Help with Clownfish and Anemone

RyanMcLaughlin

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I am establishing my tank right now and when its ready I was going to get some clownfish. It is a 100 gallon and I was wondering how many I could get. I was hoping atleast 4 if not 6. Also what kind of anemone is good for an Ocellaris Clownfish that wont outgrow a 100 gallon tank. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you,
Ryan
 
In nature, often several clowns will live in one anemone. There is the dominant female and her mate and then several intermediate males that remain smaller and, in effect, are in wait for the mated male to get knocked off so they can assume the position of the paired male. So, if you get 4 or 6 small ocellaris, it is possible that a dominant pair will emerge and then the smaller males will be further down on the pecking order. The natural hosts for ocellaris (H. magnfica, S. gigantea) are not beginners' anemones and are considered difficult to be kept in aquariums. On the other hand, ocellaris usually take to Entacmea quadricolor (BTA), which is the easiest of the host anemones to keep. If you can get a captive-raised anemone (clone) and tank-bred ocellaris, you will have about as bullet- proof anemone/clown association as is possible. For a beginner to anemones, I would encourage you to get all tank raised stock. It will make for a more enjoyable experience for you. Wild caught ocellaris commonly have parasites and arrive in weakened condition. Not to mention the fact that, the tank-bred ocellaris are often selectively bred for brighter/prettier colors.

A BTA will not outgrow a 100g tank. However, BTA's will often clone. And, if you get a cloned one to begin with, then odds are, it will certainly clown once it becomes large.
 
BTA's assexually reproduce. For example, several years ago, I began with one Rose Bulb Tentacle Anemone. Since then, that one has become 10. The clones, that are tank-raised, and their progeny are completely acclimated to aquarium life and, therefore, easier to keep than an anemone that was collected in the wild and then transported to the states. There is lots of information on anemones online. For information on Entacmea quadricolor, ReefCentral, WetWebMedia and Karen's Rose anemones are all good websites.

You should read as much as you can, even BTA's aren't considered to be easy animals and are signficantly more demanding than most salt water fish, such as ocellaris.
 
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