Lighting Maroon Clownfish – Pairing Videos!

By Matt Pedersen on Apr 13, 2010

This one is all for Jake and his rare fish fetish. By no means high quality video here…this was shot with my waterproof & shockproof Olympus Digital Camera. But for anyone who’s been through for a loop by Jake & Guin’s truly masterful April Fool’s Prank, rest assured the “other” 2010 Lightning Maroon, the one that DIDN’T appear on April 1st, was no joke, no prank, and is very real. Any doubters should ask me how I faked this (which of course, I can’t answer because it’s legit):

This video was shot on Friday, when the now presumed male Lighting Maroon somehow got past his eggcrate safety barrier, either by jumping or somehow making it around the sides (not sure how, so I’m thinking a jump). Strong testament to how badly he wanted to get with the larger PNG Maroon Clownfish, also collected via the Seasmart Program and delivered to me as a potential mate for the singular Lighting Maroon.

This project has not been without it’s glitches, hiccups, and terrors (the female PNG Maroon was thought at one point to be dead, and still has yet to eat anything). True to my word, I’ve documented every gut wrenching minute of my experience at The Lighting (Maroon Clownfish) Project. It’s my hope to get Jake’s rare fish addiction satisified with some better quality video in the near future! So stay tuned to Reef Builders for something better (if all goes well) and keep sending happy thoughts to our little ambassadors from Papua New Guinea! One more vid after the break.

Results?

So, what would you have done if she picked him up by the pec fin and body slammed him followed by a pile driver?

Good Luck, hopefully you wake up and he is still in one piece with a new girl friend.
Results?

So, what would you have done if she picked him up by the pec fin and body slammed him followed by a pile driver?

Good Luck, hopefully you wake up and he is still in one piece with a new girl friend.
Matt Pedersen

Would’ve split ‘em apart very quickly!
Matt Pedersen

Would’ve split ‘em apart very quickly!
pickle

yeah, it’s all over for those two. It’s the start of a long abusive relationship for that poor lightning clown. The second video shows the female has already started the typical female maroon clown bullying.
pickle

yeah, it’s all over for those two. It’s the start of a long abusive relationship for that poor lightning clown. The second video shows the female has already started the typical female maroon clown bullying.
Steven Bidny

Good luck, Matt. I followed your trials and successes with the harlequin filefish and, after much research and experience, now successfully keep those beautiful animals. Can’t wait to see your progress with these fish.
Steven Bidny

Good luck, Matt. I followed your trials and successes with the harlequin filefish and, after much research and experience, now successfully keep those beautiful animals. Can’t wait to see your progress with these fish.
http://www.reef-geeks.com Babs

Isn’t this like two weeks since you got this fish? What type of QT has been done?
http://www.reef-geeks.com Babs

Isn’t this like two weeks since you got this fish? What type of QT has been done?
http://www.lightning-maroon-clownfish.com Matt Pedersen

Ah see, you gotta read up on it a bit more…this is definitely “out of context”. The two have been separated since arrival but in the same tank….only eggcrate in between. The Lightning has been “into” the female since they were first put in the tank. Early on, the Lighting male showed submissive behavior. So there was already that possibility that things were going to be OK…but yes, we all knew going in that this was the riskier pairing.

They still are in “QT”, still in hyposalinity, and the female is by no means out of the woods if you ask me. She IS now feeding, FWIW. That was a big corner to turn.

I’m admittedly curious about comments like Pickle’s…having not worked with Maroons before myself, I’ve relied on the written literature as well as the experiences of HIGHLY experienced breeders like Joe Lichtenbert. There are definitely 2 camps. Those that think this pairing is going fine, and those that don’t Not a single split fin or dislodged scale in 4+ days now…this hardly seems like an “abusive” relationship if you ask me! My female Onyx Perc caused more problems for her mate initially (grabbed him by the tail and dragged him around the tank backwards).
http://www.lightning-maroon-clownfish.com Matt Pedersen

Ah see, you gotta read up on it a bit more…this is definitely “out of context”. The two have been separated since arrival but in the same tank….only eggcrate in between. The Lightning has been “into” the female since they were first put in the tank. Early on, the Lighting male showed submissive behavior. So there was already that possibility that things were going to be OK…but yes, we all knew going in that this was the riskier pairing.

They still are in “QT”, still in hyposalinity, and the female is by no means out of the woods if you ask me. She IS now feeding, FWIW. That was a big corner to turn.

I’m admittedly curious about comments like Pickle’s…having not worked with Maroons before myself, I’ve relied on the written literature as well as the experiences of HIGHLY experienced breeders like Joe Lichtenbert. There are definitely 2 camps. Those that think this pairing is going fine, and those that don’t Not a single split fin or dislodged scale in 4+ days now…this hardly seems like an “abusive” relationship if you ask me! My female Onyx Perc caused more problems for her mate initially (grabbed him by the tail and dragged him around the tank backwards).
Beaun

Very interesting Matt, I heard you speak at NERAC and am glad to hear this little guy ended up in the right hands. Good luck with raising something, whatever it turns out to be.
Beaun

Very interesting Matt, I heard you speak at NERAC and am glad to hear this little guy ended up in the right hands. Good luck with raising something, whatever it turns out to be.
Azurel

Glad to see it going better Matt……Not usre of how the females act in a pair but I had a 5″ female that was the biggest B on the planet. Wouldn’t let me put my hand in the tank and bit me numerious times drawing blood.She eventually got traded to the LFS….I can only guess as to how it would be being a small male with one of those….Hopefully she turns the corner and things progress…Keep up the good work…..
Azurel

Glad to see it going better Matt……Not usre of how the females act in a pair but I had a 5″ female that was the biggest B on the planet. Wouldn’t let me put my hand in the tank and bit me numerious times drawing blood.She eventually got traded to the LFS….I can only guess as to how it would be being a small male with one of those….Hopefully she turns the corner and things progress…Keep up the good work…..
Scott Fellman

Of all the places this fish could have ended up, we could have hardly hoped for it to be in better hands! Thanks so much for documenting the whole process…Best of luck the rest of the way, Matt!
Scott Fellman

Of all the places this fish could have ended up, we could have hardly hoped for it to be in better hands! Thanks so much for documenting the whole process…Best of luck the rest of the way, Matt!
pickle

@ Matt: I did not intend to sound like I was being critical of the pairing. I was merely making light of the normal pairing behavior for maroons where the female lovingly “bullies” the male non stop. I personally find it quite humorous.

I’ve kept a mated maroon pair for the past 4 years. The male is about 1/3 the size of the female and they display the exact same sort of dynamic as the fish in the video and it’s not a “bad” thing. They’ve spawned about every 4 months for the past two years but it’s always been on the back wall of the tank. My plan for the summer is to put some ceramic tiles on the back wall so I can remove the eggs and try to rear them in a separate tank.
pickle

@ Matt: I did not intend to sound like I was being critical of the pairing. I was merely making light of the normal pairing behavior for maroons where the female lovingly “bullies” the male non stop. I personally find it quite humorous.

I’ve kept a mated maroon pair for the past 4 years. The male is about 1/3 the size of the female and they display the exact same sort of dynamic as the fish in the video and it’s not a “bad” thing. They’ve spawned about every 4 months for the past two years but it’s always been on the back wall of the tank. My plan for the summer is to put some ceramic tiles on the back wall so I can remove the eggs and try to rear them in a separate tank.
http://www.lightning-maroon-clownfish.com Matt Pedersen

@Pickle – didn’t take the comment as “critical”, just interesting that several people have expressed similar sentiments (whether critical, concerned, or sarcastically). Glad to hear your own experiences are mirroring this pair…that’s what I like to hear!
http://www.lightning-maroon-clownfish.com Matt Pedersen

@Pickle – didn’t take the comment as “critical”, just interesting that several people have expressed similar sentiments (whether critical, concerned, or sarcastically). Glad to hear your own experiences are mirroring this pair…that’s what I like to hear!
paul whitby

Hi Matt,
Im really pleased this came to you. Couldnt think of anyone better suited to this project. Good luck my friend.

P.
paul whitby

Hi Matt,
Im really pleased this came to you. Couldnt think of anyone better suited to this project. Good luck my friend.

P.
Anonymous

Any updates?

Scott

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