How aggressive are non-Ocellaris / Percula Clowns?

[Zionas]

How aggressive are non-Ocellaris / Percula Clowns? For those of who who don’t have one of the two as your Clownfish, how well are yours behaving in a community tank? Is pairing as straightforward for other Clown species compared to the Occys and Perculas?

 

[pcon]

depends on the species, the maroons are quite aggressive and different to pair. with maroons it is ideal to grow one out to female size 3"+ before introducing a male in an acclamation box, evaluating aggression before releasing the male to the female.

 

[Zionas]

Yes I’m aware it’s quite difficult with Maroons. Shame because they’re so pretty.

 

[mort]

Some species are more aggressive but a lot has to do with the size of the fish compared to other clowns, the bigger the clown, the more space it commands and the bigger it's teeth.

Pairing can be rough with any clown but more aggressive species can cause more problems. The clarkii and tomato complexes have the most aggressive species ime whereas the skunks and saddlebacks are much less feisty.

 

[Zionas]

The Clarkiis are looking sort of tempting to me but it’s the aggression that I’m worried about. Would you say they aren’t safe to keep with most other fish in a tank just under 100 gallons in the 90-100 gallon range?

 

[mort]

If you want harmony I wouldn't go for clarkii. They are ok if you have an anemone but still command a large area as they are bold fish.