help with fist fish

[davec15]

hi i am new to keeping marine fish i have had a fresh water aquarium but was given a 55 gallon tank and decided to try a few clown fish in it so i was wundering what type or types of clown fish to get and how many to keep in it.

[michellejy]

No more than 2 clown fish because they will pair off and kill any others. Aside from that, it's pretty much personal preference a to type. Personally, I'd stick with CB (captive bred) clowns because with wild caught ones, you can end up dealing with diseases like brookynella. (<- I probably spelled that wrong.)

Maroons and tomatoes are VERY aggressive and can take over your whole tank.

There's a section of the forums for anemones and clownfish with a couple of stickies at the top about pairing clowns. You can also see a lot of the types that you may not come across at the LFS (local fish store).

[michellejy]

Oh, and I should add two of the same type of clowns to what I said before. Don't mix a maroon and percula for example since the maroon will kill the perc.

[davec15]

Ok thanks for the help

[fender4string]

To Reef Central

I just wanted to try posting the banner as I haven't had a chance yet . Hopefully it works.

Also to contribute somewhat, it seems like the two main clowns more people get are false percula (also called ocellaris clowns) and percula clown fish. The percs tend to have more black on them than the ocellaris. I'm a fan of the percs personally.

[davec15]

hey thanks for the help but ive been looking around a bit and have seen a lot of color variations and i was woundering if some one could tell me a little bit about them thanks again for the help

[michellejy]

A lot of it is personal preference really. The ones I have (in my avatar) are black & white ocellaris (sometimes called false perculas). The most common types that people generally have are ocellaris (either black and white like mine or orange - think Finding Nemo), perculas, maroons, or skunks. Obviously there are a lot of other types, but those ones seem to be in every fish store that sells saltwater. Their level of aggression will depend on their age/sexual maturity and the type.

[IslandCrow]

My maroon clown is a sweethart. . .except when she tries to take off a finger during feeding time.

Seriously, though, most maroon clowns, clarkiis, tomatos and cinnamon clowns are pretty aggressive. For that matter, anything bad you've heard about damsel fish pretty much applies, since clownfish are in fact a type of damsel.

Ocellaris and percula clownfish are generally well behaved (including the rarer color variations like B&W, picasso, snowflake, etc.). Skunk clownfish are also very mild mannered, though mine is also extremely shy, and you don't see much of him. There are many others, some are very difficult to find, and they all look a little different. I'd suggest picking up this book: http://www.amazon.com/PocketExpert-G...1518405&sr=1-1. I've found it very useful for getting some ideas on what type of fish I'd like to keep. Then you can do more specific research or ask questions on Reef Central to make sure it's really what you're looking for.

Also, if you're really interested in clownfish specifically, Joyce Wilkerson has a very good book: http://www.amazon.com/Clownfishes-Jo...1518562&sr=1-1.

[davec15]

ok my plans have been messed up big time. to start with i went to petco and the guy there has told me that i should get a sea anemone if i get a pair of clowns but every thing i have read says they need hqi metal halide lighting but he told me to just get compact florescent lights and i will be fine. next ive also dicided to get some cup coral but i again i dont know about the lighting situation. and finaly just to top it off i droped my 38 gallon tank all ive got now is a filter witch i found out isnt even the right size for that tank. so ive got to start from scratch again and have no i dea what to do im thinking about geting a 20 gallon tank 2
A. Ocellaris a sea anemone and some cup coral.

as u can see i need major help i dont know what to buy and cant spend big bucks so if any one knows where i can get what i need for cheap id realy like the help thanks

[reefworm]

Welcome on board RC!

I wouldn't put the advice of petco above what you read and hear here. Take it slow, make use of the sticky threads at the top of the forum - helpful, reliable and vital information. Research everything - as you're doing - before making a move, and you'll save yourself a lot of frustration and $$$

[michellejy]

Skip the anemone. They need an established tank, good lighting, and can generally just be a pain. Clowns will decide all sorts of things are great hosts, including nori clips, poweheads, xenia, toadstools, etc.

Cup corals are non-photosynthetic so lighting is obviously not an issue for them, but you probably won't see them with polyps extended very often. Most of them seem to open at night. Dendrophyllias have a similar appearance (although much larger), but they tend to have their polyps extended most of the time. (Dendros are also non-photosynthetic. Mine is positioned under a rock overhang.)

[reefworm]

Also, the guy from petco is simply thinking clowns are hosted by anemone in the wild, therefore, you must have an anemone for those fish. incorrect for two reasons:
1] the clowns don't actually need a host animal; but if you like the look of the clowns hanging around in something...
2] clowns will take up with nearly anything - or reject everything. mine found a home in a Euphylia ancora, others have had them settle into sarcophyton sp., mushrooms, plate corals, etc., even overflow weirs. it's up to the fish