Multiple clowns

[coolrock]

My tank is 96"x14"x16" (about 86 gallons) and I've had a large pair of Gold Stripe Maroons in there for about 9 months. They were a little big for the RBTA I had, and beat it up right away. So, I got them a nice, big, Long Tentacle and they love it! They've been hosting in it for about 6 months. They really only left the anemone to eat. Most of the time, they're either wiggling around in and around the tentacles or, they're hovered above it like they're protecting it.

Anyway, I picked up a pair of clowns yesterday that were hosting in an anemone. We don't know if they are True Percs or Oscillaris and I don't have an ID on the anemone. But I'm pretty sure its a BTA that doesn't have the bubbles on it's tips.

It only took about 15-20 minutes for the GSM (the male, anyway) to find the BTA. I kind of figured he might try to take over the anemone, and sure enough, he did. Now, the clowns don't have a home. Well, actually, they do. It's the bottom corner of the tank underneath the Maxi-jet Mod! The GSM's don't seem to bother them there. (I don't think the GSM's like all that flow they get when they sometimes come out to chase them.)

So, here's the deal.... the female GSM has stayed in the Long Tentacle, and the male GSM goes back and forth between the two anemones. The two anemones are 4 feet away from each other and are hidden from each other's view. Is there any way I can keep both pair of clowns each with there OWN anemone?

 

[dc]

I think eventually the maroons will kill your other clowns. They get meaner as they get older, and very territorial. I have a 75, and it's slowly becoming a clown only tank. She even knocks over rocks twice her size.

 

[crsswift70]

everything i heard says you don't mix clowns in a tank. i think DC has it right, someones going to win eventually.

 

[myreefcentral]

maybe false percs with true percs...but not false percs with maroons...they're too big...and very territorial from all that i've read...

 

[davocean]

As maroons mature they will get more territorial, most likely both going to both nems(that's what mine do, 2 nems 5' apart) and probably not a good outcome for the new clowns.

 

[coolrock]

What if I got a third nem? I mean, 2 GSM's and 3 nems? They can't be in all 3 at one time!

 

[Seadogs]

I heard the same. Maybe false Percs and true Percs but not with Maroons or Saddlebacks. Not sure about Skunks or Tomatoes. In fact, my LFS guy said that there has been some recent debate about False and True Percs being closer that previously thought.
Anyway, remember, just because we want certain fish together, doesn't mean we get them.

 

[davocean]

I'm sure they will cruise to all 3 IMO, and don't forget, those nems will grow big, taking up alot of coral space.
My LTA and sebae are about 22-24" in diameter now, outgrew my 90g, and even in my 180g I feel limited for coral space as you need about 5" of buffer zone or they will sting corals.

 

[coolrock]

What about a LPS? Like a hammer or frogspawn for the percs/ocellaris? Would the GSM's leave that alone? Would the percs/ocellaris host in one of those?

Any thoughts on this?

 

[kiknchikn]

I think you're missing the point lol...

Anywhere the new pair of clowns can go, the maroons can also go, and will likely chase and eventually kill the new pair. There probably isn't anything you can add to stop this from happening.

 

[davocean]

Agree w/ that ^

 

[KorL]

Probably not. Try callling the "Clownfish Whisperer"

 

[myreefcentral]

they'll probably chase the osc/perc around even if you put in 10 nems...the maroons will eventually will get greedy and want to be the owner of all the nems in the tank...

put you have a good theory...that's what i'd probably try too...