Good idea to add 4 clownfish in one tank at the same time?

[Leon Gorani]

I wanted to buy 2 Longfin Mocha clownfish and 2 Phantom Clownfish from cultivatedreef.com. I would order them at the same time so they would hopefully be delivered at the same time. I am worried about adding all of them in the same tank since i know that some clownfish will fight and end up killing others. I don’t want to spend $300 on the longfin clowns just to have them die in a week or whatever. So my question is, if I add all four of them, two pairs at the same time, would that lessen the chance of them fighting? Are Phantom clownfish or the long finned more aggressive? Do you think this would be okay to do if I add them into one tank at the same time?

 

[Mical]

How big is your tank, if there is adequate room it's possible. Possible being the key word. Clowns get pretty aggressive over territory.

 

[Leon Gorani]

How big is your tank, if there is adequate room it's possible. Possible being the key word. Clowns get pretty aggressive over territory.

I have a 29 gallon tank with 3 green chromis and a filefish in it already. Yeah I’ve heard that too, that’s why I thought it would be a good idea to put them in all at the same time.

 

[Mical]

With the fish you currently have, maybe add a pair AT MOST. In that small a tank you're going to have issues.

 

[lapin]

I would not do this in a 29 gallon tank. You will be out some money for dead fish.

 

[NYCMikeM3]

My advice: don’t do it. I ordered 2 Blood Orange clowns that weren’t mated for a Reefer 350 & and they HATED each other. “Basement Nemo” had to live in the sump for a little while, until i reintroduced him to “upstairs Nemo” from a hang on quarantine box. They get along now but it wasn’t easy.

Then...a friend got me a 3rd clown (Picasso) thinking he was being thoughtful. RIP Picasso. There was no hope for acclimating a 3rd.

Clown fish really are as territorial as people say. I still feel horrible that Picasso bit the bullet — I regret not just giving him to a LFS instead of risking it.

Unless you can get a brood of clowns or a mated pair, 2 might be difficult at first. And, based on personal experience, 2 more of a different type is asking for trouble .

On the plus side — I’m sure you 2 Mochas will be stunning in your tank. And you probably won’t even think about not having the other two! Best of luck!

 

[Leon Gorani]

With the fish you currently have, maybe add a pair AT MOST. In that small a tank you're going to have issues.

I want to get rid of the chromis eventually, if I can catch them with a trap hopefully, but I guess I will only go with one pair if I decide to do this. Thanks!

 

[mta_morrow]

Don’t do it. 2 max or you WILL have some dead fish.

 

[Leon Gorani]

My advice: don’t do it. I ordered 2 Blood Orange clowns that weren’t mated for a Reefer 350 & and they HATED each other. “Basement Nemo” had to live in the sump for a little while, until i reintroduced him to “upstairs Nemo” from a hang on quarantine box. They get along now but it wasn’t easy.

Then...a friend got me a 3rd clown (Picasso) thinking he was being thoughtful. RIP Picasso. There was no hope for acclimating a 3rd.

Clown fish really are as territorial as people say. I still feel horrible that Picasso bit the bullet — I regret not just giving him to a LFS instead of risking it.

Unless you can get a brood of clowns or a mated pair, 2 might be difficult at first. And, based on personal experience, 2 more of a different type is asking for trouble .

On the plus side — I’m sure you 2 Mochas will be stunning in your tank. And you probably won’t even think about not having the other two! Best of luck!

Yeah I was hoping they would just get along after a few days at best. I guess I just have to take a chance. I was thinking if I only get two then they will have to get along when added at the same time, especially since there won’t be any other competition in the tank.

I have seen some long fin clowns already paired at an lfs but they are already pretty big and didn’t want to buy fully grown ones. Plus they were a lot more than the ones online haha. Thanks for the advice!

 

[NYCMikeM3]

I want to get rid of the chromis eventually, if I can catch them with a trap hopefully, but I guess I will only go with one pair if I decide to do this. Thanks!

I thought I could “beat the system” / claims of aggression were exaggerated. If you actually find 4 that are already a brood / living together, you’ll be fine (although I think with your tank size you’re probably safer at 2 anyway). I’d just caution you against it bc the reality is that I acted irresponsibly by trying a 3 of a different species and it died — and not bc of an honest tank mistake / whatever, it was totally on me. Besides there’s always something exciting you can get that will work. Treat yourself to an awesome coral

 

[Mical]

I hear you as far as wanting both types of clowns. Maybe a second tank? I have a pair of maroons (12 years old) w/ 12 year old nems and they rule a 120 gal tank (they bully foxface, triggers, etc). I have a mated pair of gold nugget clowns in a 65 gal tank and they own that tank. It's a very big risk putting more than 2 clowns in a medium sized tank.

 

[DSEKULA]

Agreed don't do it, I have two pair, occys and clarkies in a tank with 5' between their nems and I considered that risky. They do not get along at all, the only reason I considered myself successful is that there is so much distance between them and the tank is L shaped with each pair taking each leg so they never have a clear sight of the other pair. On the rare chance any clown wanders into the area where the L legs meet in the middle the other pair will chase it back to its own leg.
O for occy C for clarkie green circle is no man's land tanks 150gal.

 

[Leon Gorani]

I hear you as far as wanting both types of clowns. Maybe a second tank? I have a pair of maroons (12 years old) w/ 12 year old nems and they rule a 120 gal tank (they bully foxface, triggers, etc). I have a mated pair of gold nugget clowns in a 65 gal tank and they own that tank. It's a very big risk putting more than 2 clowns in a medium sized tank.

Gotcha, I actually do have a second tank (20 gallon) but I was planning on turning it into a freshwater tank. So I guess I will only buy one pair of clowns. I wish I could get a 50+ gallon tank but I can’t afford it at this time. I already spent over $1000 on my 29 gallon set up lol. So I can’t just throw it out the window.

 

[Mical]

We all have this same problem, lol... We would like a ton of fish and corals but nature says - "Whoa - this combo is not going to work". "Doubt me and your wallet and their lives are dependent on it". As one member here on R2R said - "I've killed more fish than Starkist by not researching compatibility"

 

[DSEKULA]

Since the long fins and phantoms are both occys you could do one of each.