multiple clown fish and anemones

[imcosmokramer]

I read the sticky about multiple (pairs) of clown fish.

What about if I have a tank with, let's say, 5 anemones, and I want to have 2 pairs of clown fish (false percs). Is that possible? or will they fight over a specific anemone?

Clearly, my concern is first and foremost for the well being of the fish.

 

[clowns101]

first off we need to hear how big of a tank you would put them in then i could tell you.

 

[imcosmokramer]

it is a 55. I don't need more clowns in there, but I've read that it benefits the anemone.

 

[clowns101]

at one point in time one pair would mate andkill the others.

 

[imcosmokramer]

ok, so it's not "anemone-based", i.e. a mated pair will be happy in one anemone and another pair will be happy in another one?

 

[clowns101]

even if you have two anemones they willl still kill each other.

 

[imcosmokramer]

nuff said. Now, I have anemones in there now, will the anemone's health suffer with not hosting clowns?

 

[clowns101]

they should not suffer but feed them 2 to 3 times a week.

 

[imcosmokramer]

np, tyvm. I use silverside.

 

[clowns101]

do what

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13643930#post13643930 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by imcosmokramer
nuff said. Now, I have anemones in there now, will the anemone's health suffer with not hosting clowns?

No it won't suffer (( assuming that you don't have any fish that would attack the anemone that wasn't hosting anything )). I have 2 Haddonis in one tank, and only one of them is hosting a pair of clowns. The non hosting one is doing just as well as the hosting one.


What type of anemones do you have in there?

 

[imcosmokramer]

I have rose, greens, greens with pink tips, getting an orange one next week.

 

[Toddrtrex]

And those are all BTAs?

 

[imcosmokramer]

yes, why? is that bad?

 

[Toddrtrex]

No, was just making sure. There will sometimes be issues when mixing different species, but since that won't be the case here. Just will have to take into account how large they can/will get and the waste they will produce.

 

[imcosmokramer]

ah, The 55 is dedicated just to anemones. So basically live rock, live sand, 2 clowns, and the anemones. I have a sump with chaeto and some more live rock, a pretty solid CUC. Any thoughts going forward?

 

[phender]

I am not sure how much experience clowns101 has to give such absolute answers, but it is possible to keep two pairs of clowns in a 48" long tank. Since you already have one pair in there, I am not sure I would try to add more of the same type of clown.

You might want to try a pair of black ocellaris or a pair of one of the skunk type clowns, something that won't be too aggressive. There is still a chance that the resident clowns won't accept them, but you can increase your odds by removing the resident clowns and quarantining them along with the new clowns or putting the resident clowns in the sump for a while and add all the clowns back into the tank together and/or rearranging the rock work a bit so that everything is different and maybe make a valley through the middle of your tank.

I have had two clown pairs in my 48" 60 gal tank for over 3 years and both pairs are actively spawning. There is never so much as a minor squabble even when they stray from their territories.

 

[clowns101]

i would not do it. you have got a female in the tank already and she has selected a large spot in the tank to be hers and if you put another female in there she also will want to select a large spot in the tank. this will lead you to a fight. the two females will fight to death. they will battle each other for the tank and the anemones even though you may have 5 anemones they always tend to want each others. but i made sure that i was right befor i posted any thing on your thread. im know it can be done but like i said you already have one female thay has selected a spot in the tank to be hers.

 

[clowns101]

phender did you put the two pairs of clowns in at the same time or did you put them in at separte times.

 

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13646280#post13646280 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clowns101
phender did you put the two pairs of clowns in at the same time or did you put them in at separte times.

Separate times. I had a chrysopterus X sandaracinos pair in the tank first. The perc pair came later. I moved the chrysopterus and the sandaracinos to another tank (not because there were any problems, I just wanted to give them more privacy) and replaced them with a sandaracinos pair.

Here is a full tank shot of the orange skunks (sandaracinos) on the right in their H. magnifica and the percs on the left that went between the purple sebae on the sand and the gigantea carpet in the rocks. I have since given the sebae to a friend.