How Quickly Does Male Become Female When Female Is Removed (Ocellaris)
 

I am shutting down my system, and trying to pull fish to sell them.

I have three ocellaris clowns, two that were together for 6 or 7 years, one (a DaVinci) that was added maybe two months ago that started hanging with the original two when it's "partner" disappeared. The two originals were paired and had spawned many times, with eggs hatching out into fry (never captured or reared, but live hatching and swimming).

I managed to catch and pull the female the other day (two days ago), and it's in separate tank. However, I have not managed to catch the other two yet -- in particular the original male. What I'm concerned about is the male morphing into female so quickly that when I catch the remaining two and put all fish together, there will be two females that fight each other. The DaVinci has already been doing the milting shimmy around the other ocellaris, so I'm concerned/wondering whether the male already may have started to morph into female.

Thanks for input.

It certainly is not happening overnight or within a couple of days.
But if you won't be able to catch the other two within a few days I would just put the female back and re-catch her with the others when you take the tank down.

yeah, i may go that route.

or sometimes, you take matters into your own hands....... put specimen cup in corner of tank, reached in with both arms, and guided the one right into it! Davinci was a little harder. He kept darting away, to back of tank. So when he was by the trap, I raised door with one hand and shooshed him right in with the other. Success! :)