new build addiition frustration help!

[becon776]

ok so previous tank up for 6 years, fish are carrying over. wife is attached to them... However! i am thinking id like 2-5 clownfish in this new tank.
QUESTION: my old clown is a mean mf. she bites the crap out of me when tank maintenance. can i add new smaller clowns with her going in tank. or should i just trade in this old girl and start fresh with small bunch? also can you keep a group of 3-5 clowns long term? or will they eventually form a pair and just kill off the others? just trying to figure this out. ahead of time

 

[Retro Reefer]

Introducing new clowns into a tank with an established clown especially a mean one is probably not going to end well.

 

[Flexin]

They eventually pair up. You can try and introduce a smaller one and see if it can work, but once they have their territory established, it's hard. Why type of clown is she? Please don't say maroon

 

[KrisReef]

Fish territories are like wife territories, you have to move carefully or else you will have a war before you know it.

Clownfish aggression is irreversible. The only way to pair up a flaming female clown is to move her into a new setting with lots of room, and lots of bigger fish to keep her distracted. The presence of 3-5 smaller clowns in that instance may allow the new fish enough swimming room to survive and make nice with her. Still it is likely that in the end you will only have a pair and 2-4 missing in action from the battle for dominance.

Can’t change nature. Do what the wife wants or else the wife and the fish will both be chewing on you, that’s always been my situation since I got a wife.

 

[davocean]

A pair per tank is usually best.

When we see clown harems those are usually juvies from the same clutch, that is best chance for a group, but even that comes w/ risk and maybe some pecking.

Your mean clown is not going to get any nicer, especially to newcomers invading it's territory, even in new tank surroundings.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Back before I learned about clowns I tried 4 Cinnamon clowns and 3 Tomato clowns that were all very young juveniles. Everything was fine for a month and then one became the female and clowns disappeared one by one until there was just one small one left. Surprisingly it was a Cinnamon female and a Tomato male and they did mate. I had several clutches of eggs. And they were both mean as heck.

If you have a very big tank (180g or more) and you want to try it, I'd try with inexpensive clowns. And you should still be prepared to lose all but the final mated pair. To try it with expensive clowns is just throwing money away.