Clownfishes with a Mandarine

[jmsalt1]

I know we have a couple experts here on clownfishes (kerusso 316 and lady equinox amongst others that I may not be aware of) and I was wondering if someone could speak to the following questions before I decide if a pair of clowns make sense for my tank.

1) If I am not planning to keep an anemone, in your opinion, is it appropriate to keep clowns? I know many people do so I am trying to understand if there are certain clowns that do better or clowns that would not be unhappy under these circumstances. For example, I have a book that states Amphiprion clarkii (Two-banded anemonefish) is "excellent for the community aquarium with little need for a host anemone in most cases". Just an example, not that I am specifically interested in this clown or believe this to be fact. If there are clowns that are more tolerant of this and that would "adopt" certain LPS corals, I would like to know which ones would be happiest in this environment.

2) Are there certain clownfishes that are less likely to compete directly with an mandarine for the same food supply? Competition for small crustaceans or live food that mandarine prefer is important to me so I don't know if there are clownfishes that seem to be less eager to spend the day hunting the way mandarines do especially if other feeding options are offered regularly.

Any personal / professional experiences are welcomed.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[casualreefer]

1~ No anemone needed. there are certain clowns that do get pretty mean like maroon clowns can get nasty.

2~ As far as food they don't eat the same foods really. A mandarin will be jumping from rock to rock looking for tiny pods to eat which a clown really will not do. i would not get a mandarin until you do a ton of research. imo unless you have a really large tank with very little pod eating fish (wrasse/dottybacks/other dragonettes) they will most likely die in your tank unless you can get them onto prepared foods. i had a pair of S. splendidus spawning in a 15g tank because they would eat mysis and rods food. hth.

 

[skunkmere]

i got two clowns and a green spot goby, they dont even look at each other.

 

[customdusty]

I keep an Allardi Clownfish in a 90 gallon tank like yours also with a Mandarin. Initially, I kept the alown with an anemone - but the clown continuously fed the anemone until it quickly outgrew my tank at over 12" in diameter and it began stinging corals. When I removed the anemone, the clown was clearly upset and tried to fight me as I removed it from the tank. A few days later, the clown began to host in a large toadstool in the tank, which he is happy with now - although he doesn't spend a lot of time during the day in it, only sleeps for in it for the most part. I assume that if I removed the toadstool (which I plan to eventually because it is big already) the clown will move to another coral. I'm not sure that all variations of clownfish would do the same - but mine seems perfectly happy without an actual anemone.

I have never noticed my clownfish to be grazing and hunting for live food, like my (most) mandarins do. For that reason, I don't think there is any competition for food. Fortunately, over time my mandarin did adapt to eating frozen foods - although it does continuously graze for copepods.

I think you should be just fine with the clownfish, as long as you don't get an aggressive type like already mentioned. Just take care when keeping the mandarin, they are clearly one of the more difficult fish to keep because of their feeding habits.

 

[jmsalt1]

I've never thought of them as direct competition for the live foods mandarinefish prefer either but was reading that some clowns do have an interest in these foods. The book I am referring to is somewhat generic in my opinion, "The book of the Marine Aquarium" by Nick Dakin. It has comments for various clownfishes on their "Diet and Feeding" For example, under Diet and Feeding for Amphiprion ocellaris (Percula Clown) it says "Finely chopped foods, bold feeder". Pretty darn generic. While under the same heading for Amphiprion polymnus (Saddleback clown) it says "Small crustaceans, small live foods, algae, vegetable-based foods, bold feeder".

Now, I don't know if there are REAL differences in what various clownfishes like to eat, or whether the author just didn't want to print the same thing under 8 different types of clownfishes. If anyone can speak based on practical knowledge vs. what I am trying to decipher as true and false from a book, I would be very grateful. I will do a search for a book that is more focused on clownfishes as well.

I guess in the end I'm looking for a clownfish that doesn't mind the absence of a hose anemone if it has LPS to adopt and that will not compete directly with a mandarine for its critical food supply. If that fish doesn't exist, I just need to decide which I prefer (clowns or a mandarine) given the other pros / cons.

 

[Mike31154]

My 75 gal has a pair of Maroons hosting a BTA and a nice fat healthy Mandarin Dragonet. Never an issue between the clowns and the Mandarin. I just added another juvenile Mandarin hoping it's a female but I may have made a mistake on that. So far the two Mandarins are getting along, basically staying out of each other's way. There is a significant size difference in the two Mandarins, so time will tell whether I did indeed get a small female.

 

[FiReBReTHa]

my clowns have Fed mandy,

 

[Mike31154]

"Clownfishes" by Joyce D. Wilkerson is an excellent book on the various species. ISBN 1-890087-04-1.

My Maroons eat flake, mysis, brine shrimp, CycloPeeze granules. The female has quite an appetite whereas the small male is more finicky, preferring mostly the CycloPeeze granules and brine shrimp.

 

[jmsalt1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14701393#post14701393 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FiReBReTHa
my clowns have Fed mandy,

So, I guess your saying they get along quite well. What type of clowns do you have? Are they Mitch's?

 

[jmsalt1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14701418#post14701418 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mike31154
"Clownfishes" by Joyce D. Wilkerson is an excellent book on the various species. ISBN 1-890087-04-1.

Mike, thanks for making that research easy and for the personal experiences with feeding as well.

 

[Mike31154]

Glad to share my experience. I reckon the Maroons would be ok without an anemone, but I just can't imagine the set up without one. I have no experience with other species of clowns, but I don't find my Maroons overly aggressive. They will defend their territory, but mine get along with all the other tank inhabitants. I think they get a bad rap some times. My pair finally laid their first batch of eggs a week and a half ago. Not sure they would have done that without the anemone.

 

[FiReBReTHa]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14701421#post14701421 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmsalt1
So, I guess your saying they get along quite well. What type of clowns do you have? Are they Mitch's?

occs, quite well,

They host in, torch, hammer, dncans and now RBTA

 

[jmsalt1]

Nice pic!! Thanks for sharing it and your experiences keeping both fish together.

Jeff

 

[tiff393]

My clowns host in Xenias before that they hosted in a hammer. They really don't go very far from there host and when feeding time comes around they will only go for the food that comes past them near the host. They won't "battel" for food they seem to lazy for that. They also won't go down the tank for food only next to them or above them. Just a little info on my clows. I really don't think you'll have a problem putting the two together.

 

[casualreefer]

Mike if you have 2 male mandarins it won't be long before one kills the other. They can get nasty. Look at the dorsal fins for a spike. Those are males. Hth.

 

[FiReBReTHa]

agreed i wld be concerned on 2 x m.

mines a female above

 

[LadyEquinox]

+ 1 for everyone....Good advice.Mitch

 

[jmsalt1]

Thanks to all for the thoughtful replies to my questions. Mitch, would it be OK if I PM you when I'm ready to buy?

Jeff

 

[FiReBReTHa]

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[Kmiec123]

i wouldn't worry about the clowns....I would concern myself with getting the Mandarins to eat. I do recommend an male/female pair if you have the copepods to support them.
I would check out this thread about feeding prepared food to your new mandarin.
Mandarin Feeding