Explain Recommended Size Requirements for Clownfish

[PopBot16]

I see many people on many different forums (Reddit, Facebook, IG, etc.) who claim that the typical minimum size requirement most vendors (e.g. LiveAquaria) state for CFs, which is usually 20g, is crap, and a pair of adult CFs (let's say Ocellaris) are "fine" in a 10g tank or even smaller. Just to be clear, personally I'm on the conservative side (i.e. I'd rather do a 25g tank for a pair of CFs versus a 15g tank), and I'm talking about adults, not juveniles the size of a dime that will supposedly be re-homed. I'm looking for a better, simpler way to explain it to people who just say "But my 2 Clarkiis look okay in a 8 gallon tank". That's a real example too. There's a very popular FB/IG reefer who has 2 adult Clarkiis in a sub-10g tank! My typical retort is that most, if not all vendors list 20g or more for the minimum size requirements, and why wouldn't they say 15g or 10g if it was reasonable, especially since that would likely mean more sales haha! But that really isn't an argument that speaks to the "why". Again, I'm not talking about can you physically keep a pair of CFs in a 5g tank (of course you can), but what is the reasoning behind the typically-noted size requirements for them?

 

[MONTANTK]

I think 20g is an accurate minimum. Your typical Ocellaris will usually reach 3” if it’s a female. Sure they don’t move around much, especially if an anemone is present but they probably won’t reach full size in a tank as small as a 10 gallom

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I think of this much like California thought about the hog farming industry. Not that you CANT raise a hog in a small fence, but not necessarily the best for the animal itself.

 

[PopBot16]

I think 20g is an accurate minimum. Your typical Ocellaris will usually reach 3” if it’s a female. Sure they don’t move around much, especially if an anemone is present but they probably won’t reach full size in a tank as small as a 10 gallon

Yes, I totally agree, but the question is why? Just because they won't reach their full size, as you say? Also, I though that was, to some extent, a myth that fish only grown to their tank size?

 

[PopBot16]

I think of this much like California thought about the hog farming industry. Not that you CANT raise a hog in a small fence, but not necessarily the best for the animal itself.

Agreed, but what is the reasoning behind it? How do we know?

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Agreed, but what is the reasoning behind it? How do we know?

Most likely an educated guess given their size, swim patterns. I highly doubt they are filling our survey Monkeys or talking with the fish shrink to get their feelings on the situation. YOu could put a clown fish in a gallon jar and it would survive...but you will always have people that care about the welfare of the animal and will over estimate the true need just in case.

 

[MONTANTK]

Yes, I totally agree, but the question is why? Just because they won't reach their full size, as you say? Also, I though that was, to some extent, a myth that fish only grown to their tank size?

From what I’ve heard, there is some truth to it. I don’t know if this is actually true but I’ve heard that the body of the fish will stop growing but the internal organs will continue to grow which is ultimately what kills the fish if the tank is too small. Again, not sure if this is actually true or not. Outside of that, small tanks can lead to aggression and stressed fish which can then lead to diseases

 

[PopBot16]

From what I’ve heard, there is some truth to it. I don’t know if this is actually true but I’ve heard that the body of the fish will stop growing but the internal organs will continue to grow which is ultimately what kills the fish if the tank is too small. Again, not sure if this is actually true or not. Outside of that, small tanks can lead to aggression and stressed fish which can then lead to diseases

That's very interesting, about the internal organs growing versus the body of the fish. I will have to look into that more!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yes, I totally agree, but the question is why? Just because they won't reach their full size, as you say? Also, I though that was, to some extent, a myth that fish only grown to their tank size?

It’s true for some fish (goldfish, which can actually get quite large, for example, produce growth inhibiting hormones - thought to be a way of trying to reduce competition between itself and other goldfish - so in a tiny tank, it will have stunted growth as a result of the hormone it produces), but for other fish the stunted growth (if it happens) is likely a result of a combination of things, namely stress, bad water quality, and poor diet.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I think clowns just get such small tank recommendations because of how popular they are. This way they could be sold by the dozen to new reefers with their 10 gallon tanks wanting a Nemo.
Could a clown live in a 10, sure. Could anything live with it, not a chance. In a cramped tank, the clown will get mean and kill off other fish.
20-30 minimum imo, not to mention that that’s the recommended tank size for similarly sized fish, so it shouldn’t be different for clowns.