Hoping for a happy clownfish home

[illinifish]

I have a 1 year old clownfish who I purchased as a juvenille because the LFS was going to cull her since she has only one eye. She has lived alone and grown in a 10 gallon nano for the past year, although she seems a little lonely. I alternate her diet with cyclopeeze granules, Spectrum granules, frozen mysis and Rod's Food.

I am moving in a few months, and would like to a) upgrade her tank and b) possibly add another clownfish. Because she is "disabled," and because I am relatively new to this, I have a few questions:

1. I only want the two clownfish, and maybe a few soft corals. I am debating between a 12 gallon or 24 gallon biocube. Is the 12 enough room for two long term? I feel like it's pushing it...

2. In finding her a companion, I'm going to try to find another ocellaris clown. Should it be her size (approx 2 inches) or smaller?

3. This is probably dumb and more for my curiosity than actual importance, but since she is a little handicapped would she become the inferior one and then change to male?

4. I don't really want them to breed. Anything I should do to make their home more anti-baby?

5. Anemones- I've read to not even try one until your tank has been up for a year. I haven't done enough research to see if the nano cube lights can even support it, but am starting to consider it since she has started kind of nesting in a big group of mushroom corals. If I get a new tank, should I still wait for a year? And if not, is there a particular anemone that would be best?

6. Any other advice for creating a good environment for them?

THANKS!

 

[Lmecher]

I would go for the larger tank if you are even considering an anemone. A mate should be smaller, occellaris are not very agressive, I don't think there should be a major problem but introduce slowly, watch and remove one if nessessary. (I have used a small mesh breeder basket that hangs off the side of the tank, I put the new fish in it for a couple days as the older fish get used to it) At a year it will be a female already, and being that it has established your tank as it's personal territory it will establish donimance over the newcommer. You will see the new fish laying in it's side quivering, this is how they show compliance. It's very entertaining to watch them chase and dance around. If your fish lay eggs, they will not survive unless you remove them and with much dedication raise them. I would not let this deter you from having a pair. Lastly the stock lighting on a nano is definately not enough lighting for an anemone, not even a bubble tip. You could upgrade to HQ or the least T5's. If you are inexperienced with anemones I'd go with a red or green bubble tip, they are the least demanding or I should say most forgiving of the hosting anemones. The bta is not a natural host for ocellaris but there is a very good chance your fish will host. I have a pair that hosts 2 rbta's, one is splitting as I type, so far it split 3 ways. That is another reason to recomend the bta, when they split you can of corse keep them or you can sell them to further finance your addiction. Just keep reading all you can and ask questions even if you think they are stupid, thats how we all continue to learn. : )