can 4 clownfish go in a 72 gal?

[john.m.cole3]

I had a pair of perculas, the male jumped. Can I add 3 juveniles of different colorations of percula to the tank and everyone get along. Wanting to add a picasso, platinum, and onyx to the female true percula.

 

[FLAdaboy]

As long as they have their own area you might be okay. Do you have any nems at opposite ends of the tank? if they are young enough they might not have any issues. You know the one is female?

 

[john.m.cole3]

Yes my original is fir sure female. 2 BTAS on the same end. All will be juveniles around 1 inch. The female is a bit over 2 inches.

 

[FLAdaboy]

I would say give them a happy place but right now you will have more options for the hierarchy to take place. Meaning, one of the juvies will establish its roll to become the mate for the female. I had 5 Percy's at one point. This was a few years ago, but I had them in a 5 foot tank. They were doing awesome together then one at a time I was losing them. From being forced out of the tank to being stressed out, I lost two pretty quickly. They need their own area and if they have a nem, they won't go far.

 

[johne3]

Agreed. For me they had a honey moon period and then went for blood(or fins) didn't lose any in my process but needed to separate them and it was not a fun process

 

[eatbreakfast]

I've had a colony of 5 black ocellaris in a ritteri for 3+ yrs. As long as they are juveniles, they will remain colonial.

 

[FLAdaboy]

I've had a colony of 5 black ocellaris in a ritteri for 3+ yrs. As long as they are juveniles, they will remain colonial.

That's the issue, they won't remain juveniles. Clownfish establish a hierarchy and there is constant battle as to which fish will become the submissive male. There can be one female and she is the "Alpha". When the blood feud ensues, it is in order to establish a new female. Again, there can be only one. Your fish may have plenty of room as well as food. Once they are sexual, things can get crazy.

 

[eatbreakfast]

That's the issue, they won't remain juveniles. Clownfish establish a hierarchy and there is constant battle as to which fish will become the submissive male. There can be one female and she is the "Alpha". When the blood feud ensues, it is in order to establish a new female. Again, there can be only one. Your fish may have plenty of room as well as food. Once they are sexual, things can get crazy.

Sexual maturity with clownfish is not based on age. It is based on social dynamics. With a dominant female and a male in place there are no social queus to trigger a change from juvenile to male or male to female. In fact, tighter quarters encourage a maintained colony. More space encourages a juvenile/neuter to venture out on it's own, establish it's own territory, and to transition gender.

 

[4FordFamily]

Sexual maturity with clownfish is not based on age. It is based on social dynamics. With a dominant female and a male in place there are no social queus to trigger a change from juvenile to male or male to female. In fact, tighter quarters encourage a maintained colony. More space encourages a juvenile/neuter to venture out on it's own, establish it's own territory, and to transition gender.

X2 I've seen this done successfully. I personally don't want that many clowns but if I had a giant tank a clown colony is on my bucket list!

 

[FLAdaboy]

Sexual maturity with clownfish is not based on age. It is based on social dynamics. With a dominant female and a male in place there are no social queus to trigger a change from juvenile to male or male to female. In fact, tighter quarters encourage a maintained colony. More space encourages a juvenile/neuter to venture out on it's own, establish it's own territory, and to transition gender.

Pretty much what I said. In a 72g tank there may not be the room for the fish to venture out on its own. Clowns are territorial when it comes to whatever they decide to lay their eggs on. The devil is in the details here. Too small of a tank for that many clowns (consider other fish), he already has a female, there will be a little tension with no "male". I would't do it. You will most likely lose a fish.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Pretty much what I said. In a 72g tank there may not be the room for the fish to venture out on its own. Clowns are territorial when it comes to whatever they decide to lay their eggs on. The devil is in the details here. Too small of a tank for that many clowns (consider other fish), he already has a female, there will be a little tension with no "male". I would't do it. You will most likely lose a fish.

That's not what I'm saying, sorry if I wasn't clear, but a smaller tank maintains the colony, because the subordinate clowns stay subordinate.

And while females certainly get more territorial when laying eggs, the subordinates are not focused on that much. They are part of support for defending the territory against greater threats. It does not benefit the female to kill the subordinates. Suppose something where to happen to the male. By having driven away juveniles she would have seriously diminished her ability to spawn quickly and pass on her genes, which is a giant driving factor for all living things.

However, if the juveniles begin to transition, then suddenly they are competition for resources, and therefore a threat to her having greater success in passing her genes along.

So it is the sexual maturation of the subordinates in her colony that elicits a great aggression response toward conspecifics, not just her laying eggs. Smaller tanks help maintain the colony and diminish aggression to conspecifics.

 

[john.m.cole3]

Thank you clarifying @eatbreakfast . Is there potential for increased aggression tank wide for any non clownfish with 4 in there vs. just having a pair?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Thank you clarifying @eatbreakfast . Is there potential for increased aggression tank wide for any non clownfish with 4 in there vs. just having a pair?

The females will be the most aggressive, juveniles let her do the 'dirty work' so I wouldn't expect it to be too bad with the other fish.