Too many clowns in one tank?

[Carriegiesler]

Here is the situation I have:
I upgrading to a larger tank from my nano (1 year) which house one Ocellaris clownfish and a cleaner shrimp. I thought my clown looked lonely so a bought a smaller B&W Ocellaris clownfish. Thinking that the Nano Ocellaris most likey is already a female therefore getting a smaller B&W Ocellaris (was ¾-1inch when purchased) would possibly make for a match.
Long story short: Things were going well for about 3 months however they resided on separate sides of the tank then one day I come home to find the female using the B&W as a battering ram. I pulled both fish out of the display, B&W in QT and the Ocellaris went into the classroom nano.

Problem 1: I really like my B&W clownfish and would like to keep him/her however will trying to introduce another Ocellaris clown just leave me with the same issues all over again?

Problem 2: The more I look at the snowflake and semi’s I really love the way they look and have considered just purchasing a pair as not wanting to take the chances of “war” again and finding a new home for my B&W. Is there a way I could keep the B&W and still get a pair of Semi/Snowflakes and still have tank harmony?


What do you think are my best options?
I would be better off just starting off with a pair?
Or take my chances of trying to pair my B&W with a one juvinile semi?
Or Can I keep all three in the same tank, one to remain unsexed.

thanks again everyone for you knowledge

 

[rkelman]

I wouldn't try to keep 3. Get a small juvi and give it a try with the B&W..

 

[eric@tampa]

+1 3's a crowd.

 

[Antonais1391]

not to ninja the thread but if i could get 2 nems in my 75g could i house 2 pairs clowns one pair tomatoes the others onyx?

 

[Toddrtrex]

not to ninja the thread but if i could get 2 nems in my 75g could i house 2 pairs clowns one pair tomatoes the others onyx?

Only if you wanted to end up with just a pair of tomatoes.

 

[Carriegiesler]

Not unless you want a dead pair of clowns

Not unless you want a dead pair of clowns

The tomatoes are very aggestive and will put an end to any other clownfish intoducted to the tank.

This was a beginner mistake I made when I first started 7 years ago with a 30 gallon. I had a beautiful Marroon and gold stripe clown and I took in a tomatoes someonelse was getting rid of because I felt sorry for it.
Three days later-my beloved Marroon dead.

Lessons I learned for this exsperience: Do not put two aggressive clownfish of diffrent species together in a small tank.

 

[Antonais1391]

wow so tomatoes are considered more agressive then maroons? or is it just a individual thing where some individuals are more agressive then others?

 

[Carriegiesler]

I cant say which is more aggressive. As I have heard and read from a variety of sources both species are very territorial therefore not suitable to put in the same tank.
The tomato killing the Maroon was just my exsprience you may find someone else that had the opposite exsprience or completly diffrent outcome.

I would just advise against that combination as a Tomato (A.frenatus) and a Maroon (P.biaculeatus). I pick up the book Clownfish by Joyce Wilkerson yesterday and wow what an informative book and I have only read the first three chapters. A great read! I highly recommend it.

 

[Antonais1391]

i have doesnt say to much about multiple pairs though lol