What Fishes Next ?

[wsboyette]

I have a 45g FOWLR containing a maroon clown, blue damsel, mandarin (male) and coral beauty angel. I am considering addition of at least two more fish, under my $35.00 per fish limit. Any suggestions as to what sort of fish (no uglies, please) may be added which would be compatible with my existing inhabitants ?

 

[clowntriggerfis]

I think you are probibly at your max of fish expecialy with that marroon clown.

 

[MrTuskfish]

If you've had the maroon a while; its almost certainly grown into a mature female. I doubt there is any fish in the hobby as territorial as a grown MC. If that's the case, she won't tolerate any newcomers. Assuming you QT a new fish, you could remove the MC for a while after the new fish has spent his time in the QT and re-introduce her. Still no guarantee, though.

 

[wsboyette]

Assuming you QT a new fish, you could remove the MC for a while after the new fish has spent his time in the QT and re-introduce her. Still no guarantee, though.

That's a great thought, but in a previous setup many years ago I tried something similar and my MC reverted to aggression toward the other (tomato) clown a couple of weeks after re-introducing it to the tank. Guess I need to stick with something aggressive enough to not take any bullying off of that ornery clown. It'll at least be entertaining if they fight....

PS: Love your signature LOL !

 

[namxas]

You were kinda shooting yourself in the foot by adding another aggressive clown with an established aggressive clown...

 

[MrTuskfish]

I've always thought of big, female clowns as territorial, rather than aggressive. IMO, that's why a 'time-out' can work. I've often seen the time-out method suggested for truly aggressive fish, like most triggers, etc. (Just give your Clown trigger a couple weeks in a QT and he'll play nice with your Lionfish"!) Right. That's a waste of time, IMO. Changing a fish's territory and trying to change his genetic make-up are entirely different.

 

[MrTuskfish]

You were kinda shooting yourself in the foot by adding another aggressive clown with an established aggressive clown...

True Dat. Adult, large, female clowns (my ex M-I-L comes to mind, weird) will not tolerate each other in the same tank. I've mentioned this before, but (long ago) I once had a big maroon kill another clown while the new one was still in the lfs bag.
I've always thought of big, female clowns as territorial, rather than aggressive. IMO, that's why a ''time-out'' can work. I've often seen the time-out method suggested for truly aggressive fish, like most triggers, etc. (Just give your Clown trigger a couple weeks in a QT and he'll play nice with your Lionfish"!) Right. That's a waste of time, IMO. Changing a fish's territory and trying to change his genetic make-up are entirely different.

 

[wsboyette]

You were kinda shooting yourself in the foot by adding another aggressive clown with an established aggressive clown...

I was indeed, in my relative inexperience at the time - ended up removing one clown eventually. This was some years before we had internet and all this handy networking ! But getting back to the current setup, I wonder if another type of damsel might work. My clown is rather small at this time, maybe I could trade it in on a juvenile when it gets large enough to pose a problem.... I am just hardheaded and determined to have a maroon clown.