Help me decide the best combo

[dudleystinks]

Hi guys i would like some advice on picking a clown and anemone.

In the past i have had a white stripe maroon clown and a black percula clown.

The percula was my first marine fish i had 5 years ago and it died after a couple of weeks which has kind of put me off them. It didnt have anemone.

My maroon i loved and i had it for 3 years untill it ended up with velvet i think it was. It did have an anemone which i gave away once the clown died. I dont know what type it was but i have a feeling it was a bubble tip anemone.

Now i have a new 55gallon cube tank and im starting again im looking for ideally a pair of clowns and an anemone.

I had my eye on either another maroon, a clarki or a tomato clown. (I like the larger bulky looking clowns, i just think they are tougher)

As for anemones i would really love a carpet anemone but i hear they can get rather big would it be too large for my 55? The other one i was looking at was another bubble tip but im also open to suggestions on the anemone.

My new tank has only been set up for a couple weeks, it is fully cycled. When can i start thinking about adding an anemone. I hear its not a wise thing to do for a few months?

Thanks for your help!

 

[garygb]

A BTA and a pair of any one of the three species of clowns you mention would be very nice. They are all natural symbionts for BTA's. You will want to make sure the anemone is approximately 3 times in diameter the length of the largest clown. Maybe you could get a BTA or RBTA, whichever you prefer and let it settle in and then add the pair of clowns. You want to make sure your tank has been set up several months and is very stable before adding an anemone. Also, make sure the intakes are covered as the anemone might wander into one and become shredded. BTA's are the hardiest of the host anemones and one that hosts lots of species of clowns (hostest w the mostest--had to say that). Research BTA's before adding one, even though you might have had one in the past.

BTW, Petco often has tank-bred clownfish that are very hardy. I still can't believe I'm recommeding Petco for fish, but in this case, they sometimes have some great ones. That's where my ocellaris came from and they are beautifully colored.