Nemo: the real story

[Sk8r]

Clowns are charming fish---and I know this post is going to cause anguish.
But...
You need to know what you're getting into.
1. they're a sort of damsel. Cunning, and fast, and will fight.
2. Percs and skunks are the most laid back. I've owned a piranha: it never bit me. Clarkii clowns did. And maroons and tomatos are very aggressive. A maroon female has been observed grabbing another fish and shoving it into its anemone.
3. they mate real easily---even change their sex to make SURE there's a pair, so they WILL breed in your tank; and they'll fight a buzzsaw when breeding. A pair of clarkii's claims about 50 gallons of space when breeding, and will bite. Even you. I had a pair of clarkiis that got to be too much for a 100g and that bit me and drew blood every time I had to do tank maintenance. They went on to supply, I swear, half the new Clarkiis in the state of Oklahoma. I'm sure their descendants are still breeding. In the same tank I had Dr. Death (a blue-stripe damsel) and 3 other damsels. I had very little trouble with them. The clowns terrorized all of them.
Double that territory for a pair of tomatos. And bear in mind tomatos get LARGE. My clarkiis were 3". Maroons, which are the very scrappiest, can get up to half a foot long---yep---half a foot!---, although 4 inches is more common, and beefy to boot. With teeth. Visible teeth.
4. You shouldn't have an anemone until your tank is mature, and my advice is, don't get a clown until you can get a nem: they make pests of themselves in corals, and are prone to get ich. Mature the tank, get them a nem so they'll build up a healthy slime coat (protects against ich), be SURE to qt them, and you will have nice healthy clowns.

 

[ebrewer]

I have been told this as well by a LFS. I went in to buy a pair of clowns as my first fish in a newly cycled tank. He explained how aggressive they really are and showed me marks on his arm. That was enough to convince me to wait. I still want them (kids) but I reconsidered them as a first fish in the tank!

 

[Sk8r]

It also helps to allow your other fish to establish territories, so they have a fighting chance. When your kids get old enough, transfer some rock and sand to an all-in-one, and give them Nemo and friend for their bedroom. Good luck!

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Yep. I had a clarkii that would bite me everytime I put my hand in the tank too. The bigger it got, the more aggressive it got. Bugger used to nip me in that soft web of flesh between the thumb and index finger. Precision attacks I tell ya! When it finally started drawing blood I decided to rehome her and her LTA.

I have a adult female misbar perc now. She's about 2 - 2 1/2 years old and has never once come after me.

 

[spacepony]

Aren't False clowns (Ocellarius, right?) supposed to be pretty laid back?

 

[ebrewer]

Thanks, thats a great idea! I am going to probably add them last and see how they do and If they just are too much then I will do exactly as you have said!!!

 

[Bigshow]

I have to false orange percs and one false black the two orange pick on the black one at times but each perc has either a nem or some type of coral that they like to play in. My orange percs normally nest in my brain and the black in my bta. They never seem to be aggressive to me cuz they know not to bite the hang that feeds them. lol jk

 

[svynx]

I have a breeding pair of Ocellarius. Usually they are pretty laid back, but will still nip me if I get too close to their anem. Now, if they are guarding eggs, or are preparing to lay the eggs, I just need to be within 12" of them and the male will go for me. Adrienne has it right, they have great precision when it comes to biting your hand. My hand will be moving with quite a lot of speed, trying to clear off the front glass, and they will still nail the same soft spot between fingers every single time. They are bold enough to chase off (and get cut on a few occasions) by a yellow tang who is still trying to take some of the clowns territory away. I don't see it happening though.

 

[mhosts]

I have been told this as well by a LFS. I went in to buy a pair of clowns as my first fish in a newly cycled tank. He explained how aggressive they really are and showed me marks on his arm. That was enough to convince me to wait. I still want them (kids) but I reconsidered them as a first fish in the tank!

Clowns were the first pair of fish in my tank!

They were a pair of A ocellaris. If you get young tank bred ones you will have no issues.

 

[gws76]

They went on to supply, I swear, half the new Clarkiis in the state of Oklahoma. I'm sure their descendants are still breeding.

:furious: That explains the pair of Clarkiis that now reside in my sump. Meanest fish I've ever had.

 

[zachfishman]

My Ocellaris pair where very passive, except to my fingers. Also, I had the great opportunity to work at a marine science camp, and rainy days meant watching Finding Nemo and teaching science over it. The older kids loved the fact that Nemo's dad would've become Nemo's mom.

 

[Sk8r]

Yep, I forgot the ocellaris clowns: indeed, one of the milder ones.

The only thing that saved me was a garnet ring: the female clarkii would tend to go straight for that garnet (dark, round, red) every time.

First time I saw a fullgrown Maroon, I felt very thankful I hadn't succumbed to temptation: pretty, but the piranha at least understood gratitude.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

First time I saw a fullgrown Maroon, I felt very thankful I hadn't succumbed to temptation:

My first thought upon seeing an adult female maroon clown was... "my what big teeth you have." :lol:

 

[DirtyDeeds]

my first fish was 2 clowns. mine dont pick fights or bull others around, maybe i just got lucky 4 months so far and they are still healthy and swimmin like angles

 

[lordofthereef]

The thing is when most people think of Nemo they think of the perculas or oscellaris (since they look very similar), at least I do. Those guys are the nicest clowns I have seen. Most people shopping for a "Nemo" I don't think would settle for a tomato or a clarki, not because of temperament (at least at first glance), but because of looks.

 

[Sk8r]

Which is a really good thing!
Seriously, skunks are underappreciated. Nice little fellows. Never saw a very large one, never saw one act aggressive. I could be mistaken.

I had my clarkiis in a reef, and they were 'interesting.' Plus their carpet anemone began to take half my 100 gallon tank in very short order. It started small, about 4", grew like a bandit, up to about 2' across, and the real warfare between me and the clarkii's happened when I had to exchange their anemone. After that, that hand with the ring was the Enemy.

 

[JTL]

How about B&W Ocellaris? Anyone found those to be aggressive?

 

[ebrewer]

Clowns were the first pair of fish in my tank!

They were a pair of A ocellaris. If you get young tank bred ones you will have no issues.

Thanks for the info. Thats the plan is to get a couple tank bred fish. I love the pic of your Kole. That is the first fish I have in my tank currently. He is awesome!!! Just really shy, but getting bolder!

 

[Everyones Hero]

I have a pair of Clarkis that someone else didn't want.

They've claimed the left side of my 75g & my Chromis has the right side. On occasion they go back & forth with the Chromis & keep to their own sides. Of course I'm looking at the tank & the 3 of them are swimming around together as the Chromis picks a snail off a rock & carries it to the other side of the tank.

They've dug out a nest in the sand at the front left of the tank & sleep there. I'm not concerned with aggression because if they're not careful Eli the Eel will get them.

Guess that's a sign that they're hungry.

 

[lougotzz]

I got bit from my ocellaris clown last night lol. Ive also owned several piranha, never got bit. Clown fish beat my *** down.