, water movement, protein skimmer?

occlown426

live rock, live rock with grape algae on it, some corals (yellow finger gorgonian etc.), it's a 24 gal nano cube by jbj. My LFS said a pH of 8.0 was perfect for my setup.
They're no longer doing the swimming in one place thing. Now they're swmming all around the tank, through the live rock and all that. It's interesting to watch them. They seem fine now. Tank parameters are still the same. 0 for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and an SG of 1.024.
I do want to ask you, as for cleaners, I have 3 hermits, a margarita snail and a brittle starfish. I want a good sand sifter, which would be best? I read that gobies throw sand everywhere, would a nassarius snail be better?
Also, does my cleaner crew sound a bit small for my 24 gallon? I think there's actually only about 18 gal of "living space" and the rest is in back.