multiple clowns

[jon1985]

I was looking through an oldish thread 'show how you clown' and I noticed alot of the pictures have multiple clowns in one tank. Some are more than a pair of the same species (3 or 4), and others are 2 pairs of different species with one of the species being a more agressive species.

Is it just fluke when it works out or is there a way to halp make it workout ie several nems, low fish count, agressive pair with passive pair, established pair and add a second pair later, add all at once?

I also bought some clowns from someone who had 6 clowns in the same tank, 3 black and white and 3 traditional orange.

Just a thought is it really that hard to keep more clowns??

 

[mcbaes72]

It's hit or miss like mixing many species. I couldn't do it. Have a 10 yr old False Perc. that was by herself, no mate and no anemone. One day, I have the urge to get a Maroon Clown from LFS that was a customers for a couple of years before he traded it in to buy a mating pair of clowns. So, I bought it figuring it survived a home tank environment, ate flakes and frozen foods, no problems. I even took precautions and took my False Perc out (kept him in the sump) for nearly a week while the Maroon (similar size) acclimated in the main display. Once I introduced the False Perc back into the tank, the chase was on immediately. Poor Maroon was harassed and tailfin nipped on non-stop. It only took a couple of minutes for me to give up quickly and isolate the Maroon this time into the sump. It's in a safe area away from skimmer pump and return pump.

So, I'm torn on what to do. I don't wanna give away my 10 yr old False Perc who's very aggressive and attacks me constantly when cleaning the tank. OTOH, I don't wanna give up a surprisingly gentle/docile Maroon who I've been hand-feeding and isn't aggressive towards me.

As for those who have successfully, mixed different species, I'd like to know how they got them to co-exist in the same tank. Did they try different introduction methods or were the clownfishes tolerant of each other right away?

 

[WDLV]

IME, it works 'till it doesn't. Ususally everything will go well until you add just one more fish, or one dies and upsets the hirarchy or you redecorate and mess up their hiding places. Then bad things happen.

 

[NyReefNoob]

i have 4 mis-bar true perc's and 2 mis-bar black occ with no problems, but it has only been a month also, that and i have 5 gbta's and 2 rbta's