When I was a very young kid Jacques Cousteau had a TV show that I was absolutely glued to. He made the ocean sound so amazing and I really believe it was to him. Because of him I decided one day I would have at least one of these fish if not a pair. As a kid I searched the tidal pools of the Pacific coast line of California and at that point and time I was if only in my mind part of the team of the caliypso . so when I look at my tank I go back there in my mind. That little clown takes me back to the caliypso and Jacque Cousteau and the adventures of a little boy searching tidal pools with the amazement and wonder that I've never lost to this day.
Obligatory pair of Clowns - Why do we do it?
- Thread starter cnseekatz
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ngvu1
Valuable Member
My first 6 gallon cube had 2 clown fish and 2 blue neon gobies and some mushroom and a toad and some xenia. I was so happy to have 2 clowns fish period 
; they didn't look like any fresh water fish I had before and they sleep like human inside the toad.......I guess your first experience into something new you kind of don't let go easily...First girl friend, first time....first what ever
; they didn't look like any fresh water fish I had before and they sleep like human inside the toad.......I guess your first experience into something new you kind of don't let go easily...First girl friend, first time....first what ever 
Dan Hruska
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Or you are lucky enough to have a mated pair that spawn!!!!'
mtfish
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Guess I am in the minority. I got back into this hobby after being out for a long time by inheriting a 75 gallon tank that had a tomato clown as the sole survivor. Meanest SOB since keeping pinfish in high school. I do have a Starcki damsel in the present tank, but no clown fish. I do not miss them.
Crystalsreef
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I aquired a 55 gal tank that came with a convict tang, a sea cucumber, and yep..a clown. But she is a real pretty shotgun ice clown. After i move im trading places between her and Dora. My current pair isnt bonded, so im gonna see if snow white will pair up with nemo. I lost the convict tang during the relocation. I had bought snow white a small clown, and she took to him just fine. But that night i guess he went to the rock work, and i had a tiny little stone crab that got him. Now she lives with Boss Hawg. He is a rotten black and gold stripe damselfish that was evicted from th3 main display tank for becoming extremely aggressive to my other fish. (2 regal tail dams3lfish, and 2 blue/green chromis) so, i have only 2 fish, 2 sea cucumbers, 3 brittle stars and a striped starfish in my 45 gal corner tank right now. No aggression as of yet, but i keep messing with that tank and the rocks. That tank will be set up as mostly a fowlr tank because the rockwork is covered in large aiptasia and majano. But i like the majanos. I actually think they are pretty, just dont want them in a tank with corals. There are some palys and a couple kenya trees in the tank that dont seem bothered by them.
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Crystalsreef
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I know one small pretty fish that would do fine is the green clown gobie. I just bought one, and he seems pretty chill. Not sure if they can have multiples of the same in the same tank though.
MPSchenck
Community Member
Yeah, but I mean something that actively swims around the tank. My clown pretty much hangs out in a corner, like I read a lot of them do. My LFS has yellow clown goby and every time I got on there he's just sittin on a rock. Even the ubiquitous neon tetra of FW "fame" are active and move all over a tank.
srad750c
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I have always had clowns, true and false Perculas, had a very nice gold striped(..shole but beautiful and long lived, 8 yrs.), had a beautiful pair of snowflakes, mysterious disease killed them? Now I have a pair of black perculas, very well mannered, actually they eat out of my hand. They like Giant Mushrooms, will get them a rose anemone from my buddy. We trade corals
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SciGuy2
Active Member
Think ocellaris are aggressive and moody? You should try red saddleback clownfish. I had a mated pair next to my desk in the lab. All day long it sounded like a hockey match hearing "thud, thud, thud" as the Mrs. checked her hubby into the front glass of the tank.
Gorgeous, bold, wonderful animals though.
Gorgeous, bold, wonderful animals though.
OP
OP
cnseekatz
Well-Known Member
Haha... I think that part of the fascination with these fish, is to watch the marital discord under the sea. The big bossy woman stays at home in the anemone, while the smaller, submissive male swims around, trying to get close. We feel for him, but can't help but giggle when the husky woman denies his affections, and beats him for good measure. She shames him in front of all his friends, just so he doesn't forget "who's boss in this relationship."
Atlantis14
New Member
We have a mated pair of Goldflake Maroon Clowns in a 265 gallon tank. They are both vicious to the core. I love Clownfish but I would never again put a pair in my tank. The female ripped apart our Orange Linkia Starfish (named Gumby) when it got too close to her RTBA's. Thankfully, Gumby survived the mauling and has a central disc and two legs left. Since then she has moved in to the Carpet Anemone with her mate and completely abandoned the RTBA's – after she beat 4 of them to near death. She shreds, dislodges and moves anything she doesn’t approve of or placed near the Carpet Anemone. To our amazement she never attacks the Porcelain Anemone Crab that also hosts the Carpet Anemone. For the longest time my husband was the one reaching in to the tank to clean or place & move coral. I used to laugh hysterically when she nipped him because he reacted like she was a shark! After all, how bad could it hurt to be nipped by such a small fish??? He said it wasn’t the pain but rather the surprise of it. Although he knew it was inevitable it was still shocking how quickly that little *itch could fly across the tank and attack. I now stand guard and warn him the second she moves. On one of the most memorable and laughable occasions - the beauty & awe of a new, and freshly glued, piece of coral he was holding in place distracted both of us. In super-stealth mode she bit him exceptionally harder than usual. His arm flew out of the tank and drenched me from head to toe. Thankfully, I was two cocktails in to the evening and all I could do was laugh…and make a new cocktail! A couple months ago I wanted to surprise him with a nice piece of coral before he got home from work - soooo I had to reach in the tank. I was on one end and she on the other. I told myself “easy-peasy…you got this”. I only took my eyes off her for a second. She flew across the tank and bit me so hard it broke my skin and she’s done it twice more since then. We have a clear acrylic trap but she won’t go anywhere near it no matter what we bait it with. Every other fish in the tank will go in & out (for days) without hesitation…but that chick will have no part of it!
hybridazn
Acro killer.....
I love clown fish, although I have to agree it's become quite cliche to own a saltwater tank and have clownfish. But I don't think I could set up a tank and not have a pair in there.
Cment
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It's a catch 22 with me, I love clowns but hate the personalities they get when older. I had to re home a pair that I had for 3yrs. I was getting into more sensitive fish, leopards and tamarins, and the clowns wouldn't play nice. Down the road im going to do an anemone and clown tank only attached to my tank.
