Thinking of trying a Harem of Clownfish

justinky

justinky

New member
Hello, so some of you may know me from my recent loss of my first Heteractis Magnifica thread where it resisted cipro treatment. After getting my first taste of anemones I think I want to sell my 82G reefs livestock off and do a species only Anemone tank with a Harem of clownfish.


  • Can you mix clown species with success in a Harem?
  • Should I add the anemones first and clowns after?
  • Should I buy the clowns all at the same time and as small as possible?
  • Are there any other tips to possibly make this venture successful?

  • Should I re-aquascape for an Anemone only tank to make it a better habitat for Haddoni's, Mags, Gigs & Sebaes?

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I know to read this thread already but I am just looking for other personal input on the matter, http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1259398. I will be planning this out and getting all of my equipment ready in-case I dive into this venture, plus I have to sell all of my livestock so that will take time as well.
 
I think there are three species you can create a harem with:
Pink Skunk, Ocellaris and Percula. In order to do this you must start them young together or just add young ones to a mature pair. You got got to have plenty of anemones for them to hid in to get away from the adult initially. Or else, just keep them together from young. I got groups of Ocellaris and Percula and Ocellaris and Percula hybrid together. The norms is that they get along together. Rarely one get into trouble. You must have screen because initially some will go airborne to get away from the bigger one if there are not plenty of spaces for them to dodge the aggressor.
 
IMO, add the anemones first .... especially if you are planning to keep some of the harder ones. The last thing that you want to do is place an anemone fresh out of QT into a DT full of eager clowns.
 
It may be done by someone w/ plenty yrs experience in this hobby, as OrionN has. & even then if they're all from same clutch of eggs & they're growing up together, IMO. If you plan on setting up a nem tank, it's suggested the new tank be running at least six months old before adding anemones.
 
SwampyBill said:
it's suggested the new tank be running at least six months old before adding anemones.
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This is heavily dependent upon the experience level of the reefer and the method used to set up the tank, IME. I always add anemones first, and never wait 6 months... The OP is probably not in need of a wait time as he is selling off his current livestock and not siphoning it out:spin1:
 
TinManx said:
This is heavily dependent upon the experience level of the reefer and the method used to set up the tank, IME. I always add anemones first, and never wait 6 months... The OP is probably not in need of a wait time as he is selling off his current livestock and not siphoning it out:spin1:
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True, experience level is definitely a factor in keeping difficult nems, & thinking of starting a harem of clowns. If OP started this hobby around the beginning of the yr. like it says in avatar, (experience level is left blank in sig.), & having already lost a magnifica, I'd be concerned & wait, letting tank mature a bit longer; & even then reconsider about a harem of clowns. I misunderstood OP when he said he was starting up a new tank for nems, thinking it would have to cycle, etc.
& I would not mix species of clowns together either.
 
I won't be restarting a cycle just to clear that up. Also I did start at the beginning of the year but that wasn't why I lost my mag. You can tell by the getgo the specimen I bought was sick before I even bought it which being shipped caused it to be 10x worse by the time I got it.

Anyways, Thanks for the help everyone and I read pretty much all the same stuff from the thread I linked in the OP so I honestly think I am set. I may not have the experience behind me like Minh or the likes, but I have the internet and unlike most reefers I know pretty much everything this hobby has to offer and only in a small few months. If I wasn't a poor college kid I would have a full SPS tank right now instead of a mixed reef :p.

Edit: Also I might add I have 40 lbs of LR in my sump/refugium that was over a year old before my tank went up and I seeded my marco rock with it.
 
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justinky said:
I may not have the experience behind me like Minh or the likes, but I have the internet and unlike most reefers I know pretty much everything this hobby has to offer and only in a small few months.
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Really? I am truly impressed.
 
snorvich said:
Really? I am truly impressed.
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Let's just say when you read anything and everything about reef keeping for more than a few months 5 hrs a day you tend to learn quite a bit :P. Also not being scared to ask questions and ask them properly helps. Right now it is about applying what I have read and doing it 100% the right way.
 
mcozad829 said:
I wish I did, been in the hobby for about 5 years and am still learning something new everyday.
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I would like to point out my earlier statement of knowing pretty much everything was a stretch as we are all still learning everything about the hobby and even in some cases relearning. I just meant that in the amount of time I have been in the hobby I have soaked up a ton of information.

When I go into something, I don't just nose dive forward and try it out. I research as much as possible, and after that I research some more. I ask questions when needed and then once I fully understand it I will go into the endevour. I apply this to everything I do in my life so I can guarantee you if I go forward with this, which I plan to; it will be done to the highest standards I can provide.
 
Been keeping clowns (( spawning )) for the last 20 years or so, out of those pairs (( Clarkii, A. polymnus, biaculeatus, etc )) the most aggressive pair I have ever kept was a pair of perideraion (( pink skunks )). They were holy terrors, even killed off a golden dwarf angel, ended up selling them to a local breeder.
 
Toddrtrex said:
Been keeping clowns (( spawning )) for the last 20 years or so, out of those pairs (( Clarkii, A. polymnus, biaculeatus, etc )) the most aggressive pair I have ever kept was a pair of perideraion (( pink skunks )). They were holy terrors, even killed off a golden dwarf angel, ended up selling them to a local breeder.
Click to expand...

How were they with the anemone? I just pulled a trio from my mertens because they trashed the anemone so bad this past week. The occ. female kept eating the anemone, to the point of wounds. I'm interested in a different set of clowns, and was entertaining the idea of skunks. So, with your haddoni's, were skunks "nice"? Or rough on the nem like your hand?
 
taylor t said:
How were they with the anemone? I just pulled a trio from my mertens because they trashed the anemone so bad this past week. The occ. female kept eating the anemone, to the point of wounds. I'm interested in a different set of clowns, and was entertaining the idea of skunks. So, with your haddoni's, were skunks "nice"? Or rough on the nem like your hand?
Click to expand...

Yes, at one point 2 S. haddonis, though they were only hosted by one at a time. They were pretty harmless to the anemones (( unlike my polymnus pair, the female would dive into the mouth --- until she stayed in there too long before coming out; died the next day )). Even my current sandaracinos (( orange skunks )) pair is really mellow (( been spawning for over a year now )), to their anemones; an S. haddoni at first, and now an M. doreensis.
 
Toddrtrex said:
Been keeping clowns (( spawning )) for the last 20 years or so, out of those pairs (( Clarkii, A. polymnus, biaculeatus, etc )) the most aggressive pair I have ever kept was a pair of perideraion (( pink skunks )). They were holy terrors, even killed off a golden dwarf angel, ended up selling them to a local breeder.
Click to expand...

This isn't the first I have heard of this, not sure if it was something you posted in another thread or someone else. But then again most people will say pink skunks are the most mellow of the clownfish spp.
 
Toddrtrex said:
Been keeping clowns (( spawning )) for the last 20 years or so, out of those pairs (( Clarkii, A. polymnus, biaculeatus, etc )) the most aggressive pair I have ever kept was a pair of perideraion (( pink skunks )). They were holy terrors, even killed off a golden dwarf angel, ended up selling them to a local breeder.
Click to expand...

Dang...they are so pretty.

I just order 5 dottybacks. Talk about little devils.

I have one left. They killed each other.

 
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