Is there a Pygmy clownfish?

Zan's Aquatica · Feb 23, 2020

Hi, Is there a clownfish that is known to stay small and will remain well suited for a nano for its lifespan?

Nick Steele · Feb 23, 2020

What size tank? I believe a single ocellaris clownfish are suitable for a 5 gallon or so tank.

Zan's Aquatica · Feb 23, 2020

i have a 10 gallon at the moment! with a tailspot blenny and the damsel which is half blue and a streak of yellow across the underside (i forgot the name!)

will the ocellaris be happy alone or does it like a mate?

Nick Steele said:
What size tank? I believe a single ocellaris clownfish are suitable for a 5 gallon or so tank.

Sailfin11 · Feb 23, 2020

Yes, a single or pair of occelaris clowns should do fine in a 10 gallon. I think you were thinking of the Azure damsel -- definitely one of the friendliest and most colorful in the damsel family.

Nick Steele · Feb 23, 2020

With your stock maybe stay with one clown. A pair might get too territorial for a small tank with those tank mates.

hllb · Feb 23, 2020

I’d stick with one also. My oscellaris is fine by himself. He buddied up with my royal gramma.

Sosuke · Feb 23, 2020

My LFS has a pair of ocellaris clowns that have stayed small for the past 3 years, but I wouldn't recommend two for a 10 gallon with two other fish.

ScottR · Feb 23, 2020

ZAN KHAN said:
i have a 10 gallon at the moment! with a tailspot blenny and the damsel which is half blue and a streak of yellow across the underside (i forgot the name!)

will the ocellaris be happy alone or does it like a mate?

I’d be careful. A damsel in a 10 gallon will bully a clown. The clown will most likely die.

Zan's Aquatica · Feb 23, 2020

ScottR said:
I’d be careful. A damsel in a 10 gallon will bully a clown. The clown will most likely die.

Ahh i guess i should have mentioned, the damsel is a temporary guest until my friend upgrades his system! but i can wait until he returns before i bring my clown home...

Sosuke · Feb 23, 2020

Sounds good, I love my clownfish pair almost sold them since my other fish (who I really love) was being a jerk to them but ended up keeping them in a separate system

ScottR · Feb 23, 2020

ZAN KHAN said:
Ahh i guess i should have mentioned, the damsel is a temporary guest until my friend upgrades his system! but i can wait until he returns before i bring my clown home...

Just be sure to get the damsel out before the clown goes in. I promise you that thing will kill it day 1

Zan's Aquatica · Feb 23, 2020

ScottR said:
Just be sure to get the damsel out before the clown goes in. I promise you that thing will kill it day 1

oh shoot! my buddy had him with a fairly large maroon clown for several years.. but that clown was a bulldozer

ScottR · Feb 23, 2020

ZAN KHAN said:
oh shoot! my buddy had him with a fairly large maroon clown for several years.. but that clown was a bulldozer

Funny story. I have a yellowtail blue damsel in my 27 gallon. A friend wanted to get rid of it. So I took it. I put in two small ocellaris and the damsel killed one the first day. I had to put the other one in my other tank with even more aggressive fish but more room to swim. So I saw a big sized maroon and got it. Threw it in with the damsel. Both mind their own business as the maroon is 5 times the size of the damsel.

Zan's Aquatica · Feb 23, 2020

ScottR said:
Funny story. I have a yellowtail blue damsel in my 27 gallon. A friend wanted to get rid of it. So I took it. I put in two small ocellaris and the damsel killed one the first day. I had to put the other one in my other tank with even more aggressive fish but more room to swim. So I saw a big sized maroon and got it. Threw it in with the damsel. Both mind their own business as the maroon is 5 times the size of the damsel.

even in a 27 he felt the need to kill!!? Wow... okay i am not risking it! i have intricate rockwork and would never be able to catch anyone to save their lives! I actually wasn't even thinking on how i would catch him to return...

TriggersAmuck · Feb 23, 2020

ZAN KHAN said:
even in a 27 he felt the need to kill!!? Wow... okay i am not risking it! i have intricate rockwork and would never be able to catch anyone to save their lives! I actually wasn't even thinking on how i would catch him to return...

Only way for small fish like that is to either temporarily remove 100% of the rockwork to a large Rubbermaid trash can (filled with matching seawater), or else possibly putting in egg crate to segregate the tank into a portion (hopefully in a manner in which the damsel can't sneak by to the other section, thus allowing you to only have to remove a portion of the tank's rock.

Or you can simply put some bait on a micro fish hook, grab a beer, and do some arm chair angling. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

By the way, there is a variety of Ocellaris Clown called the Stubby Clown which is more diminutive.

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product...captive-bred-ora?pcatid=5207&c=3352+3353+5207

ScottR · Feb 23, 2020

ZAN KHAN said:
even in a 27 he felt the need to kill!!? Wow... okay i am not risking it! i have intricate rockwork and would never be able to catch anyone to save their lives! I actually wasn't even thinking on how i would catch him to return...

Sorry. I think the tank is 21g. 27 is total volume. But even 20 gallons is quite small. Damsels are territorial. You may have been able to pull it off if the clown was in first and damsel introduced later but no guarantee.

ScottR · Feb 23, 2020

Here’s a pic for reference of the two currently in. Oddly the maroon leaves the damsel alone. Maroon has been in for a couple weeks. Damsel in since December.

Zan's Aquatica · Feb 23, 2020

ScottR said:
Here’s a pic for reference of the two currently in. Oddly the maroon leaves the damsel alone. Maroon has been in for a couple weeks. Damsel in since December.

your clown looks like a deep sea lurking beast and your damsel looks like a little hoodlum hahaha! i love it

ScottR · Feb 23, 2020

Zan's Aquatica · Feb 23, 2020

TriggersAmuck said:
Only way for small fish like that is to either temporarily remove 100% of the rockwork to a large Rubbermaid trash can (filled with matching seawater), or else possibly putting in egg crate to segregate the tank into a portion (hopefully in a manner in which the damsel can't sneak by to the other section, thus allowing you to only have to remove a portion of the tank's rock.

Or you can simply put some bait on a micro fish hook, grab a beer, and do some arm chair angling. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

By the way, there is a variety of Ocellaris Clown called the Stubby Clown which is more diminutive.

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product...captive-bred-ora?pcatid=5207&c=3352+3353+5207

you just said my dreaded words of removing all the rock lol, i REALLY wasn't thinking when i unleashed him...
i might try some fishing first haha!