Clownfish Stumped

[MacieKnis]

Well to be short, my tank includes a goby, Sally crab (need to get rid of him), coral banded shrimp, conch, hermits and clownfish #1 all doing great.
I read that if I got a smaller clown, they would be easier to pair. So I got clownfish #2 as a birthday gift. 4 days later, clownfish #2 died. I called the lfs and they said it was most likely a behavior thing. That clownfish #1 was probably a dominate female. If I brought in clownfish #1, he’d refund me and I could get a pair! So I brought in clownfish #1, and received a brand new pair.
Well now, #3 and #4 entered the tank and #3 has now died. I’m back to just 1 clownfish (#4).
I’m checking my parameters again. Which I checked before receiving #3 & #4. #4 is eating doing great, and so are all my others.
Is this a behavior thing?
I don’t think it would be a tank thing because all other fish (& corals) are doing just fine.
Or is it a lfs thing. I’m stumped.
All I want is a paired couple of clowns..

 

[KrisReef]

Well to be short, my tank includes a goby, Sally crab (need to get rid of him), coral banded shrimp, conch, hermits and clownfish #1 all doing great.
I read that if I got a smaller clown, they would be easier to pair. So I got clownfish #2 as a birthday gift. 4 days later, clownfish #2 died. I called the lfs and they said it was most likely a behavior thing. That clownfish #1 was probably a dominate female. If I brought in clownfish #1, he’d refund me and I could get a pair! So I brought in clownfish #1, and received a brand new pair.
Well now, #3 and #4 entered the tank and #3 has now died. I’m back to just 1 clownfish (#4).
I’m checking my parameters again. Which I checked before receiving #3 & #4. #4 is eating doing great, and so are all my others.
Is this a behavior thing?
I don’t think it would be a tank thing because all other fish (& corals) are doing just fine.
Or is it a lfs thing. I’m stumped.
All I want is a paired couple of clowns..

I was thinking about getting a pair of clownfish from a LFS and looking at their tanks some had two or more smaller fishes in them but none of them were really paired up and carrying on like a normal happy clownfish couple.

I decided that I would take more time to look around at other stores and so far I have not seen a true pair of clownfish that I wanted. The vast majority of two clownfish in a tank were not mates, just 2 fish in a tank.

I’m still looking but I’m leaning towards adopting from a local Reefer when a pair comes along. I have noticed that a lot of people get tired of these fishes after they get older?

Otherwise, they often kill off their tank mates before they pair. It’s how they roll.

 

[littlefoxx]

Well to be short, my tank includes a goby, Sally crab (need to get rid of him), coral banded shrimp, conch, hermits and clownfish #1 all doing great.
I read that if I got a smaller clown, they would be easier to pair. So I got clownfish #2 as a birthday gift. 4 days later, clownfish #2 died. I called the lfs and they said it was most likely a behavior thing. That clownfish #1 was probably a dominate female. If I brought in clownfish #1, he’d refund me and I could get a pair! So I brought in clownfish #1, and received a brand new pair.
Well now, #3 and #4 entered the tank and #3 has now died. I’m back to just 1 clownfish (#4).
I’m checking my parameters again. Which I checked before receiving #3 & #4. #4 is eating doing great, and so are all my others.
Is this a behavior thing?
I don’t think it would be a tank thing because all other fish (& corals) are doing just fine.
Or is it a lfs thing. I’m stumped.
All I want is a paired couple of clowns..

Did you get your clowns? My BF went through 3 in our nano (bought two, one died, got another and both died) all babies. It was like the supply of baby clowns was bad. It was around the time you posted this too actually. So I waited a while and got a bigger female and a baby to be the male. No issues now and the clowns in the LFS seem healthier than the time we first got the clowns

 

[MacieKnis]

Did you get your clowns? My BF went through 3 in our nano (bought two, one died, got another and both died) all babies. It was like the supply of baby clowns was bad. It was around the time you posted this too actually. So I waited a while and got a bigger female and a baby to be the male. No issues now and the clowns in the LFS seem healthier than the time we first got the clowns

I haven’t chanced it again yet. I may need to change my Powerhead out. Everyone keeps telling me clowns can handle pretty strong currents, but the last pair got whipped around so bad, I think it’s just too strong.

 

[littlefoxx]

I haven’t chanced it again yet. I may need to change my Powerhead out. Everyone keeps telling me clowns can handle pretty strong currents, but the last pair got whipped around so bad, I think it’s just too strong.

Maybe look for an adult pair? My LFS gets adults in a lot with surrenders. They are both beautiful. Female is 12 male is 6

 

[MacieKnis]

Maybe look for an adult pair? My LFS gets adults in a lot with surrenders. They are both beautiful. Female is 12 male is 6

I only have 2 lfs to choose from in a 45 mile radius. I’m headed to one of them today, maybe they’ll have adults? Because there’s only 2 lfs the fish come a bit pricy. I think $58 for 1 ocellaris clownfish.. I wish I didn’t have such bad luck the first time, although I have now set up a qt, I’m still so reluctant to buy them now. Lol

 

[littlefoxx]

I only have 2 lfs to choose from in a 45 mile radius. I’m headed to one of them today, maybe they’ll have adults? Because there’s only 2 lfs the fish come a bit pricy. I think $58 for 1 ocellaris clownfish.. I wish I didn’t have such bad luck the first time, although I have now set up a qt, I’m still so reluctant to buy them now. Lol

Maybe go and watch them? I always try to find clowns that are not in with all the others and try to get the bigger of the babies as cute as the little ones are

 

[MacieKnis]

Maybe go and watch them? I always try to find clowns that are not in with all the others and try to get the bigger of the babies as cute as the little ones are

I agree the small ones are cute but way too small. Well I was able to find a couple that are a little bigger. Wish me luck lol

 

[littlefoxx]

I agree the small ones are cute but way too small. Well I was able to find a couple that are a little bigger. Wish me luck lol

Yay!

 

[MacieKnis]

Yay!

Hi,
I’m back to give you an update. After buying another pair, I lost one of them today.
I hope one day I can have cute paired clownfish.

 

[littlefoxx]

Hi,
I’m back to give you an update. After buying another pair, I lost one of them today.
I hope one day I can have cute paired clownfish.

Which one did you lose?

 

[MacieKnis]

Which one did you lose?

One of my Picasso’s

 

[littlefoxx]

One of my Picasso’s

Dang thats awful! Are you getting them from a trusted source or QT?

 

[MacieKnis]

Dang thats awful! Are you getting them from a trusted source or QT?

I got it from the more established lfs but that’s also the same one that had the bad batch earlier. There’s an online store that already qt’s the fish for the customer. I may try that one next.

 

[kevgib67]

Hi,
I’m back to give you an update. After buying another pair, I lost one of them today.
I hope one day I can have cute paired clownfish.

Dang, that is tuff. Did the one that is living kill the other?

 

[MacieKnis]

Dang, that is tuff. Did the one that is living kill the other?

I really don’t think so.. they were already paired when I got them. Maybe it was my coral banded shrimp? I tried reading up on that and it seems unlikely. The only other thing would be my Powerhead pushed him into the rocks. I bought a small Powerhead to install. I’m not sure what else could’ve happened

 

[killerinstinct]

How big is your tank and what power head are you running? What is the gph?

 

[kevgib67]

I really don’t think so.. they were already paired when I got them. Maybe it was my coral banded shrimp? I tried reading up on that and it seems unlikely. The only other thing would be my Powerhead pushed him into the rocks. I bought a small Powerhead to install. I’m not sure what else could’ve happened

Well, it sounds like it was killed, you probably saw wounds on the body and fins. Of course those could have came after the death with your clean up crew doing their job. Well, I had a pair of clowns that had been together for a year and four months. They were inseparable. I came home from vacation and the one was nearly beaten to death by the other and were occurring in front of me eyes. What happened while I was gone for a week? I don’t have a clue. The poor thing died in an acclimation box. Since it was the aggressor left I bought a larger one and they have been paired. There is a reason they are called clowns.

 

[MacieKnis]

How big is your tank and what power head are you running? What is the gph?

I’m not sure what Powerhead it is. It came with the tank. I ordered the Tunze 6040 which can pump 53-1100 gph, so I can tune it down a little.
My tank is a 32 gal with a 20 gal sump.

 

[MacieKnis]

Well, it sounds like it was killed, you probably saw wounds on the body and fins. Of course those could have came after the death with your clean up crew doing their job. Well, I had a pair of clowns that had been together for a year and four months. They were inseparable. I came home from vacation and the one was nearly beaten to death by the other and were occurring in front of me eyes. What happened while I was gone for a week? I don’t have a clue. The poor thing died in an acclimation box. Since it was the aggressor left I bought a larger one and they have been paired. There is a reason they are called clowns.

No he was still swimming but upside down at the surface of the tank. His breathing and everything seemed ok and not stressed, but couldn’t get his buoyancy corrected. I put him in a qt and just couldn’t get him corrected.