Interested in getting clownfish, tips and advice appreciated.

[phoenix91]

Hi, i'm new to the forum and relatively new to fish keeping. Right now i have 2 freshwater tanks; my 3 gallon contains my male betta Ōji, and my 5 gallon was going to be just a planted tank but now also contains my female betta Artemis.

I've somehow been sucked into the world of fish keeping and it's so interesting and fun i wanted to add something a little different to my house. So i've been researching online and have just discovered this forum and i'm so glad i did.

I wanted to start a saltwater aquarium, i was thinking between 15-20 gallon and getting 2 clownfish. I'm not entirely sure where to start. I know my lfs sells clowns, i'm not sure which variety they have. As far as i've read clowns don't need an anemone to be happy, i don't know how comfortable i'd be getting one without knowing how to take care of it properly.

So what else would i need? how would i set up this type of aquarium?

 

[jbax]

i would go for the larger aquarium if possible. a 24g aqua pod or nano cube would be perfect. add your sand and rock, wait 6-8 weeks for it to cycle. then add your 2 clown fish. i think they come with pc lights so you can keep some soft coral and your clowns may use that as a sub nem.

what kind of clowns are you looking to get?

 

[Frantz]

There is a big change to requirements for a salt tank, and alot of reading should happen first. A bigger tank will be alot easier and I don't recommend getting a nem until you have your feet wet and salty in the hobby. A clown won't know you don't have the nem, they'll be find hosting a corner of the tank. If you can, find a local fish store, not just a big box shop. Good luck and I'm sure you'll find alot of the answers to your questions around here.

 

[Dream2aReef]

I have both freshwater and saltwater tanks and there is a night and day difference between them. I suggest you research and read as much as you can. Then find a store that deals in saltwater because no matter how much you read you'll still have a lot of questions.

I have 2 reef tanks and I have clowns and nems in both. In my 125 gl I have 3 clarks clowns and the female hosts in my large bubble tip and the other two host in a smaller nem. In my 75 gl I have to perc clowns that want nothing to do with the nem and they have chosen to host in one of the front corners. Needless to say weather you have a nem or not the clowns make the choice where they will host.

As far as the tank size goes I've tried smaller tanks and in my opnion larger tanks have been easier to care for so, I recommend a larger tank.

 

[WaffleWalffle22]

Clowns are extremely hardy. Chuck Norris can't even kill clowns, as long as they're captive bred. The temperature in my BioCube 14 went over 90F, which killed everything in my tank... except my two clowns. All you have to do is feed them and keep the water parameters where they're supposed to be and the clowns will thrive.

I have a pair of Ocellaris in my BioCube 14 and they've been happy for two years. The female is a little under 2" and the male is about 1", which is very small for their age. They're already pre-spawning, so I assume they're pretty happy. I've talked to a breeder on another reef website who has multiple pairs thriving in their own 5 gallon cubes. Clowns are happy in a cup of water in my experience, but it's always better to get a bigger tank. 15-20 gallons is perfectly fine, but if you go bigger you can keep other fish too.

Set up the tank like any other saltwater aquarium. Get some books on saltwater aquariums and do reading. It will help you understand the basics. An easy thing for beginners is buying all in one tanks, like the BioCube or NanoCube. All in one tanks are complete with all the equipment you'll need to start your tank. They come with a light, a pump, a filtration system, a hood/canopy, and some even come with heaters and skimmers. The BioCube 29 HQI is the best all in one tank I've ever had. In my Red Sea Max with 110w power compact lighting in the hood, the temperature will rise 4F during the day, while in my BioCube 29 HQI there is no temperature difference between day and night, plus it has a metal halide which can grow any coral/invert and the halide is 8" above the tank. You can check out Oceanic's website to see all of the BioCubes and decide which you like best, if you decide to get an all in one tank.

If you get an all in one tank, you'll just need live rock, live sand or dry sand, and saltwater. The live rock and live sand are like natural filtration for your tank. After you tanks cycles, you can add the clowns. Add them together so one doesn't establish territory and attack the other. A trick to adding clowns is to add two small ones (under 1") or one small (1" or smaller) and one big one (2" or bigger). I've had the best luck with adding two young clowns. When I added my ocellaris to my BioCube 14, they were less than 1/4" each. One immediately got bigger without fighting and they two have been a pair ever since.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I and the others here on Reef Central are happy to help.

 

[phoenix91]

i would go for the larger aquarium if possible. a 24g aqua pod or nano cube would be perfect. add your sand and rock, wait 6-8 weeks for it to cycle. then add your 2 clown fish. i think they come with pc lights so you can keep some soft coral and your clowns may use that as a sub nem.

what kind of clowns are you looking to get?

I don't mind going bigger if that's what's needed. I can cycle the aquarium first, is it the same type of process to cycling a freshwater tank? or is it different?

i honestly don't know which type i'm looking to get, i'm just starting my research on them now. I would welcome recommendations.

There is a big change to requirements for a salt tank, and alot of reading should happen first. A bigger tank will be alot easier and I don't recommend getting a nem until you have your feet wet and salty in the hobby. A clown won't know you don't have the nem, they'll be find hosting a corner of the tank. If you can, find a local fish store, not just a big box shop. Good luck and I'm sure you'll find alot of the answers to your questions around here.

oh don't worry, a lot of reading and research will happen first. i don't want to blunder in and kill anything. i'll be heading out to my local fish place sometime soon to ask questions and see what they have and such. Thanks.

I have both freshwater and saltwater tanks and there is a night and day difference between them. I suggest you research and read as much as you can. Then find a store that deals in saltwater because no matter how much you read you'll still have a lot of questions.

I have 2 reef tanks and I have clowns and nems in both. In my 125 gl I have 3 clarks clowns and the female hosts in my large bubble tip and the other two host in a smaller nem. In my 75 gl I have to perc clowns that want nothing to do with the nem and they have chosen to host in one of the front corners. Needless to say weather you have a nem or not the clowns make the choice where they will host.

As far as the tank size goes I've tried smaller tanks and in my opnion larger tanks have been easier to care for so, I recommend a larger tank.

Don't worry i plan on doing lots of reading. i was going to go out this week and get some books from the library or the shop. I would love a big tank like yours but i'm afraid a little smaller might be the way i go, big enough for hopefully the two clowns unless of course i find a cracking deal on craigslist or something for a big tank then i'll get that.

Clowns are extremely hardy. Chuck Norris can't even kill clowns, as long as they're captive bred. The temperature in my BioCube 14 went over 90F, which killed everything in my tank... except my two clowns. All you have to do is feed them and keep the water parameters where they're supposed to be and the clowns will thrive.

I have a pair of Ocellaris in my BioCube 14 and they've been happy for two years. The female is a little under 2" and the male is about 1", which is very small for their age. They're already pre-spawning, so I assume they're pretty happy. I've talked to a breeder on another reef website who has multiple pairs thriving in their own 5 gallon cubes. Clowns are happy in a cup of water in my experience, but it's always better to get a bigger tank. 15-20 gallons is perfectly fine, but if you go bigger you can keep other fish too.

Set up the tank like any other saltwater aquarium. Get some books on saltwater aquariums and do reading. It will help you understand the basics. An easy thing for beginners is buying all in one tanks, like the BioCube or NanoCube. All in one tanks are complete with all the equipment you'll need to start your tank. They come with a light, a pump, a filtration system, a hood/canopy, and some even come with heaters and skimmers. The BioCube 29 HQI is the best all in one tank I've ever had. In my Red Sea Max with 110w power compact lighting in the hood, the temperature will rise 4F during the day, while in my BioCube 29 HQI there is no temperature difference between day and night, plus it has a metal halide which can grow any coral/invert and the halide is 8" above the tank. You can check out Oceanic's website to see all of the BioCubes and decide which you like best, if you decide to get an all in one tank.

If you get an all in one tank, you'll just need live rock, live sand or dry sand, and saltwater. The live rock and live sand are like natural filtration for your tank. After you tanks cycles, you can add the clowns. Add them together so one doesn't establish territory and attack the other. A trick to adding clowns is to add two small ones (under 1") or one small (1" or smaller) and one big one (2" or bigger). I've had the best luck with adding two young clowns. When I added my ocellaris to my BioCube 14, they were less than 1/4" each. One immediately got bigger without fighting and they two have been a pair ever since.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I and the others here on Reef Central are happy to help.

my heater in my 3 gallon went up to 90 and it didn't kill my betta. i was all panicky but he was fine. i'll read up on the basics before i start anything.

Thanks for the advice, i'll look into complete setups, the biocube sounds promising.

also, thanks for the advice on adding clowns. I suppose it depends which i decide to get and what the local store has available.

 

[Frantz]

Just another thought, if the reason for a smaller tank is cost you will probably be surprised how much less "big" cost. At least check it out before feeling stuck in a small tank. I ended up spending nearly as much on my 25g cube as my 120g. And there is lots to get used! Check if you have a salt water club in your area, can be a great resource (my local club gets me a discount at the LFS as well)

 

[jbax]

Clowns are extremely hardy. Chuck Norris can't even kill clowns, as long as they're captive bred. The temperature in my BioCube 14 went over 90F, which killed everything in my tank... except my two clowns. All you have to do is feed them and keep the water parameters where they're supposed to be and the clowns will thrive.

I have a pair of Ocellaris in my BioCube 14 and they've been happy for two years. The female is a little under 2" and the male is about 1", which is very small for their age. They're already pre-spawning, so I assume they're pretty happy. I've talked to a breeder on another reef website who has multiple pairs thriving in their own 5 gallon cubes. Clowns are happy in a cup of water in my experience, but it's always better to get a bigger tank. 15-20 gallons is perfectly fine, but if you go bigger you can keep other fish too.

Set up the tank like any other saltwater aquarium. Get some books on saltwater aquariums and do reading. It will help you understand the basics. An easy thing for beginners is buying all in one tanks, like the BioCube or NanoCube. All in one tanks are complete with all the equipment you'll need to start your tank. They come with a light, a pump, a filtration system, a hood/canopy, and some even come with heaters and skimmers. The BioCube 29 HQI is the best all in one tank I've ever had. In my Red Sea Max with 110w power compact lighting in the hood, the temperature will rise 4F during the day, while in my BioCube 29 HQI there is no temperature difference between day and night, plus it has a metal halide which can grow any coral/invert and the halide is 8" above the tank. You can check out Oceanic's website to see all of the BioCubes and decide which you like best, if you decide to get an all in one tank.

If you get an all in one tank, you'll just need live rock, live sand or dry sand, and saltwater. The live rock and live sand are like natural filtration for your tank. After you tanks cycles, you can add the clowns. Add them together so one doesn't establish territory and attack the other. A trick to adding clowns is to add two small ones (under 1") or one small (1" or smaller) and one big one (2" or bigger). I've had the best luck with adding two young clowns. When I added my ocellaris to my BioCube 14, they were less than 1/4" each. One immediately got bigger without fighting and they two have been a pair ever since.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I and the others here on Reef Central are happy to help.

+1 on getting a all-in-one for a beginner in SW.

and while your tank is cycling for 6-8 weeks you can do all the research and reading you want.

waffle, do you have a measuring tape? my 10 day old clowns were larger then a 1/4" and either haven't morphed or are just starting too.:fun4:

 

[phoenix91]

Just another thought, if the reason for a smaller tank is cost you will probably be surprised how much less "big" cost. At least check it out before feeling stuck in a small tank. I ended up spending nearly as much on my 25g cube as my 120g. And there is lots to get used! Check if you have a salt water club in your area, can be a great resource (my local club gets me a discount at the LFS as well)

I'll look and see if there's one in my area. I've also been looking online at prices and sizes and such. I'll head out to my lfs soon to see what they have.

+1 on getting a all-in-one for a beginner in SW.

and while your tank is cycling for 6-8 weeks you can do all the research and reading you want.

waffle, do you have a measuring tape? my 10 day old clowns were larger then a 1/4" and either haven't morphed or are just starting too.:fun4:

I looked at the biocube 29G and i'm pretty impressed. i still have a few to check out but i do like the idea of an all in one tank.