Clown Harem

[davocean]

Feeding a lot helps lessen aggression w/ some fish, but w/ clowns it has more to do w/ their territorial nature and heiarchy IMO, but it could help some.
I agree w/ Shred, number should be based on bioload capability primarily, and what appeals to you I guess.

I like seeing others do this some, when it's done properly, but for me personally, it's already been done, and I love the variety of fish I keep, and I'm more drawn to my special pair of clowns I love so much, rather than a mass of clowns, but that's just me, to each their own.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I have spent quite a bit of time looking into the daily running of a harem tank. Personally I found it to be too much work. The biggest issue I have seen is nutrient export. The successful individuals were those doing decent size water changes on a very regular basis with heavy filtration. They also obtained tiny clowns that were from the same clutch. Even with doing that they still lost a few to aggression. Keeping lights that do not promote photosynthesis over your display also seemed to help quite a bit with success rates, but they were also not able to keep corals and were limited with anemones.

 

[LatinKing]

I would think as a clownfish breeder that it would be easier to raise and setup a clownfish harem. But having 25+ or - baby clownfish shipped the stress will cause separation, and more aggression. I would think picking up the 25 baby clownfish from a local breeder will be less stress.

 

[davocean]

Yeah. I think I will keep my cowfish, I just have to try to find a good home for my 8” blue tang. I also have to move out my current 3 clowns. That is my only current stocking. I have been feeding with my AFS very heavily, 2 rotations every 4 hours, total of 3 feedings a day, it dispenses a really large amount of food. I have been doing this to increase my amount bacteria in order to prepare for the clowns. This has been a long term goal and been on the bo0oks for about 2 months now.

I would be SO fast to ditch that cowfish, but my experience w/ cowfish was not great, ate 3 nice clams on intro, not even the whole thing just parts of all 3 enough to kill them, and tried to eat anything it could get it's mouth on. It was an add by my ex wife, and I don't miss either! Lol

Good point by Amoo, I always have some "working" fish as well

 

[Amoo]

What's your current Nem count?

 

[MSB123]

I have spent quite a bit of time looking into the daily running of a harem tank. Personally I found it to be too much work. The biggest issue I have seen is nutrient export. The successful individuals were those doing decent size water changes on a very regular basis with heavy filtration. They also obtained tiny clowns that were from the same clutch. Even with doing that they still lost a few to aggression.

I would think as a clownfish breeder that it would be easier to raise and setup a clownfish harem. But having 25+ or - baby clownfish shipped the stress will cause separation, and more aggression. I would think picking up the 25 baby clownfish from a local breeder will be less stress.

The particular breeder I am working with has done this many times with success. I have started to implement a weekly 20 gallon WC. Previously I have used a varaitaion of Triton, but for now i want to do WC to help with export.

 

[MSB123]

I would be SO fast to ditch that cowfish, but my experience w/ cowfish was not great, ate 3 nice clams on intro, not even the whole thing just parts of all 3 enough to kill them, and tried to eat anything it could get it's mouth on. It was an add by my ex wife, and I don't miss either! Lol

Good point by Amoo, I always have some "working" fish as well

Ive had this cowfish since the early days. ever been a problem to anything but one montipora. Super peaceful fish.

 

[davocean]

I would think as a clownfish breeder that it would be easier to raise and setup a clownfish harem. But having 25+ or - baby clownfish shipped the stress will cause separation, and more aggression. I would think picking up the 25 baby clownfish from a local breeder will be less stress.

Mmm, I think most have shipping pretty darn figured, I don't see it as an issue really, not much is going to change in young juvies in a 12 hour period IMO

 

[MSB123]

What's your current Nem count?

4 Very large BTAs, 8”+, 2 medium/large- 6-10”, and 6 small ones, under 6”

 

[Amoo]

WTB Build thread.

One of the reasons to say that is it's nice to have a source to point to for people to say go look at this and see what's going on. A random thread here and there makes that difficult. Seeing your entire setup and what you go through on a weekly basis would be a huge benefit to everybody.

 

[shred5]

That will be of serious benefit, the other things that come to my mind are how to add "working fish" without taking up too much real estate. We all love tangs for their algae eating purposes, but I think a lawnmower blenny would be better in this case. Just things like that. Small out of the way things, clowns aren't likely to notice and are likely to stay out of the nems.

Actually a tang might be good because they are so aggressive it might lower the aggression in the clowns.

 

[MSB123]

WTB Build thread.

One of the reasons to say that is it's nice to have a source to point to for people to say go look at this and see what's going on. A random thread here and there makes that difficult. Seeing your entire setup and what you go through on a weekly basis would be a huge benefit to everybody.

Will do! I will try to update it as often as I can, I am worse then @revhtree at build threads :):D;Snaphappy

 

[MSB123]

Will start my build thread now.

 

[Amoo]

Will do! I will try to update it as often as I can, I am worse then @revhtree at build threads :):D;Snaphappy

So next year sometime you'll post an update with pictures from BRS's harem and tell us you're not quite there yet?

 

[MSB123]

Where do you think it should go? Nem&clownfish?

 

[MSB123]

Yeah ;Smuggrin

 

[Amoo]

I would put it in the regular build thread forums and link it in your signature.

 

[MSB123]

Good idea.

 

[MSB123]

Done!
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/flashing-orange-an-attempt-at-a-clown-harem-tank.463905/

 

[navathehutt]

The only issues I had with 30 ocellaris is that I lose bunch of jumpers, They ram each other sometimes fly out of tank! net might help! They won't really kill each other just fight sometimes