Too many clownfish?

RuRoo

Butterfly Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
Hi all, I was thinking of putting a pair of black & white clownfish and another pair of false percula clownfish in a 55 gallon reef. There are 3 blue-green chomis and yellow wrasse in the tank, along with a sebea and rose bubble tip anemones. Would that be too many clowns in a 55? If not, what other fish should I put in?
 

Zooid

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#2
Too may clowns. there will be a deathmatch.
If you had multiple clowns from the same batch, you might be ok.
 

bsharpe

Users with zero posts needing moderation to determine if they are spam bots
#3
Zooid;147848 said:
Too may clowns. there will be a deathmatch.
If you had multiple clowns from the same batch, you might be ok.
He is the zen master of clowns, hehe, what a title!
 

RuRoo

Butterfly Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#5
Even if I put them in at the same time?
 
#7
Try it at your own risk, I had 3 one day and 2 the next. Not even a body could be found. I think 2 of them decided to bury the poor guy somewhere. Either that or they tied a piece of rock rubble to his fin and tossed him over the side.
 

303travism

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
I've had 3 clowns in my 50 forever but I think I just got lucky the only thing they bother is my arm when I stick it in I don't think I would try 2 pairs though.
 
#9
Oh, I wish I could have more clowns - I would have every possible mutation/coloration. They are always my fave fish for personality even though they can be PITA's. The other night I had to remove my baby lawnmower blenny from my tank because one of the clowns was either super interested in making baby Lawnmower Clowns/ClownBlennieFish or he was showing dominance, lol. Either way, that tiny little lawnmower put a world of hurt on him. Missing half his tail and some nice scars on his cheeks. I like the clowns more than the lawnmower so he was relocated to the 90g and now lives in a barnacle.
 

Kindafishy

Cleaner Shrimp
#11
Some species have a single female (Very Large), and many males (most small) in a single large anemone. If the species is close enough to not recognize the difference, such as when a natural color true percula is placed with a dark colored true percula. Thus, I think it can be done. As long as you have a defined large female, and many smaller males.

I believe in some species (if not all clowns) if the large female dies, the largest male turns female.

Although in captivity this may be tougher to create. Because not all clowns get along. So, the trick is to find a good matched pair, then see if you can add more of the same species but very small to the anemone, thus adding to the colony. Maybe this can be done soon after a breeding, making the parents more accepting of another tiny clown being added??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzAiT57lZGE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVyKPpSUfOY&feature=related
 

chrislorentz

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#12
Rember all those videos were taken by divers with the exception of 1. The one with the fish in a tank all the fish and anenome were all taken from the ocean together. I dont know if that matters or not. I know there are a few people who have sucesfully kept a bunch of clowns together but not just 3, 4 or five type of deal.
 

hurrafreak

Orca
M.A.S.C Club Member
#13
I have a pair of percs and a pair of maroons in my 210 that get along just fine. It's a bigger tank than what you're mentioning here but I've had these 4 in different tanks for probably a couple of years now.
 
#14
I have 2 maroons and a false perc in my 65 redsea max. 2 yellow tangs and a red manderine. My arm and the tangs suffer most abuse.
3 B grade sunburst BTA and 1 rose BTA. More than enough nems to go around, right?

One maroon is protecting/hosting 2 nems, the other maroon hosts the rose BTA.
Get this, the false perc is hosting the open brain!!! Now the brain is mad because it continues to be touched/rubbed on by the clown. Now have a cage over the brain trying to get the false perc to leave it alone...
Hahahah
 
#15
I tore down a friends tank a few weeks ago and he had 2 true percs, and 2 black clowns in his 120 gallon reef. All 4 fish are now in my 180 all hosting the same rbta and seem to be doing fine.

sent from my EVO 4G using tapatalk
 

RuRoo

Butterfly Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#16
I have 2 medium sized black and white clowns and 2 small false perc clowns in a 55 gallon reef with a sebae, rose, green, and rainbow anemones. They all hosts the anemones and switches frequently. Of course the black and white clowns are the dominant ones but they seem to get along ok.
 
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