6 clowns in a 120 ?

[ed102475]

I am building a 120 and want to go with 6 Ocellaris Clown fish would this be a problem if so how many can I have. The tank is 5'X18"X24"
Also what Anemone would be best for these fish . I plan on having all small fish in this tank. mixed reef mostly soft corals.

 

[PFCDeitz]

They will kill each other when they mature...

 

[ed102475]

I have heard of people keeping more than 2 clowns in the same display before. I am not a clown expert but I thought Ocellaris might be less aggressive than others .

 

[Lorenz725]

That is not 100% true! They do have a chance of killing each other but the chance is a lot less if you get them from the same batch at the same time. I had 4 in a 44 gal for 4 year with no problems. I know there is a guy I think on RC that has like 20 clowns in one tank so it can be done. But with that there is a chance it could not work for you. Good luck!

 

[TurtleSoup2]

yes they are less agressive, but there still agressive..... Its rare to keep more than 2 clowns in any sze tank thats just the way they are. they will all fight for dominance and end up killing each other.

 

[NirvanaFan]

Go with two. More times than not, the clowns fight.

 

[Faye]

yeah, add lots of anemones though. Its a risk but can be done.

 

[davocean]

Almost always more than one pair end badly unless they are from the same clutch.

 

[cet98]

I have four...all from the same clutch, and the larger ones started "smackin" around the smaller ones within a week or two of me introducing them to my tank

needless to say, they were separated into "pairs" in different tanks as soon as I noticed...

 

[davocean]

Yeah, good point, and I should have added that even same clutch gives no gaurantee for success on this, especially as clowns mature/spawn.

 

[Didac]

I know a guy the was/had two diferent pair, and with two rbta in a 300gallons

 

[MrGeoReefer]

Could you add them real close after they are born?

 

[SwampyBill]

Even if they're all from same clutch, you will prolly end up with only dominant pair when they start spawning...They'll see any other clowns as competition & pick them off...I don't see this ending well for most of them...

 

[MrGeoReefer]

Do they group in large numbers in the wild?

 

[davocean]

I know a guy the was/had two diferent pair, and with two rbta in a 300gallons

Well yeah, that's a 300g tank man, a bit different from OP.
But even still in a 300g there is risk.
There are people who have luck from same clutch, look at Moberts sticky above 27 clowns for one example, and a couple others pop up on here now and then, but these were a large group from same clutch, and even then I read there were still occasional issues.

 

[ed102475]

I think ill stick with two the risk seems to great. Thanks for posting.

 

[zeeter]

I put five Perculas in a 75gl. They killed one and shunned another, but the remaining three got along just fine. Most were from different hatches.

The more you get the less any particular one is bullied too much. They will get their chain of command figured out and then everyone will tend to his role. Unless one is a runt they will usually settle down. I put four into a 20gl a couple of weeks ago - all from different hatches. They killed the smallest one but the remaining three are inseparable.

In the wild it is not uncommon to see up to 20 clarkiis in one anemone home. This isn't saying that there won't be any deaths, you should expect some.

 

[Lorenz725]

The thing about this hobby is there is no set rules. There is no rule saying what size tank you have to have for a fish or how many fish you can put in a tank. It is all just suggested from trial and error that is why this hobby can be so great and also be so frustrating. That being said I think just about everyone strives to keep there fish and coral happy and in the best shape they can. There is always going to be a risk with adding a fish weather it will not get along with other fish in the tank or unforeseen factors. Good luck with your tank and happy reefing.

 

[davocean]

^^ If you were to hit search and see how many times multiple pairs work out as opposed to having it end badly you will see overwhelmingly negative outcome by far.
The occasional exception is what tends to fool people, especially since it can take a long time for clowns to mature/spawn and show their typical nature.
There may be rare exceptions, yes, but I don't base my advice on those rare cases, but rather the by far most common outcome, and I just don't advocate people experimenting or say "just go for it dude, I only had a few deaths"!LOL

 

[bues0022]

That is not 100% true! They do have a chance of killing each other but the chance is a lot less if you get them from the same batch at the same time. I had 4 in a 44 gal for 4 year with no problems. I know there is a guy I think on RC that has like 20 clowns in one tank so it can be done. But with that there is a chance it could not work for you. Good luck!

While it's not 100% true, there is FAR FAR more evidence to show putting more clowns in a tank than 2 is the extreme exception than the rule. In fact, just because it worked for you doesn't mean it will work for anyone else, and is borderline reckless suggesting people can do it just based on your single experience.

...I think just about everyone strives to keep there fish and coral happy and in the best shape they can.

This is EXACTLY why you SHOULDN'T do it. My general rule of thumb for this idea is: If you have to ask, you don't have enough experience to attempt this without dire consequences"

Everyone else who may stumble on this thread: it's not just a few dollar fish - it's an animal. Please treat them with respect and don't force a stressful living condition for your own amusement. Take heed of the experts who know the impacts of this attempt, have done/read about both sides of this issue, and do not attempt.