What happens to tankmates once clowns start spawning

[Fishbird]

Hi everybody, I’m still trying to figure out what fish I want. I’m thinking about a pair of true perculas or Picasso perculas from ORA but if I had two clowns in a 40 breeder would I be able to have any other fish in there once the percs started spawning? I know spawning fish get more aggressive so would they kill off fish like a royal gramma or blackline fang blenny or bottom dwelling goby?

 

[Ron Reefman]

I don't consider myself an expert in this area.

But when my clowns had eggs, they only get more aggressive if other fish get near those eggs. And usually they lay those eggs in inconspicuous spots and sometimes hidden from view.

My clowns never bothered any other fish while they watched over their eggs. But you do realize that should any of the eggs hatch, those babies are at very serious risk if you have any carnivores in the tank.

Good luck.

 

[Fishbird]

Thanks! I just read a post where somebody compared their tank to a war zone because their clowns had started spawning. It seems like clowns do better in pairs but I don’t want to have other fish along with the clowns.
I know the larvae wouldn’t really stand a chance. At this point I’m more thinking about whether I can keep an adult clown pair, since they seem to do better in pairs?

 

[Ron Reefman]

The female will be bigger and will give the smaller male a hard time when first introduced. This may go on for a few days, a few weeks, or forever. Sometimes the female will harass the male so much that it dies. They are like people, different personalities react in different ways.

I had a 40g tank with 2 clowns, a small tang, a blenny, a 6 line wrasse and a royal gramma. I never had any issues after the clowns settled down, which took a couple of weeks.

 

[ddwbeagles]

Clownfish are so funny in their behavior. I keep a few black mollies in brood tanks. They are super susceptible to disease so they serve two purposes. First, they help manage the algea and second they serve as the "canary in a coal mine" concerning parasites or disease as they will get it way before the hardy clowns.
Why am I telling you this? Because they stay in the tanks through the breeding process. The male will chase them away from the nesting site but that's about it.
Look closely in the attached video and you'll see them. Clowns sitting on a fresh batch of eggs.