Buying Clownfish, need help and advice!!!

[Mustangtodd97]

I am in the market for some clownfish. My 45 gallon in the wall tank has been cycled for over a month, has corals, but needs fish. I really want a pair of designer clowns. I like the phantoms best, also like DaVincis and Picassos. I wanted 1 in blk/wht and 1 in orange/white. This is proving to be impossible to find at LFS stores (3 different ones) I find pairs that look alike, or singles. I am nervous if I buy 2 designer singles (maybe from 2 different LFS) they may not pair up or get along when they get into my tank. Is this a legit concern? How often does this happen (a lot, sometimes, rarely?). If I buy the blk/wht phantom pair (which i really like) is it safe to add a single Orange DaVinci to my tank with them? How often does this work out (a lot, sometimes, rarely?) I really don't want to buy 2 pair since i only have a 45 gal tank, and I want some different fish. What should I do? Need answers to above question and advice (and quickly because I fear the phantoms won't last long!)

 

[Mr. Bill]

If they're juveniles or you know one is male and the other female, you should be ok with one of each. Your best bet is to add both at the same time. It's rare for them to not pair up, but it's also rare for more than two to get along in a smaller tank once they mature.