Would a couple of clowns apreciate company? Video inside.

[Ardeus]

Throughout the years, I've managed to contain myself and just keep my couple of clowns. That's one of the things I'm most proud of as a fish keeper: entering a store and leaving empty handed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRYtpP6vjf4

I always assumed they wouldn't appreciate more company. But lately I've been asking myself if I'm wrong.

 

[dc]

I'd stick with your original thought personally. A pair of clowns tend to be territorial anyway, they might not like another fish invading them.

And your tank is beautiful.

 

[Ardeus]

Thanks Debi,

I know they are extremely territorial, but they have 200 litres (roughly 50 gallons) for themselves.

I wonder if they wouldn't be happier if they had someone to occasianally chase away from their territory, and in that case what would be good candidates. Maybe a couple of peaceful fish like bangaii cardinal? Some smaller fish?

I have a dog and sometimes I create situations so that she can misbehave, because I know that makes her happy Sometimes I pretend to drop some piece of food on the floor or leave it on a place she can reach. She gets much more pleasure from eating something she stole

In this line of thought I have been wondering if a couple of other fish to interact, wouldn't make the clowns happier.

 

[velvetelvis]

I agree with Debi on both counts. Your clowns have each other and their anemones and toadstool for company. I don't think they have social needs to interact with other fish; if anything, having to chase away intruders would be more stressful and disruptive to the obvious harmony in the tank. It would also be stressful to the new fish to be on the receiving end of territorial hostility from the clowns, especially in a small space with little room to retreat.

If you look at footage of wild ocellaris, it's always just a pair, with maybe some sexually immature males hovering around the edges. They're not pack animals like your dog, who needs company and lots of interaction. I think clownfishes' needs are much simpler: mate, host, adequate territory, food, stability. You're obviously already providing all of those things.

FWIW, I also have just a pair of clowns, no other fish, in a 50, and I have no doubt that they're perfectly fine with that arrangement.

 

[Ardeus]

Ok, thanks. I will continue to let them by themselves then.

 

[JohnniG]

Pretty tank

 

[Emmanuel.dam]

Your tank is amazing!!!! I have 2 clowns 1 fox face and 1 bangai cardinal and they seem fine I am new too the hobby though so I can't give any advice . What are the dimensions of your tank? Because I wanna setup a 4x2x2 with fish and coral and you seem to know your stuff about it by the looks of your tank!!!

 

[Ardeus]

Sorry for the late reply.

The tank is 32"x20"x20". The tank is mature, 7 years old. I think I learned many leassons the hard way and in reality everything is very simple to mantain.

 

[cichlidconvert]

I've been thinking that when I start my 45 that it will only be a clown pair and a gig or two. Simple, natural and easy on the bio filter

 

[Ardeus]

I kept my couple of clowns on a 20 gallon tank during the first year without problems. But I was very regular with the PWC's.

 

[OrionN]

Any fish you add are purely for your enjoyment which is a great reason to add fish. Your tank can have more fish. Consider a Orchid Dottyback pair, or a Royal Gramma trio, or a hawk fish, or a Mandarin , or shrimp goby with shrimp. There are a lot of smaller reefish for small tank like your.
Consider a flame angel or one of the smaller angel in that tank.
Any fish that you added will not benifit your clowns, but will not cause problem for the clowns either.

For my 65 g tank I have the following fish:
A. percula (Onyx) female, pair with a A. ocellaris male(Snowflake)
Flame angel
Two Yellow tail blue damsels
a Atlantic blue tang.

The tang is getting large, pushing 4.5 inches. I will need to remove him and put him into my 300 g tank. I got him when he was quarter size. All my fish have been in my tank for at least 5 years (the clowns) The other have been there for 8+ years (I had another pair of clowns before that in there) The damsel are getting old but still spawn every few weeks. The clown spawn every 9 days.

Attached is a picture of this tank

 

[Ardeus]

I like the way your xenias go all the way up to the surface

Sometimes I think their life would be a bit more "full" if they had someone else there to distract them.

I had a bad experience with a centropyge ferrugatus. Can you believe that the male clown joined forces with him to beat up the female clown? I had to take the centropyge right back to the store and put the male clown in a container inside the tank for a couple of weeks.

Some days I feel like they need some sort of extra distraction, some days I think it's quite a romantic tank

 

[Big Dave PDX]

It's a personal choice for most of us, as long as the system can hold more fish. You can also think of it like this - You and your spouse have a nice quiet place all to yourselves. Do you want the kid next door playing in your lawn and half to run him off all the time? Some people do mind and some don't. HTH

 

[Ardeus]

Sometimes a couple can be happier if they have something to bring them closer, like a common enemy

I made a documentary about a small cichlid from Lake Tanganyika and I believe they are the only fish to display true colony behavior. They are known for being very mild tempered. But in my film, because they were few, they fought like mad dogs and did many strange things. I don't think I can post the link to the video here because I am not sure if it will be against reefcentral rules.