My Long Lost Clown - Three Clowns Together?

villious · 05/31/2009, 01:53 PM

I was doing some tank maintenance today and was cleaning the pipes in my overflows. Low and behold I found my semi-Picasso clown that I thought had died 4 months back. I got him out of the overflow and have him separated from the main tank. Since he went missing, I got a mated pair of Perc's that inhabit a Frogspawn.

Would I be able to put him in the main tank to reside with the other 2 Percs? Would they kill him? He's smaller than the mated pair.

Thank you.

Ohiomom · 05/31/2009, 01:58 PM

If your tank is the 120g that is mentioned on your info..then I would think you have a fighting chance..would think there is room for all.

Kdocimo90 · 05/31/2009, 02:02 PM

There is a very big chance of the pair fighting with the picasso. I would definitely move either the pair or the picasso to a seperate tank

saltjohnswharf · 05/31/2009, 03:12 PM

I agree with Kdocimo90. Clowns are territorial fish. They are especially aggresive to other clowns when they are paired up and have a host such as your frogspawn. They will defend it from the intruder. This is just my opinion as I have only experienced this once but I think you will find many would agree.

rkelman · 05/31/2009, 03:39 PM

I disagree that they will kill it. If its an unsexed juvie they may take it in as part of the group. The real problems are usually caused with 2 pairs. With clowns 3 is not necessarily a crowd. Its quite natural to have a family group that has a male / female pair and a number of unsexed juvies. That being said they may kill it. Its kind of up to them if they like it or not.

tmz · 05/31/2009, 04:44 PM

Two females will fight.Usually two pair off; dominant one becomes a female . Sometimes they allow a 3rd to hang around on the periphery of their territory.Sometimes not. If one dies the 3rd steps in and becomes the new male.

ser_renely · 05/31/2009, 06:40 PM

wow, glad you found him

Kdocimo90 · 05/31/2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tmz
Two females will fight.Usually two pair off; dominant one becomes a female . Sometimes they allow a 3rd to hang around on the periphery of their territory.Sometimes not. If one dies the 3rd steps in and becomes the new male.

+1... most likely though they will fight off the 3rd though.

Kdocimo90 · 05/31/2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rkelman
I disagree that they will kill it. If its an unsexed juvie they may take it in as part of the group. The real problems are usually caused with 2 pairs. With clowns 3 is not necessarily a crowd. Its quite natural to have a family group that has a male / female pair and a number of unsexed juvies. That being said they may kill it. Its kind of up to them if they like it or not.

They eventually will have a sex, they cant always be unsexed with 3 in the tank...

snorvich · 05/31/2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kdocimo90
There is a very big chance of the pair fighting with the picasso. I would definitely move either the pair or the picasso to a seperate tank

The pair is likely to kill the single.

hermitage · 05/31/2009, 07:10 PM

whenever I've had fish missing, I always check my overflows first...then my sump. 4 month is a long time for that little guy to be stuck in an overflow.

sikpupy · 05/31/2009, 09:18 PM

4 months? Thats crazy!! Any idea how he lived so long without food?

Probably not a good idea, but, if you think you could get him out if they start to herase him, its worth a shot.

Yea, but he said he was in the pipes. I dont think anyone ever looks in the pipes, lol.

maynardjames · 05/31/2009, 11:03 PM

have a pair of maroons & 1 ocellaris. it stays away from maroons & they dont bother it at all. they may zip out at it every now & then, but never more than 1 little dart at it & back to their side of tank.could just be luck though. maroons were paired up but their anemone had problems & shrank in size. now female stays with it & male hangs out elsewhere. it is about 1/5th of size it was.not sure why

rkelman · 06/01/2009, 04:29 AM

"They eventually will have a sex, they cant always be unsexed with 3 in the tank..."

Not all 3... 1 will remain unsexed or Juvenile.

So how about an update?

Beaun · 06/01/2009, 06:16 AM

Why not put it in for a little, if they attack each other, then take one or the other out?

villious · 06/01/2009, 06:31 AM

Hi all. I still have him separated. He's in a plastic container with holes in the tank. The other clowns will sometimes go up to the container and pitch a fit. They definitely don't seem to like him. I think I'll try and find a good home for him. I don't want him to get hurt.

reeftrinh · 06/01/2009, 08:47 AM

you can try to leave him in something that plastic container with vents in it or a breeder net you can buy at petsmart for 8 bux for about 2 weeks. by that time, they should get use to the idea of having another clown in the tank. if they are still hostile then u should take it out but if not then you have successfully introduced a single clown with a pair of clowns.

mkarston · 06/01/2009, 11:02 AM

Wow... this same exact thing happened to me about 2 years ago. I went to clean my overflow box, and found a perc I thought I'd lost 3 months back. Its funny to hear the same exact thing happened to someone else. I now keep egg create over my tank.

Mine survived and is currently raising hell in my friend's tank.

rkelman · 06/01/2009, 06:15 PM

Some aggression is normal and should be expected. Don't take that as a failure.

05/31/2009, 01:53 PM	#1
villious Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Newport News, Virginia Posts: 347	My Long Lost Clown - Three Clowns Together? I was doing some tank maintenance today and was cleaning the pipes in my overflows. Low and behold I found my semi-Picasso clown that I thought had died 4 months back. I got him out of the overflow and have him separated from the main tank. Since he went missing, I got a mated pair of Perc's that inhabit a Frogspawn. Would I be able to put him in the main tank to reside with the other 2 Percs? Would they kill him? He's smaller than the mated pair. Thank you. __________________ "Good? Bad? I'm the one with the gun." "Hail to the king, baby!" -Ashley J. 'Ash' Williams This board has taught me that common sense is not so common..... Current Tank Info: 120 SPS Dominate

05/31/2009, 01:58 PM	#2
Ohiomom Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,586	If your tank is the 120g that is mentioned on your info..then I would think you have a fighting chance..would think there is room for all. __________________ .....Sandra “Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Current Tank Info: 75 galllon reef, T5HO love em!

05/31/2009, 02:02 PM	#3
Kdocimo90 Superior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 6,175	There is a very big chance of the pair fighting with the picasso. I would definitely move either the pair or the picasso to a seperate tank __________________ ¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯) VISIT MY HOME PAGE (¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸ ¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯) TO SEE MY 210G TANK (¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸ -Kevin Current Tank Info: 210 Gallon Softy/LPS Reef Tank

05/31/2009, 03:12 PM	#4
saltjohnswharf Conscientious Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Carmichael, CA Posts: 524 Blog Entries: 1	I agree with Kdocimo90. Clowns are territorial fish. They are especially aggresive to other clowns when they are paired up and have a host such as your frogspawn. They will defend it from the intruder. This is just my opinion as I have only experienced this once but I think you will find many would agree. __________________ If you had to live the rest of your life in an aquarium what would your minimum tank size be? Think before you buy Current Tank Info: 27 gallon Dying Reef Biotope

05/31/2009, 04:44 PM	#6
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Two females will fight.Usually two pair off; dominant one becomes a female . Sometimes they allow a 3rd to hang around on the periphery of their territory.Sometimes not. If one dies the 3rd steps in and becomes the new male. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

05/31/2009, 03:39 PM	#5
rkelman Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Belleville, Ontario Canada Posts: 3,438	I disagree that they will kill it. If its an unsexed juvie they may take it in as part of the group. The real problems are usually caused with 2 pairs. With clowns 3 is not necessarily a crowd. Its quite natural to have a family group that has a male / female pair and a number of unsexed juvies. That being said they may kill it. Its kind of up to them if they like it or not.

05/31/2009, 06:40 PM	#7
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	wow, glad you found him __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

05/31/2009, 07:10 PM	#11
hermitage Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CT Posts: 307	whenever I've had fish missing, I always check my overflows first...then my sump. 4 month is a long time for that little guy to be stuck in an overflow.

05/31/2009, 09:18 PM	#12
sikpupy Moved On Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,431	4 months? Thats crazy!! Any idea how he lived so long without food? Probably not a good idea, but, if you think you could get him out if they start to herase him, its worth a shot. Yea, but he said he was in the pipes. I dont think anyone ever looks in the pipes, lol.

05/31/2009, 11:03 PM	#13
maynardjames Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: west tennessee Posts: 1,600	have a pair of maroons & 1 ocellaris. it stays away from maroons & they dont bother it at all. they may zip out at it every now & then, but never more than 1 little dart at it & back to their side of tank.could just be luck though. maroons were paired up but their anemone had problems & shrank in size. now female stays with it & male hangs out elsewhere. it is about 1/5th of size it was.not sure why __________________ if your 555 Current Tank Info: 120 rr dual overflows, solarflare t5 fixture,octo extreme 200,vortech mp40w esx2. brs reactor for carbon, brs reactor for gfo, 40 gal breeder sump

06/01/2009, 04:29 AM	#14
rkelman Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Belleville, Ontario Canada Posts: 3,438	"They eventually will have a sex, they cant always be unsexed with 3 in the tank..." Not all 3... 1 will remain unsexed or Juvenile. So how about an update?

06/01/2009, 06:16 AM	#15
Beaun It's pronounced Bone Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Hampton, NY Posts: 1,967	Why not put it in for a little, if they attack each other, then take one or the other out? __________________ -Tyler "The only legitimate use of a computer is to play games." -Eugene Jarvis Current Tank Info: None

06/01/2009, 06:31 AM	#16
villious Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Newport News, Virginia Posts: 347	Hi all. I still have him separated. He's in a plastic container with holes in the tank. The other clowns will sometimes go up to the container and pitch a fit. They definitely don't seem to like him. I think I'll try and find a good home for him. I don't want him to get hurt. __________________ "Good? Bad? I'm the one with the gun." "Hail to the king, baby!" -Ashley J. 'Ash' Williams This board has taught me that common sense is not so common..... Current Tank Info: 120 SPS Dominate

06/01/2009, 08:47 AM	#17
reeftrinh Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: chicago Posts: 744	you can try to leave him in something that plastic container with vents in it or a breeder net you can buy at petsmart for 8 bux for about 2 weeks. by that time, they should get use to the idea of having another clown in the tank. if they are still hostile then u should take it out but if not then you have successfully introduced a single clown with a pair of clowns.

06/01/2009, 11:02 AM	#18
mkarston Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 449	Wow... this same exact thing happened to me about 2 years ago. I went to clean my overflow box, and found a perc I thought I'd lost 3 months back. Its funny to hear the same exact thing happened to someone else. I now keep egg create over my tank. Mine survived and is currently raising hell in my friend's tank.

06/01/2009, 06:15 PM	#19
rkelman Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Belleville, Ontario Canada Posts: 3,438	Some aggression is normal and should be expected. Don't take that as a failure.