mixing clowns

msmommy4 · 02/09/2010, 11:43 AM

my friend has 2 false clowns and added a true they began to fight. so he seperated them. he now wants to get a miss-bar true and put it with the other true is this ok?

akunochi · 02/09/2010, 11:45 AM

It will depend on the clowns themselves and also the size of the tanks. I am going to have two pairs in my 180 but am adding all 4 at the same time. 2 picassos and 2 Black and white's (for the wife)LOL

There will be fighting, but given enough time things will settle as long as it doesn't get out of control. If he is going to add a misbar he need to add the second pair as a pair so he only goes through this once.

Chiefsurfer · 02/09/2010, 12:01 PM

ok, so basically clowns pair up. In the wild it is generally the same species, and MAYBE given a choice, will prefer to pair with their own. In our tanks it is very possible to pair different species. If the pair are mature, they will likely not tolerate any additional clowns being introduced. ALSO, where did the true perc come from and how old is it? If it has been in a tank by itself and is more than a yr old, it is a sexually mature female, and the territory owning(false perc) female will NOT put up with her. They may put up with juveniles for now, then they will turn into non-dominant males. At some point, those males will likely try and fight the dominant male for the male spot in the pair, and the 2 males will fight to the death.

If given enough space, they might co-exist without knowing they are even in the same tank. For this you need at LEAST a 48 inch tank, and that is if the 2 pairs are at complete opposite sides of the tank.

Toddrtrex · 02/09/2010, 02:00 PM

I would suggest only keeping one pair of clowns per tank. Doing more then that might work in the short term, but the odds are very good that once one of the pairs starts to spawn that things will go down hill fast.

bertoni · 02/09/2010, 06:26 PM

How big is the tank? I'd expect fighting in a small tank.

02/09/2010, 11:43 AM	#1
msmommy4 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Cleveland,OH Posts: 64	mixing clowns my friend has 2 false clowns and added a true they began to fight. so he seperated them. he now wants to get a miss-bar true and put it with the other true is this ok?

02/09/2010, 12:01 PM	#3
Chiefsurfer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seaside Park, NJ Posts: 2,138	ok, so basically clowns pair up. In the wild it is generally the same species, and MAYBE given a choice, will prefer to pair with their own. In our tanks it is very possible to pair different species. If the pair are mature, they will likely not tolerate any additional clowns being introduced. ALSO, where did the true perc come from and how old is it? If it has been in a tank by itself and is more than a yr old, it is a sexually mature female, and the territory owning(false perc) female will NOT put up with her. They may put up with juveniles for now, then they will turn into non-dominant males. At some point, those males will likely try and fight the dominant male for the male spot in the pair, and the 2 males will fight to the death. If given enough space, they might co-exist without knowing they are even in the same tank. For this you need at LEAST a 48 inch tank, and that is if the 2 pairs are at complete opposite sides of the tank. __________________ Chief Current Tank: 20 Gallon tall, 4-bulb t5 HO, Eshopps psk75H, ac-70 fuge. So far, green clown goby, striped goby, more gorillas than I wish I had, 5 SPS frags, 3 LPS Frags, 1 Softee, Turkey Wing Clam. Plan for the future: 120 gallon 4ft glass tank. Current Tank Info: 20 gallon tall Reef Tank

02/09/2010, 02:00 PM	#4
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	I would suggest only keeping one pair of clowns per tank. Doing more then that might work in the short term, but the odds are very good that once one of the pairs starts to spawn that things will go down hill fast. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

02/09/2010, 06:26 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	How big is the tank? I'd expect fighting in a small tank. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/09/2010, 11:45 AM	#2
akunochi Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle, Wa Posts: 168	It will depend on the clowns themselves and also the size of the tanks. I am going to have two pairs in my 180 but am adding all 4 at the same time. 2 picassos and 2 Black and white's (for the wife)LOL There will be fighting, but given enough time things will settle as long as it doesn't get out of control. If he is going to add a misbar he need to add the second pair as a pair so he only goes through this once.