4.5yrs later, the BRS Clownfish Harem tank comes to a close. | BRStv Tank Trials

[OMGitsManBearPig]

I love this idea, just curious about how you get a clutch of clowns without breaking the bank? Clowns run anywhere from $30 to $300, if I was to do this I'd want 20 to 30 clowns.

buy a pair and take good care of them. The pair will do the work for you.

also - there are a few resources in the video.

 

[Elegance Coral]

This post is JMHO. To each their own. This hobby would not have moved forward as it has without people trying new and different things. This post is not about bashing anyone.

With that said, I personally would not attempt this. Right now I own 30 clowns / 15 pairs. All separated and isolated into pairs. I'm an old man that's been studying nature my whole life. One of the major things that attracted me to this hobby is the tranquility of it all. Being able to combine different species, from all around the globe, in one tiny glass box, and watch them peacefully coexist is amazing to me. That's not what the video above is about. Approximately half of the video is dedicated to the discussion of aggression caused by this experiment. Mobart, the author of the original thread that led to this BRS experiment, experienced the same aggression. Many of Mobart's fish died from this aggression. BRS was able to intervene and save the life of at least one of these victims in their own experiment.
If you watch the video, it becomes obvious that clips from different moments in time have been mixed and combined. Makes for a beautiful video BTW. However, if you pay close attention, you'll begin to notice something. They started with roughly 30 juvenile clowns. The clip at 1:48 to 1:55 shows multiple mature clowns. Maybe 10?????? No where near the +/- 30 they started with. Where did all the others go???? If I were a gambling man, I'd bet they were beaten to death by the few survivors.
This experiment is being called a success. I don't quite understand the standards by which this experiment would be called a success. If you start with fish that should easily live a decade or two, or even longer, and after 4 years, half of them are dead, I would say something went wrong. Something went terribly wrong. I surely wouldn't call it a success.
BRS, Mobart, and others that have tried this, all have had similar results. The dominant fish harass the less dominant in an attempt to protect their own status in the group. The weaker fish spend more and more time fleeing for their lives and less and less time feeding. Over time this only makes them weaker, until they're unable to defend themselves, and are simply beaten to death. This is a loooong, slooooow, agonizing death. Not something I want to watch when I come home from a hard day's work.

Again. This is JMHO
Peace
EC

 

[Terry DeMott]

Thanks BRS I have a 180 gal w/40 clownfish and 12 anemones I also using the roller mat ,skimmer and algae scrubber.
My lights are Hybird 48 w/t5 The tank is been setup for about 4yrs now. When I seen BRS do it I did it one of the most easy tank
to do.

 

[dcmartinpc]

I have a 60 cube tied in to my mature 400g system ready and waiting for a harem of clownfish! After QT of course.... I have been looking for the right batch of clownfish for this tank for months! Winning them from BRS would be perfect My cube even runs a closed loop for the safety of the anemones. No chopped sushi in my tank!

The cube is upper left of this photo, ready to go! Sorry for the dirty glass, it has been really busy with 4 kids going back to school....



Fingers crossed!

Don

 

[lactose]

In the video you mention the T5 and hybrid doing better. Do you have any sense of the PAR levels on the anemones when they were happier with the T5 only lighting? I am about to rent a par meter from @Bulk Reef Supply to test the lighting choices I have made for my clown harem build out system I am currently cycling and wanted to know what to aim for from your experience? I have the 48" T5 hybrid fixture with 4xAB+ bulbs and 2 kessils over a 120G 48x24x24 tank.

Thanks!

 

[randyBRS]

In the video you mention the T5 and hybrid doing better. Do you have any sense of the PAR levels on the anemones when they were happier with the T5 only lighting? I am about to rent a par meter from @Bulk Reef Supply to test the lighting choices I have made for my clown harem build out system I am currently cycling and wanted to know what to aim for from your experience? I have the 48" T5 hybrid fixture with 4xAB+ bulbs and 2 kessils over a 120G 48x24x24 tank.Thanks!

Hmm, I really wish we had taken some of those measurements, but I'm pretty certain that wasn't captured. If it's any consolation, we did have the Orphek Atlantik V4 over the tank for awhile and I believe at the same settings we used for the BRStv Investigates test. That could give you a place to start, but maybe start with lower intensity and work up.

 

[lactose]

Hmm, I really wish we had taken some of those measurements, but I'm pretty certain that wasn't captured. If it's any consolation, we did have the Orphek Atlantik V4 over the tank for awhile and I believe at the same settings we used for the BRStv Investigates test. That could give you a place to start, but maybe start with lower intensity and work up.

Thank you for the quick reply! This helps as I try to setup the tank for success.

 

[Memoreefs]

I am finally pulling the trigger and going for Black Storm Clownfish Harem. 36 x 30 x 21 100 gallon system. Depth as recommended in the video.

 

[pompeyjohn]

Hi BRS,

How important would you say the skimmer was in the success of this tank?

Thanks

 

[yeon.joon.hong]

Can you believe it?

It's been about four and a half years since we started the BRS Clownfish Harem tank and today, it's coming to an end. Find out what we learned over the years and what we plan to do with the new space!

Oh, don't forget we're giving away the BRS160 Clown Babies as well! Two lucky reefers will each get around 20-babies to start their own harem tanks! Get your tanks ready!
SIGN UP HERE!

where can we get some of the BRS160 clownfish I searched online and can't find them anywhere at all

 

[rhostam]

I am just now tearing down my AIO after upgrading and migrating to a peninsula. Perhaps I’ll keep the AIO and setup a harem. Clowns are what got me into the hobby as basic as that seems. I thought I was going to do FOWLR with just a pair. As I waited for the tank to mature for an anemone I decided to add a few softies, then LPS, etc, and then suddenly realized I was concerned about wandering anemones stinging everything that have been doing so well. Then I realized I wanted the experience of other fish that simply needed more space. And so here comes the upgrade. LOL. Maybe now I can do it right.

Thanks for the follow up BRS. I’ve learned so much from your videos and guides.

 

[rhostam]

I love this idea, just curious about how you get a clutch of clowns without breaking the bank? Clowns run anywhere from $30 to $300, if I was to do this I'd want 20 to 30 clowns.

The vendor Randy mentioned sells clutches. I’m not going to rewatch it, but I am pretty sure

This post is JMHO. To each their own. This hobby would not have moved forward as it has without people trying new and different things. This post is not about bashing anyone.

With that said, I personally would not attempt this. Right now I own 30 clowns / 15 pairs. All separated and isolated into pairs. I'm an old man that's been studying nature my whole life. One of the major things that attracted me to this hobby is the tranquility of it all. Being able to combine different species, from all around the globe, in one tiny glass box, and watch them peacefully coexist is amazing to me. That's not what the video above is about. Approximately half of the video is dedicated to the discussion of aggression caused by this experiment. Mobart, the author of the original thread that led to this BRS experiment, experienced the same aggression. Many of Mobart's fish died from this aggression. BRS was able to intervene and save the life of at least one of these victims in their own experiment.
If you watch the video, it becomes obvious that clips from different moments in time have been mixed and combined. Makes for a beautiful video BTW. However, if you pay close attention, you'll begin to notice something. They started with roughly 30 juvenile clowns. The clip at 1:48 to 1:55 shows multiple mature clowns. Maybe 10?????? No where near the +/- 30 they started with. Where did all the others go???? If I were a gambling man, I'd bet they were beaten to death by the few survivors.
This experiment is being called a success. I don't quite understand the standards by which this experiment would be called a success. If you start with fish that should easily live a decade or two, or even longer, and after 4 years, half of them are dead, I would say something went wrong. Something went terribly wrong. I surely wouldn't call it a success.
BRS, Mobart, and others that have tried this, all have had similar results. The dominant fish harass the less dominant in an attempt to protect their own status in the group. The weaker fish spend more and more time fleeing for their lives and less and less time feeding. Over time this only makes them weaker, until they're unable to defend themselves, and are simply beaten to death. This is a loooong, slooooow, agonizing death. Not something I want to watch when I come home from a hard day's work.

Again. This is JMHO
Peace
EC

It seems better to not make up stories [about what may or may not have happened] and just take it at face value. He was pretty clear about the type of work and responsibility this type of tank would require.

Or better yet, rather than make up a story about what “really” happened, why not engage in a discussion and ask questions to answer these perceived discrepancies?