Starting A Nem/Clownfish Tank

V

victornator333

New member
Drillled Illuminata with mp40 and aquaC skimmer in sump.
250w MH + 2 T5.
Sugarfine sand

Currently there are 4 ocellaris (2 orange, 2 misbar bw), GBTA and RBTA

Suggestions?

How many clownfish should I keep?
What kinds of nems?
What setting for the mp40?
Where are yall getting those rare nems??


Thanks!!!
 
With a small tank I would only keep one pair,I tried 2 pair in a 240 8' tank with several rbtas on each end and the clowns would fight.Getting more than one pair in a tank is hit or miss. unless it's in a really large tank.
 
victornator333 said:
Drillled Illuminata with mp40 and aquaC skimmer in sump.
250w MH + 2 T5.
Sugarfine sand

Currently there are 4 ocellaris (2 orange, 2 misbar bw), GBTA and RBTA

Suggestions?

How many clownfish should I keep?
What kinds of nems?
What setting for the mp40?
Where are yall getting those rare nems??


Thanks!!!
Click to expand...

I have a 125, that's an anemone garden. It houses 5 various pair's of clownfish. They're each territorial with they're own anemone's, but never lost a clown as a result of aggression. Now, I do not have the more aggressive Maroon or Clarkii's.

Stocking list includes w/ they're chosen anemone:

Bonded pair of ORA Pink Skunks - Ritteri
Bonded pair of ORA Orange Skunks - Sebae
Bonded pair of SA Onyx - Quadricolor
Bonded pair of SA Snow Onyx - Quadricolor
Single SA Black Ice (Diver's Den order for Saturday that FedEx delivered on Monday - the Female died) - Hasn't paired with any anemone.

Here's a video of the tank:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-3ZTw1qSOQ
 
Last edited:
victornator333 said:
Drillled Illuminata with mp40 and aquaC skimmer in sump.
250w MH + 2 T5.
Sugarfine sand

Currently there are 4 ocellaris (2 orange, 2 misbar bw), GBTA and RBTA

Suggestions?

How many clownfish should I keep?
What kinds of nems?
What setting for the mp40?
Where are yall getting those rare nems??


Thanks!!!
Click to expand...

Take 1 species pair out. Why? Because mixing clownfish species will only result in deaths. Only 1 cownfish pair per tank of your size.
 
SomeDude12 said:
I have a 125, that's an anemone garden. It houses 5 various pair's of clownfish. They're each territorial with they're own anemone's, but never lost a clown as a result of aggression. Now, I do not have the more aggressive Maroon or Clarkii's.

Stocking list includes w/ they're chosen anemone:

Bonded pair of ORA Pink Skunks - Ritteri
Bonded pair of ORA Orange Skunks - Sebae
Bonded pair of SA Onyx - Quadricolor
Bonded pair of SA Snow Onyx - Quadricolor
Single SA Black Ice (Diver's Den order for Saturday that FedEx delivered on Monday - the Female died) - Hasn't paired with any anemone.

Here's a video of the tank:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-3ZTw1qSOQ
Click to expand...

That's a great tank
 
FTDelta said:
Take 1 species pair out. Why? Because mixing clownfish species will only result in deaths. Only 1 cownfish pair per tank of your size.
Click to expand...

I thought that those 2 kinds of clowns are of the same species (A. Ocellaris) . Am I mistaken? Do you mean I can put different clowns (maroons, skunk, etc) instead?

Thanks
 
No he means one set of clowns regardless of species. Sometimes some get lucky mixing clowns but most of the time they battle.
 
Update!

Clownfish werent even looking at the nems... decided to feed my new and large RBTA. Must have triggered something because one of the clowns instantly started to assist in the feeding and began to set up shop inside the nem. The other 3 are now hovering around it.
 
victornator333 said:
I thought that those 2 kinds of clowns are of the same species (A. Ocellaris) . Am I mistaken? Do you mean I can put different clowns (maroons, skunk, etc) instead?

Thanks
Click to expand...

My bad. I misread you had 4 occeleris clowns not different species of clownfish. So to answer your question - You need to pick a pair of clownfish regardless if it's a misbar, bw, orange, whatever. Take the 2 other clownfish out otherwise a single dominant pair will kill off the remaining 2 clownfish.

No - you cannot mix clownfish species in a tank.
 
You have 4 Ocellaris. As long as they are all juvinile, there will be some fighting and two most dominant will pair up the other two will stay small. The pair will abuse the two Juvi, but in Ocellaris this rarely result in deat of the Juvi.
When I keep 3 Ocellaris together, the smallest on will not get to go into the anemone unless there is a thread (my hand) in the tank. Often the smallest would have wound on him, torn fins ect...

I would recommen that you just keep two, but if you want three or four, only rarely does Ocellaris will kill a juvi in our tank.
 
+1 I agree. Each tank and setting is different.

In the wild they have the ability to go and scout out other areas and food. In an aquarium world they wake/sleep in/near the anemone. Just like brothers/sisters they get on each others nerves because of the food supply.

It's protector is the anemone. They help each other. So each clown thinks it is bound to a duty and protects it from the others.

There was a video, in the wild, that showed about 10+ in one anemone. Again, in the wild.

The size tank you have, you are pushing the envelope, not to say that it wont happen, but it would be safer to separate them and let them live healthy. Again... it all depends on many factors, that the fish guide does not show us, espc since it is written in fish'eeze language.

If you know which one(s) are paired, would be a question, too.
 
victornator333 said:
Would having a bunch of nems (therefore more homes) make them less likely to fight each other?

I appreciate all the advice and feedback!
Click to expand...

It is more of a space / territory issue than having a host issue.

While some clowns do not go more than a foot from the anemone because of adequate food sources, we sometimes feed in one spot and let it float. Our clowns run over to where we feed and then run back to the the anemone. This causes them to cross into other territories.

Think of them almost as a two party gang. While they tolerate others, sometimes, eventually they will become hostile toward others.

Almost like you need to feed different areas at the same time to prevent crossing areas.

All this work to maintain happiness is a lot for us.

Some people here host 2 clowns and they run from anemone to anemone all day long. My Cinnamons used to jump between all my anemones all the time until it settled in.


Now....

While there are some people that have shown and documented exceptions, this is based on the social characteristics of both the tank and the clowns. Fighting for food in these tanks is normally not existent.


As more inhabitants populate the tank pushing out the little guy/fish for food, this causes increased tension and causes boundaries to be setup and enforced.


This is why I got rid of my chromis (8 of them) because they were sensed as a threat by the clowns, once they were gone they soothed back out and went back to friendlier attitudes.
 
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