2 clownfish + 2 clownfish = ?

[specialk]

Hey All --

So I know that you are only supposed to have 2 clownfish per tank, unless of course you have a massive tank like a 300 or so. BUT, I have a 6 ft long 125 gallon with 2 clownfish in it that host in a giant toadstool. They rarely go down to the other end of the tank. Always stay around their area and the toadstool. I have a 55 gallon in my bedroom upstairs that I am going to take down simply due to lack of time for 2 tanks.. one of enough right now as the 125 is my main display tank. All I have in the 55 really is 2 clownfish that host in an anemone .. I wanted to move them down to the 125 and place them in the right hand side of the tank (obviously they can move anywhere and the anemone may move a find a place where it is happy that is out of my control .. ) ..

But I am wondering if this would be a problem if I move them down there and how that situation will go. Looking for some advice on what you all would do if this as you ...

Thanks!!!

 

[Trex]

What species?

But, in general best to keep one pair per tank --- things might work in the short term, but once one of the pairs starts spawning, all bets are off. One of the most aggressive fish I have ever seen/kept is a spawning clown.

 

[Joker79]

I've had 4 clowns in my tank for about a year now. 1 black oci, 2 regular oci and 1 picasso. No real problems and they all get along fairly well. The occasional nipping. 33 gal frag tank.

 

[specialk]

What species?

But, in general best to keep one pair per tank --- things might work in the short term, but once one of the pairs starts spawning, all bets are off. One of the most aggressive fish I have ever seen/kept is a spawning clown.

They are ocellaris and true percs. I am going to be eventually moving into a 300 gallon so that is why I was hoping to temporarily make it work. I did not want to sell them, but I also did not want to setup another tank just for them. But again I want to do whats best

 

[gar732]

Hit or miss. It works out for some and goes down in flames for others. My guess is that the established pair will go after any new clowns that come close to their territory. If they manage to stay on the other side of the tank it might work. All you can do is try on a day that you can watch them and be ready to pull them out at the first sign of trouble.

 

[gtbarsi]

Any chance you can slave the 55 or another smaller tank to the filtration system of your 125? If so it cuts down the maintenance, and still keeps them apart...

 

[specialk]

Hit or miss. It works out for some and goes down in flames for others. My guess is that the established pair will go after any new clowns that come close to their territory. If they manage to stay on the other side of the tank it might work. All you can do is try on a day that you can watch them and be ready to pull them out at the first sign of trouble.

Yah this was my other concern .. pulling them out of an established system with corals all over would prove to be a bear. That is a nightmare we have all been thru. I am trying to avoid that, but then again, I am moving into a new tank in April anyways ...

 

[specialk]

Any chance you can slave the 55 or another smaller tank to the filtration system of your 125? If so it cuts down the maintenance, and still keeps them apart...

hmmm... yah tis would be a good option and a simpler one... my only concern is the lighting though. I don't feel like going out and buying new lighting just for one temporary 4 month solution. BUT ideially that is what I would like to do .. play it safe and the right way and keep them separated. But again if I can make it work in the main DT then that would be best case

 

[gtbarsi]

The existing lighting for the 55 is gone, or just not what you want to work with if you tie the two systems together?

 

[specialk]

The existing lighting for the 55 is gone, or just not what you want to work with if you tie the two systems together?

The lights are very weak and not alot of the coral has been able to sustain itself in there -- especially their hosting nem. So I was trying to keep them with their hosted nem and it would obviously do better in really good lighting. So that was my thinking with that ..

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I may have missed it but how old are the clowns?

 

[mainereefer]

6' tank you should be fine, each pair will claim 1/2 of the tank unless you have mean clowns... maroons..

 

[specialk]

I may have missed it but how old are the clowns?

The ones in the main DT have been in there about 1 year, and are about a year and half old. The ones that I am moving down from my 55 have been in there about 2.5 years .. they are about 3 years old.

 

[specialk]

6' tank you should be fine, each pair will claim 1/2 of the tank unless you have mean clowns... maroons..

This is music to my ears

 

[Trex]

Again, I wouldn't count on it. There is no way to predict which part of the tank each pair will claim.

I had a pair of pink skunks (( suppose to be fairly docile )), that turned into holy terrors once they started spawning. They were even worse than the spawning pair of maroons that I had in the past. The skunks ended up killing a golden dwarf angel that they didn't care for, which they hadn't cared about prior to spawning. Ended up selling them to a local breeder.

Just factor in what you will have to do to remove them when/if things go south --- and it can go south very quickly.

 

[WyomingWhites84]

I have 4 clowns in my 90. They've been in there for about 2 months now with no problems. They're not paired off adults though.

 

[specialk]

Again, I wouldn't count on it. There is no way to predict which part of the tank each pair will claim.

I had a pair of pink skunks (( suppose to be fairly docile )), that turned into holy terrors once they started spawning. They were even worse than the spawning pair of maroons that I had in the past. The skunks ended up killing a golden dwarf angel that they didn't care for, which they hadn't cared about prior to spawning. Ended up selling them to a local breeder.

Just factor in what you will have to do to remove them when/if things go south --- and it can go south very quickly.

yah I am aware of that ... I guess it is just good to hear that some are successful with it. The holy terrors is what I am hoping does not happen. Nothing worse then chasing fish around an established tank trying to get them out.

 

[specialk]

Well, that experiment lasted about 45 minutes before I had to end it. Had to take the orange female and put her back upstairs into the 55. What's odd to me, is that the 2 I brought down from my 55 and added to the 125, there was a black perc (male) and the orange female. The black male no one bothered at all, he just hovered above his nem that I brought down as well and just chilled by that. Now he is already hosting back in it minding his own business. The female kept taking off to the other side of the tank and picking a fight with the 2 that I already had in my established 125. It's bizarre to me because the 2 established clowns would come all the way down to the other side of the tank and mess with the orange female, but would totally pass up and pay no attention to the black male. It's like they are fine with the black male being in there, but want the orange female OUT

 

[Trex]

Actually makes perfect sense. The female clown is the "leader". 2 males can be kept together (( with one eventually becoming a female )), but 2 females will (( almost )) always lead to a fight, and some cases death.

 

[specialk]

Actually makes perfect sense. The female clown is the "leader". 2 males can be kept together (( with one eventually becoming a female )), but 2 females will (( almost )) always lead to a fight, and some cases death.

Yah it was non stop fighting .. she was on a mission. This may sound dumb, but do you think I should put the male back upstairs with the female and put them back together? Because I obviously had to separate them and take the female back upstairs. Or will they be fine split apart? They were together for about a year and a half