Advice Please - Exclusive Clown Fish Tank

[Michael B]

Hi Reefers,

Would love to set up an exclusive Clown Fish Tank and have a few questions - first what I would like

> Shallow Reef
> Easy & Hardy Corals (that I can have with Anemone?)
> Exclusive Clown Fish Tank (A. Ocellaris only)
> An anemone (after 6 months)

So my questions are as follows (circulation will be closed loop)

> Can I keep 8 to 10 different A. Ocellaris clowns in one tank?
> If so can I have an anemone or two (or does this complicate the issues with having clown fish)
> If so - what is the "best" anemone to look after
> My ideal would be some Snowflakes, Naked Clowns, Midnights, Misbar etc.

So any thoughts, ideas and suggestions are welcome please

Thanks so much

 

[davocean]

The only (semi)safe way to keep multiple clown's would be having them from the same clutch, so that mix won't fare well for you.
I would advise reading two stickies, one, Moberts 27 clowns same tank 27months, and two would be nem FAQ sticky that shows nem/clown natural host matches as well as specific needs for each nem, as they are very different depending on species.

 

[Johanv]

Its possible, buts its better if you were to do an anemone and clownfish only tank, preferably bta all over the tank and add all the fish at a very young age and at the same time.

 

[velvetelvis]

The multiple-clowns-per-tank question is a subject of perennial debate on this forum. The general consensus from experienced clownfish keepers is that it doesn't work in the long run.

To give you a real-life illustration, a friend of mine who runs a coral farm also sells locally bred clownfish. She gets them in at a very young age/small size. She still has to separate them after a couple of weeks, because even at barely 1"-1.5" long (and some smaller still), they're already beginning to fight each other for dominance. And these are perculas, which many aquarists consider less aggressive than ocellaris.

For an anemone, I would recommend a BTA. They come in a lot of beautiful morphs and are also available captive-cloned (the best choice). If you're lucky (that is, if the anemone isn't splitting as a survival mechanism, but rather just reproducing itself), yours may eventually split into multiple clones and fill the tank with anemones!

 

[Michael B]

Thanks so much davocean, Johanv & velvetelvis - really appreciate the information & honesty