mix clowns?

[jlylec]

I have a 5 year old clarkii in a 34g nano tank at my office that I'm about to break down. I'm planning on moving him home to my 150H in the next week or so. I'll QT him first and treat with cupramine just to be safe as I'm ridding my tank of ich as we speak. So I have a few questions:

1. Can I put him in my QT (40b) with 3 blue chromes, a red scooter blenny, one flame hawk, and 2 gold head gobies and not worry about over-crowding or fighting?

2. Can I put him into a tank that already has cupramine in it? Or do you have to start copper treatment with NO copper and ramp up to effective dose?

3. Will I be able to add a pair of picasso clowns in a couple months? I've read clarkii's can be agressive towards other clowns, but I'm hoping moving him to a whole new tank will cause him to be OK. He's been living with 3 blue chromis's and a red scooter blenny for years no problems.

 

[velvetelvis]

Combining clownfish species isn't a good idea. You'll hear of people making it work, but it's very, very rare--especially with an aggressively territorial species like Clark's. If your clarkii is 5 years old and has lived alone, she's almost definitely a female, and thus even more dominant.

Even in a new tank, she'll take over. I've seen a female clownfish from the clarkii complex attack a full-grown triggerfish and chase it across a 600G tank. She would see any other clownfish in her tank as invaders in her territory and try to drive them out. I think your poor little picasso clowns wouldn't stand a chance.

 

[jlylec]

Combining clownfish species isn't a good idea. You'll hear of people making it work, but it's very, very rare--especially with an aggressively territorial species like Clark's. If your clarkii is 5 years old and has lived alone, she's almost definitely a female, and thus even more dominant.

Even in a new tank, she'll take over. I've seen a female clownfish from the clarkii complex attack a full-grown triggerfish and chase it across a 600G tank. She would see any other clownfish in her tank as invaders in her territory and try to drive them out. I think your poor little picasso clowns wouldn't stand a chance.

wow that's scary. Maybe I shouldn't put her in my big tank at all. Ugh. Maybe I'll just move the RSM home too. I really didn't want to keep up another tank, but I don't want to kill or get rid of the clarkii and I don't want my big tank to be dominated by her either. thanks for the response. i appreciate it!

 

[snorvich]

I agree with velvetelvis

 

[treylane]

Clarkiis are beautiful fish, why not just let her be the showpiece clown in the big tank?

 

[jlylec]

Clarkiis are beautiful fish, why not just let her be the showpiece clown in the big tank?

oh she is beautiful and I love her at this point. Oldest fish I've ever had. That's why I'd never give her to anyone else and am willing to reset up my 34g at home (have to move it from the office as we're moving offices) to put her in. I just want to have a mixed species tank and would hate it if she wouldn't allow me to have any other fish. Is there a way to help with her allowing other fish in the tank?

 

[treylane]

She will PROBABLY allow other fish in her tank as well, just not other clowns. Add her to the tank last, giving the other fish some time to settle in to their new homes first, and she'll see them as less of a threat than fish added after she's laid claim to her new castle.

 

[davocean]

My bet is no problem w/ fish other than any type of clown, and that clark would make spare change out of any picasso's real quick.
If you had a pair of clarki's spawning that could spell trouble for any fish that come near, I actually had to remove a pair of clarki's for this reason, they became holy terrors overnight to all fish when they started spawning.