Adding clowns to tank...
- Thread starter scottkel
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Travis L. Stevens
New member
Read here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=245520
Short answer is in the long run, it will be highly unlikely to keep multiple pairs. But, you should be able to make a compatible pair rather easily.
Short answer is in the long run, it will be highly unlikely to keep multiple pairs. But, you should be able to make a compatible pair rather easily.
I had 1 clown for about 2 years and added a baby and they took together real quick. Goin on over a year now. They both host a large hairy mushroom colony together. In my 80 gal. I have 2 "Petco" Clowns as I call them. They are fine, goin' on over 2 years with them, but they never really paired up. I had a onyx and a black and white clown in my 10 gal that never paired up. The black and white would actually bully the onyx. I wanted to keep them so I put them in the 80 when I sold the 10. Now the black and white swims with the "petco" clowns and the onyx is hostin some xenia in the back corner. Goin' almost a month and everyone is happy. I think Wooglin (member) has 4 black/white clowns in his 75 gallon with no aggression issues.
Steve
Steve
Mikeyjer
New member
In a 180g tank, I don't see any issues, but you never know....Just make sure all the ones you get is smaller then your existing one. That means your existing one will be the dominant female and one of the smaller ones will become the dominant male and all the other little ones would be secondary males. IF your existing female ever dies, the dominant male will become the dominant female and one of the secondary males will become the dominant male. I never kept them like this cause I don't have big enough tank, but I know someone else who have done it, ask Waynesworld, he knows.....For my tank, when I got two baby clowns together, one died at day one for some odd reason. I then replaced one later down the road with a bigger one since mine was pretty small, the bigger one became a female and my little one is the male right now....
waynesworld
Premium Member
I have 5 in one tank have added at all times and sizes so if you are talking reg clowns then yes if you are talking maroon clowns exp gold stripe I would lay odds on no.
crumbletop
New member
I agree with Michael and Wayne. 2 pairs of the more docile members of the clown family in a 180 would be fine. Wooglin has 4 in a 75 gallon.
DMBillies
Active member
With maroons and clarkiis I would definitely make sure there is a good size difference between the one in the tank (has to be bigger) and the one you're adding.
Assuming you have an ocellaris which is a few years old, you definitely should not have problems adding a young cultured one.
Assuming you have an ocellaris which is a few years old, you definitely should not have problems adding a young cultured one.
Pickupman66
New member
when they say get a smaller one, you betterbelieve it. Tiny is better because of the better chance of it being male. YOur existing one is female. and 2 females is a big no no. will fight to thedeath.
gflat65
New member
Just watch them for the first few weeks and get the little guy out if she starts to really rip him up. She's gonna be relentless, but if it moves to more vicious beatings, be prepared to try to get him out. I paired a tiny GSM with my WSM. I'd had her (Shakes) for about 9 years by herself. When I added him, they were in a 125. It took about 2 weeks for her to allow him to live in the anemones, but it was all good after that. She chased him a little and nipped, etc., but never tore him up. One day I noticed he was chillin in the BTA. I've also added a tiny Tomato in with a mature Cinnamon female and had roughly the same results. The confrontations were worse in this one (was in a 20L), and it took about 2 weeks for her to tolerate him, but all is good now. He doesn't stay near the anemone as much as she does, though. She had been by herself for about 5 years.
