Maroon or tomato Clowns? Bad idea?

Treefer32 · Dec 12, 2013

I have yet to place clown fish in my 230. Still stocking it.. Have one fish that's a bully that I'm in the process of catching and selling (a sohal tang).

I was debating a pair of tomato / maroon clowns. Are they agressive to other fish or just fish that come too close?

Bad idea?

Naiad · Dec 12, 2013

They are very aggressive. My single tomato owns half a 120 and bites anything that comes in the area. This includes me, new corals, and inverts. He is also constantly redecorating his area and is strong enough to move rocks. He picks fights with everybody. So if you are looking for peaceful I wouldn't go this route.

Treefer32 · Dec 12, 2013

Wow. O.k. I'll stick with the peaceful.. Glad I asked!

Steveowhits · Dec 13, 2013

I also have been bit many times by the goldflake maroon fish I used to keep. I replaced him with a pair of tank bred Perculas that are very peaceful. IMO You should add all your fish at the same time if possible. This may reduce the chances for fish on fish aggression. Good luck with your tank.

Eienna · Dec 13, 2013

Steveowhits said:
I also have been bit many times by the goldflake maroon fish I used to keep. I replaced him with a pair of tank bred Perculas that are very peaceful. IMO You should add all your fish at the same time if possible. This may reduce the chances for fish on fish aggression. Good luck with your tank.

Adding all the fish at the same time can be disastrous, and at the very least will overwhelm the biofilter unless your tank had had the same bioload in it just before that.

Research your proposed stocking and their compatibilities, add more aggressive fish last (especially the most aggressive, which should come very last,) and, if possible, give them a bigger tank than their accepted minimum. Feeding them well and offering several choices of hiding places will help a lot as well.

Deinonych · Dec 13, 2013

Eienna said:
Adding all the fish at the same time can be disastrous, and at the very least will overwhelm the biofilter unless your tank had had the same bioload in it just before that.

Research your proposed stocking and their compatibilities, add more aggressive fish last (especially the most aggressive, which should come very last,) and, if possible, give them a bigger tank than their accepted minimum. Feeding them well and offering several choices of hiding places will help a lot as well.

+1

Great advice here.

Treefer32 · Dec 13, 2013

Agreed. I have lots of caves I didn't know I had. I saw my purple firefish coming out of a rock.... There was a hole in the rock big enough to swim inside the rock. So, they made that their home. Heh. I always wondered where they disappeared to at night. heh.

But, yeah, I agree not adding everything at the same time. That not good... For larger tanks - 1-2 larger fish at once, or 5-6 smaller fish, is what I've found works best with the least consequences..

AJsTank · Dec 13, 2013

I've been scuba diving all over the world for many years. Sharks, rays, triggers... I've seen it all. The ONLY fish that has ever attacked me in the ocean? Clownfish... VERY territorial. The maroons and tomato are the worst, IMO.

Raggamuffin · Dec 13, 2013

I have scars....and trust issues due to clowns...

Bradsreeeftank · Dec 13, 2013

I had a tamtoe clown for about a year hes very nice to other fish. of matter of fact when i feed them mysis cube i think the tomatoe chews it up ( because he has a big mouth) and spits it out for the others too eat with him! and he host anything with tentacles...

Spcoley1 · Dec 13, 2013

I have a tomato and a maroon clown in my 180, they get along fine with each other and everyone else.

Eienna · Dec 13, 2013

Spcoley1 said:
I have a tomato and a maroon clown in my 180, they get along fine with each other and everyone else.

Yeah, but that's a big tank...

Bradsreeeftank · Dec 13, 2013

i have a nice tomatoe in my tank and mines a 29 biocube.

saboken · Dec 14, 2013

I have 2 Maroon Clown

I have 2 Maroon Clowns The little one does not bother anyone the Larger one likes to fight with the False Lemon Peel Angel but the Angle instigates the fight no one gets hurt the clown never bites the Angel, the only one it bites is me when I reach in to level the sand in it's corner it's still only a inch and I heard when they get bigger the can draw blood????

Spcoley1 · Dec 14, 2013

Ok, after going through these posts, I have to ask. Being a new reefer myself, and not knowing, do or can these clown fish draw blood if they bite?

Steveowhits · Dec 14, 2013

Spcoley1 said:
Ok, after going through these posts, I have to ask. Being a new reefer myself, and not knowing, do or can these clown fish draw blood if they bite?

My 2.5" gold flake did not draw blood but would provide me with lots of frequent uncomfortable pinches. Big ones might, I have not experienced a really large clown bite.

Steveowhits · Dec 14, 2013

Eienna said:
Yeah, but that's a big tank...

Treefer is stocking a 230

Steveowhits · Dec 14, 2013

Eienna said:
Adding all the fish at the same time can be disastrous, and at the very least will overwhelm the biofilter unless your tank had had the same bioload in it just before that.

Research your proposed stocking and their compatibilities, add more aggressive fish last (especially the most aggressive, which should come very last,) and, if possible, give them a bigger tank than their accepted minimum. Feeding them well and offering several choices of hiding places will help a lot as well.

Your advice is good advice. I definitely do not disagree. I will elaborate more on what i posted. We know treefer32 has an existing bioload... I was referring more to the interspecies aggression in clownfish. I was not clear enough in my post. I didn't specify clownfish in my sentence, I just said fish. I cant edit it or I would. Sorry it was 6am.

I went through a period one time where I purchased a female clownfish and then wanted to pair her. I kept buying unique small clowns that were housed singly thinking they were male; I ended up buying two more females before I figured it out. Pairing clowns can be tricky unless purchased as a pair.

Steveowhits · Dec 14, 2013

I feel like live aquaria.com does a good job giving information on fish and mapping fish aggression.

Here is a link to one of their charts. Good luck.
Marine Compatability Chart