questions re: new clownfish pair / MP40ws

[habs247]

Ok pretty sure the bigger one is fine. So fine that it snatches all the food before the other can get it. The few pieces that do make it past the bully are seemingly missed by the smaller one. Since I put them in the tank, I've only seen the little one get one mouthful.

Is this normal? Should I try to separate them during feeding? Thanks guys. Would hate to lose one because of my stupidity.

[mike31154]

Any idea how old your clownfish are? Where did you get them, LFS or a fellow hobbyist? Do you know if they are a mated pair, i.e., any history of spawning in their previous home? We generally make a distinction between 'bonded' & 'mated' pairs. Bonded means they are paired, male-female, with the larger specimen being the female. Mated means a bonded pair that has spawned. Either way, if they are bonded or mated, the larger female is usually the more active feeder.

Athough my mated pair are Maroon clowns, I reckon paired behaviour is similar with most species of clownfish. Mine have been spawning for a couple years now & I too often worry that the little male isn't getting his share of food. I call the female 'Miss Piggy' since she's a terror when food hits the water. She will charge quite a distance to take a piece of food. The male is a picky eater & often too busy minding the clutch of eggs when feeding time is on. He will not stray very far from the BTA for food. Despite my concerns, he's a healthy little guy & does his duty of tending the clutch admirably. Lately he's been a little more agressive chasing food, but still no comparison to the female who is easily 3 times his size if not more. I use an Eheim dual chamber auto feeder to feed my tank with flake, cyclopeeze granules & an assortment of other pellet food. There's a veggie clip with nori in there as well, to keep the tang & angelfish happy. When I'm home, in the evening I feed thawed out frozen food - marine plankton, brine shrimp & mysis shrimp. All the fish go ape over that, including the little male Maroon.

You may get the smaller one to eat by separating them, but that could be a tricky undertaking & in the end may even stress out the pair. If my guess is correct, you added the pair less than a week ago. Still a bit soon to get too worried IMO. You have observed him get at least one or two mouthfuls, that's a great sign. If you're only feeding once a day, try multiple feedings. An auto feeder might be a good idea, that way there's more flexibility in feeding times. Your presence during feeding time may also distract the little guy.