Clown fish questions

[Gripenfelter]

I'm hoping mine will be ok together. I have 2 yr old false perc clowns and 6 month old Ocellaris.

The Ocellaris are not hosting anemones though...weird.

Haven't added the false percs to the tank yet.

[MMAX]

Originally Posted by Gripenfelter

I'm hoping mine will be ok together. I have 2 yr old false perc clowns and 6 month old Ocellaris.

The Ocellaris are not hosting anemones though...weird.

Haven't added the false percs to the tank yet.

Not totally weird, some do and some don't. I have had a big momma ocellaris for about 4 years that has never hosted anything. Over the years she's had 3 different husbands, 2 of which hosted and 1 that didn't.

[ponokareefer]

Good luck to everyone trying to keep more than 2 clowns in the same tank. I ignored everyone`s reasoning before too and just did it because I wanted to. It may work, for a while, as it has for others. Clownfish live for 25 to 30 years, so 6 months to a year living together is nothing. When you are having to try to save a clownfish when the dominant pair start kicking the crap out of the weaker clownfish, you will realize what a mistake it is. In a huge system, I have heard of a few people being able to keep 2 pairs, sometimes.

I tried baby`s all born and raised together as well, and they all died due to getting sick from the extreme stress of what I put them through. It was my saddest day in this hobby seeing clownfish die due to my own stupidity and ignorance.

If you want to see how well multiple clownfish live together, go to West Edmonton Mall and check out their clownfish tank. I watched it for about 15 minutes and it was constant fighting and bickering. Big Al`s in Edmonton used to have 4 clowns together in a tank for a about a year. There are 2 in the tank now.

If you are trying to mix different types of clowns, good luck. It can be done, but most of the time the dominant clownfish kills the other one if it isn`t done correctly.

My rant is done. Each person will do as they please, as I did. Just know what you are getting into.

[Ryan]

People mix different species all the time. A. Percula and A. Ocellaris get mixed and pair all the time. Skunks are the same. You just have to mix in the same complex. You cant mix clarkkiis with perculas or maroons and skunks.

[ponokareefer]

Originally Posted by Ryan

People mix different species all the time. A. Percula and A. Ocellaris get mixed and pair all the time. Skunks are the same. You just have to mix in the same complex. You cant mix clarkkiis with perculas or maroons and skunks.

Good points.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by ponokareefer

Good luck to everyone trying to keep more than 2 clowns in the same tank. I ignored everyone`s reasoning before too and just did it because I wanted to. It may work, for a while, as it has for others. Clownfish live for 25 to 30 years, so 6 months to a year living together is nothing. When you are having to try to save a clownfish when the dominant pair start kicking the crap out of the weaker clownfish, you will realize what a mistake it is. In a huge system, I have heard of a few people being able to keep 2 pairs, sometimes.

I tried baby`s all born and raised together as well, and they all died due to getting sick from the extreme stress of what I put them through. It was my saddest day in this hobby seeing clownfish die due to my own stupidity and ignorance.

If you want to see how well multiple clownfish live together, go to West Edmonton Mall and check out their clownfish tank. I watched it for about 15 minutes and it was constant fighting and bickering. Big Al`s in Edmonton used to have 4 clowns together in a tank for a about a year. There are 2 in the tank now.

If you are trying to mix different types of clowns, good luck. It can be done, but most of the time the dominant clownfish kills the other one if it isn`t done correctly.

My rant is done. Each person will do as they please, as I did. Just know what you are getting into.

+1

very few people house clowns together long term in large numbers, simply because when 2 pair off it can be ok for a while but when they want to mate they will take a larger territory and the female will become very aggressive thats why a large tank is a must or at the least alot of good hiding places.....with fish its out of sight out of mind if they can see each other there will be trouble

clowns are sexless untill there is no male or female present then a neutral takes the role of male and the male will take female if the female dies

[Ryan]

The neutrals fight for who gets to be girl. The loser becomes the male.

This is why even in a group of adolescents you cant take the most dominant one and put it with a larger clown. Its is probably already turning to female (skipping the male stage)

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Ryan

The neutrals fight for who gets to be girl. The loser becomes the male.

This is why even in a group of adolescents you cant take the most dominant one and put it with a larger clown. Its is probably already turning to female (skipping the male stage)

hahah its funny eh and then it gets even worse because the new male has to put up with the harrassment from the female

alot of times when adding a male to a tank with an established female theres a good solid week or bickering

[Ryan]

Yup poor bugger.

I have heard thought thats the best way to pair maroons. Take a big established female and plunk in a tiny adolescent. The female just accepts the small guy and the small one is too scared of this new giant to even fight back!!

Clown males do have it good in a way though. The female will give her life to defend her mate and her clutch of eggs.