Multiple clowns?

I agree with davo, although there are exceptions, a single pair...(Maybe 2) is the general limit for long term success. If multiple clowns are truely desired, then multiple tanks are the best option. In addition to GSM's point, a tall tank is not as prefered for providing "territory" as long and wide tanks because of the footprint area difference.

While I do not currently have Wilkerson book in front of me, I believe her point is that as juveniles and very young adults is a very large territory footprint can be keep successfully... however, as all clownfish age in a limited space, there becomes a evolutionary/reproduction oriented "king of the mountain" fight for dominance. The breeding pair will kill off competition and the other clowns will either die or they will kill off the pair and attempt to accend to the top spots.

Finally, if the point of the research is to justify a particular desire then it is not the best research when not approached objectively... I have had to find out the hard way. In any case, like all situations there are exceptions and these exceptions are not normally going to be recommended. It is like some people's views about seatbelts, some have been "saved" in some accidents because they were not wearing them in a crash, but that argument, like multiple clowns does not justify the promotion of the 1 in 1000 case over the 999 in 1000 case.
 
I very much appreciate the opinions. My question for each of you though is are your opinions based on personal experience or rather what has been read or passed on by others? I have read enough to know that what most of you are telling me is the accepted norm, however, I would like to know what else has been experienced, even if it is the 1 out of a 1000.
I am in no way trying to justify a desire. I want to know what all options are, and what is best for the fish. Wilkersons'' book, at that point we are discussing, was not just addressing juveniles. It in fact described the hierarchy of the clown community starting with the mature female, the mature male, a male in waiting and an excepted other.
 
If I recall correctly, she had one successful hierarchical group in all of her years of keeping and breeding clowns.

Certainly a ray of hope that maybe the ideal conditions to keep a group of clowns can be discovered, but there are very few stories out there that inspire real confidence in me that it's plausible long term, and even fewer that make me think it's the best situation for any captive fish.

As cool as it would be to have a tank full of all sorts of clowns, I just don't know if it's a good idea.
 
Daveo,
I do agree with you. It's all has to do quite a bit with the individual personalities along with the traits of the particular species. There are exceptions to most of the rules here. Shape has a definite influence on aggressiveness. I have seen that to large degree with the different tangs that will accept or reject each other..
Another opinion that I am try to get out of some of you is plainly, which clown to you feel is best as a pair in a >100g community reef?
 
To be clear, there are exceptions, but they are rare, and usually in HUGE tanks.
I wouldn't try it in my 180, and don't rec doing it.
Clowns I've had are GSM, WSM, Clarki, Occs, Pink skunks, true perc.
I once had a maroon and pair of occs, and was one of the guys bragging how I did it, but that ended terribly and I was humbled.
Sometimes it's even tough to have one pair, my latest lesson w/ my maroon.
Clown choice is personal, and should tie in w/ what nem you want so you match species that will host.
 
I've tried the 2 different pairs of clowns thing and ended up sorry I tried it. the first time was w/ Gold Bar Maroons and Occs and that ended quick, and the latest was with Onyx percs and Black Saddlebacks. i was lucky enough tho get the SB's out as they were harassing the Onyx. Never again!!
 
i currently have 8 false percs in my tank. true percs were just too aggressive toward each other.

the 8 i have, i picked carefully and tried to get those that were already in the same tank at the LFS. i have one big female one...a smaller male one and then the remaining 6 are of much smaller size.

not much aggression toward each other. they all tend to spread out throughout the tank but come together in the same general area at night. some share the same anemones and some go into their own (i have like 10 bta's in the tank for them). if there is any pairing, it's the female and male but that's it so far.

i have an older picture here where you can see most of them...

http://www.myfishtank.net/my-fish-tank/
 
DaveO,
Thanks for the comments on your experience. What happened with your maroon pair? I have been narrowing my choice down to yellow stripped maroon, clarkii or perculas. I am concerned that the maroons may not be the best community member.
BBCoach4,
Sorry to hear that, but the lesson helps us all to know more about them.
Arcab4
How long have you had all of those in your tank? How large are they all?
Slakker,
I think that you're right, it was only one group that she had like that, but it doesn't say that she tried more than once either, perhaps with good reason.
Anyone have some pictures of their mated pairs that you can share to help me make my choice? I have GBTA/RBTA's.
 
The maroon I have now is the most aggro I've had.
Bites me all the time, and has killed 2 males.
The first she killed b4 I could even get the net to fish out.
The second I did the specimen container, and intro'd 4 times.
The fourth time the male went into her nem and they were cool....for a little bit.
I went here to post my success and heard a loud splash, and that was that.
This is the only clown in many years I've had a problem with, and I've had several maroons.
If I could catch her she'd be gone.
I still love maroons, but make it easy and buy a pair, or pair up b4 they get so territorial w/ their nem.
 
i've had them for a short period of time. only about 2-3 months right now. the largest one is about 3" and the male 2" and the rest are 1" with the smallest one being a tad under 1". i didn't want them all the same size (as fighting would probably intensify as they fought for position) so i made sure the sizing of each fish was in order.
 
Turns out since my earlier post the tricinctus has kicked the cap out of his rbta, but they are both doing well since I have another rbta for the cap to play in. It looks like they will get along fine as long as they have their own space. Maybe I should put in a few regular percs to see what would happen...and add more anmones of course.
 
Any one much experience with Clarkii's? I am narrowing down a little more now. I would appreciate thoughts on a pair of them, particularly the blue stripped variation.
 
Have any of you with Clown pairs purchased from Inland Aquatics? Feedback on their stock? I know that their prices are high, but it seems like their latest claim is that they hold their stock much longer to reduce shipping stress. Do a search on them and the owner, Morgan Lister, and you will find a interesting article that he wrote with regards to what he calls Post shipping stress trauma. It seems like it answered alot of questions that I had with regards to clown survivability after shipping.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9755237#post9755237 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jelwyoming
Oh yeah,! Do any of you have a Clarkii pair that you could comment on as far as aggressiveness goes?
Click to expand...
clarkiii are all agressive just like maroons and polymnus

skunks, ocellaris and percula are the least agressive
 
A very long time ago (5 + years) I had 4 clarkiis -- notice the word HAD. After about 3 months I had 2. They two main ones would pick on the smallest one until it died, then would move on to the next one. I still have the remaining two -- lay eggs every 3-4 weeks. They are the rulers of my tank.
 
we have a pair of black saddlebacks and a pair of maroons but when we put the maroons in the tank the saddlebacks where 3'' and 3 1/2'' long so the maroons didnt have the chance to be sassy. right now the maroons aer getting bigger almost 3'' now. let me tell you we are thinking of moving the maroons out because they are getting a littly to sassy for my liking. nothing has happend yet but thats cause big mama ( the almost 4'' saddleback) keeps the maroon in check.
 
I've been keeping multiple clowns in one system for a long time. It really depends on the fish, the size at addition and the aquascape as to whether it works out or not.
I'm moving away from this practice because I hope to breed clowns and they're less likely to breed if you're mixing several pairs in one tank.
 
Thanks for all the comments!
Wetsleeves,
which clowns did you have in the sam system and were you able to keep them together when they matured? I can sure understand your current plan as well. How nany and which anemones do you have in the multiclown system? How large a system is it?
A&C
How are your saddlebacks to the other fish in the tank? What anemone do you have?
Todd,
You say that your last two clarkiis are the rules of the tank...in what way? Are there any problems? Has the female beat up the male at all?
WetSleeves again.
Wow, I looked at your link on your tank, it's beautiful!. I can see how you can house several clowns though...hundreds of gallons!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9761494#post9761494 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jelwyoming
Thanks for all the comments!

You say that your last two clarkiis are the rules of the tank...in what way? Are there any problems? Has the female beat up the male at all?
Click to expand...

No problems, but they also won't let my purple tang (or lemonpeel angel [before I sold him]) go near their anemone and/or eggs. But, they don't chase them otherwise. Just if you watch my tank for a while you can tell how the bosses are. The female has never beat up the male at all -- and I've disrupted them a lot (couple of moves, and redoing the tank)

However, I used to have a 3-stripe damsel in that tank (which looks
similar to a clown IMO) that they would never leave the opposite side of the tank. Any time it would venture within a foot of their "home" they would chase it and "bark" at it.
 
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