Anyone try 2 different types of clowns in a 60 gallon tank?

[vlangel]

Normally I would never consider putting 2 different species of clownfish in this size tank. The problem is that I have 2 rainbow bubble tip nems and now a purple foot green bubble tip nem. They are doing well but I would love to have a clownfish host them. I bought an oscellaris clown to do just that, except I've had him a year and he's not interested. He was young when I got him and captive bred but he hangs in the total opposite end of the tank.

Do you think the oscellaris would attack a tomato type clown? They are different shapes and I have had tomatoes host nems in the past. I definitely do not want to condemn a new clown to sure death. Let me know if any of you have had success with this.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Actually, the tomato clown will attack and kill any other clown. They are known to be the most aggressive species of clownfish.

 

[Anemone]

IMO, a 60 is going to be too small to keep more than one species of clown.

Kevin

 

[vlangel]

Actually, the tomato clown will attack and kill any other clown. They are known to be the most aggressive species of clownfish.

Yes, I wondered about that as I had a breeding pair of tomato clowns and the female was very territorial.

 

[vlangel]

IMO, a 60 is going to be too small to keep more than one species of clown.

Kevin

Thank you Kevin for your thoughts. I will not attempt to do that. Do you have any suggestions on how to get a clownfish to host my BTAs since the captive bred oscelaris clownfish I have now seems totally uninterested. What about adding another oscellaris or several small oscellaris clownfish? Or should I just be content with leaving the anemones unhosted?

 

[Anemone]

Ocellaris clowns can be a crapshoot as far as hosting BTAs. They can ignore them forever, or just one day decided to move in. An additional Ocellaris may cause the resident clown to adopt your BTA. Ocellaris are pretty much the mildest clowns, so if you are thinking of pairing an existing clown with a new clown, these are the easiest and offer the most hope for success (success defined as the existing clown doesn't kill the new addition). Others have taped a picture of another clown to the outside of their tanks (facing in), causing a clown to to go into an anemone (perhaps to defend it from the "new clown"?).

Good luck.

Kevin

 

[vlangel]

Ocellaris clowns can be a crapshoot as far as hosting BTAs. They can ignore them forever, or just one day decided to move in. An additional Ocellaris may cause the resident clown to adopt your BTA. Ocellaris are pretty much the mildest clowns, so if you are thinking of pairing an existing clown with a new clown, these are the easiest and offer the most hope for success (success defined as the existing clown doesn't kill the new addition). Others have taped a picture of another clown to the outside of their tanks (facing in), causing a clown to to go into an anemone (perhaps to defend it from the "new clown"?).

Good luck.

Kevin

Thank you for the tips Kevin. I think I will try taping a picture to the glass first as that is the lowest risk option. If that does not work then I will ponder adding another ocellaris clownfish.

I actually chose an ocellaris clown this time because I have had very aggressive tomato clownfish and marroon clownfish and I did not want anymore clownfish biting me when I worked in my tank. Ozzie is nice that way and has never tried to bite me, although my feisty little fart yellow tail damsels do, LOL.

 

[asmodeus]

if you have more than 1 host for a 3-5 they will seek a house for them and who ever follows. mine would host a green toad stool they went to my giant squamosa clam and bred in the mouth. and having a mirror works excellent even for tangs aswell

 

[Timfish]

I'd only add more ocellarus, they can be different varieties though. 3 or 4 total should doable.

 

[vlangel]

Thank you for the tips Kevin. I think I will try taping a picture to the glass first as that is the lowest risk option. If that does not work then I will ponder adding another ocellaris clownfish.

I actually chose an ocellaris clown this time because I have had very aggressive tomato clownfish and marroon clownfish and I did not want anymore clownfish biting me when I worked in my tank. Ozzie is nice that way and has never tried to bite me, although my feisty little fart yellow tail damsels do, LOL.

Finally after almost 2 years of totally ignoring my BTAs, Ozzie, my ocellaris is deciding to sort of host one of my nems. I never did introduce anymore clowns as I did not want to deal with aggression drama.
Ozzie started touching the nems tentacles with his nose and would rub his back on the nems foot. Then I happened to see Ozzie actually snuggled in the nems like clownfish do. It's still not where Ozzie is most of the time, he seems to prefer hanging just under the nems tentacles but at least he is noticing the nem.