Clownfish
- Thread starter Mil26
- Start date
- Tagged users None
It's a bad idea, especially for a newer hobbyist, sorry if that is not the answer your looking for. You need to consider the size and behaviors of an ADULT clowns. Does the concept of keeping multiple clowns in a nano sound too good to be true, it's common sense?
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
If they are sourced as juveniles it can work.
Clownfish are coloial by nature, consisting of a dominant female, a male and the rest are neuter subadults. When one dies another moves up the hierarchy to take it's place.
In a 20g the ocellaris complex is about all that will work.
Clownfish are coloial by nature, consisting of a dominant female, a male and the rest are neuter subadults. When one dies another moves up the hierarchy to take it's place.
In a 20g the ocellaris complex is about all that will work.
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
They may become a group that can survive together, but there is a good likelihood they may fight it out once some of them become female and especially when they begin spawning.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Which
Maturity in clownfish is not a function of age, but rather a case of social dynamics. If you have 4 juveniles the dominant one becomes female, the next male and the rest reach a certain point and stop developing.
If the male and female begin breeding there is not a motivation to attack the neuters as these are part of the colonial defenses to protect the breeding pair and their offspring.
Any cases where there is fighting it is a matter of enough space in the tank for another pair to develop or they were not juveniles in the first place.
is why sourcing them as juveniles is so important.
Maturity in clownfish is not a function of age, but rather a case of social dynamics. If you have 4 juveniles the dominant one becomes female, the next male and the rest reach a certain point and stop developing.
If the male and female begin breeding there is not a motivation to attack the neuters as these are part of the colonial defenses to protect the breeding pair and their offspring.
Any cases where there is fighting it is a matter of enough space in the tank for another pair to develop or they were not juveniles in the first place.
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
I agree that starting with juveniles is important. But even so it does not always work out, at least with some types of clowns.
Trex
Valuable Member
Not something that I would suggest doing. Tried this in the past (( at least 15 years ago )), and I ended up with a spawning pair only. It is shocking how quickly a pair will turn on other clownfish. This was in a 75 gallon tank.
