Wanted to get some opinions on this. I have a tank raised oscellaris, have had him for 5 years now. It’s first 4 years were spent in a 12g nano, and this last year he was upgraded to my 54g tank. The fish is a bit retarded and kind of just hangs out in the upper rear corner of my tank. It’s always done that, even in the smaller tank. I would really like to add another clown to the tank (maybe a black oscellaris), but I know there is some inherent risk by adding another clown to a tank where the current single clown is king (or queen, who knows). Anyone ever add a clown to a tank that already had one residing in it? Would like to hear your success/failure story. And, of course, any advice you have is accepted graciously as well!
generally speaking you have more of a chance of there being an issue if you introduce a second clown of the same type / color aas the first. i.e. adding a second ocellaris may be a problem. Adding a second clown of a different species, i.e. tomato, cinnamon, B&W ocellaris you should be fine.
I started with a percula, added a cinnamin about 6 months later, added a B&W Ocellaris about 2 years after that, then had to add another percula as my first died in a move.
Watch the tank after adding the new clown, add after lights out, if aggression lasts for more then an hour start rearranging rock work. Fish are stupid sometimes and rearranging the rock makes them think THEY are the new one and tames the agression.
Thanks for the input Craig. Seems like most everyone I talk to is 50/50 on adding another clown. I have this poor RBTA that would like a clown to host it.
the clown you have now will maybe host the rbta if you move tank around. i actually have 2 perks in one anemome. they never messed with it in the 90 but as soon as i moved them to the 24 gallon they both found the anenome within hours. as for the mixing of two different ones i think you are fine
in my next tank i will have at least 2 different kinds of clowns. tell us how it goes. i know some other people in the club have done this. i think as long as u add smaller males you will be fine. i want to wait for my gsm clown to get big so i can add smaller male clowns and not have the trouble of 2 becoming female and killing each other. hope all goes well.
I think I will try a small tomato clown.
+1 to moving around the tank for the fish to find the RBTA, or adding a fish might spur it to find it. everytime we would add a fish the tomato would give up his spot and and move around the tank, after adding a fish he finally found the BTA.
The only problem i can see with adding another Osc. would be if they are the same size. If the one you already have is big and u add a small they will almost surely bond and even possibly mate in the future. I had my first Osc. for bout a year before i added another and they bonded instantly. But once there is a pair of Clowns they will terrorize any other clowns in the tank… My nemos tried chasing my tomato a few times, also when i added my Misbar they wanted a piece. Or you might get lucky and the Osc. and B&W osc. will bond like my first clowns did.
[quote=“Cdangel0, post:2, topic:1545”]
generally speaking you have more of a chance of there being an issue if you introduce a second clown of the same type / color aas the first. i.e. adding a second ocellaris may be a problem. Adding a second clown of a different species, i.e. tomato, cinnamon, B&W ocellaris you should be fine.[/quote]
To my understanding that wasn’t the case, but I could be wrong.
Personally I wouldn’t recommend adding any two clowns together.(unless their is a chance of getting a pair) Sometimes you hit the lottery, many times it doesn’t work out. That being said I swore I just watched a youtube video last night with a b&W oscellaris in with either a perc or a normal oscellaris.(Honestly was more interested in the corals in the tank then the fish so I didn’t pay close attention) These species and color morphs are similar enough sometimes they will pair up and all will be good.
My advice would be to search around the web and see if you can find at least 4-5 people who have added the clown you want to add, after already having the clown you have. Even then realize all fish have different personalities. There are also a lot of species of clown fish that look very similar and are hard to tell apart, so they might think they have the same as you… Also it is very difficult to sex these animals and their aggression may be every different depending. Also if the clownfish you have is hosting in anything(anemone, xenia, leather, hair algae) then it may be a lot more aggressive. You also have a chance of two different species pairing up.(though they will likely never produce viable offspring)
If you want to add a clown and have decided to do so I personally would recommending QTing the clown first so it adjusted from shipping and you know it is eating and isn’t about to go out due to disease. This will give the new one the most likely chance of surviving and decrease the odds you bring a disease in which kills both fish. Also when you add the fish kill the lights and perhaps move some rocks around to break up any current territories.(so you need to be able to watch when the lights come back on.
The equation is complicated and no one can say for sure exactly what will happen. Do a little research, add carefully, and monitor carefully.
After reading everywhere that it can’t be done and then seeing 4 local reefers doing it I would say it is doable under the right circumstances. When groups of clowns are kept in a tank they stay un-sexed except for the 2 largest which become the dominate male and female. If you get your clown out of a group tank there is probably a better chance they will be fine. If they are solo clowns who have been separated from a group for a while they will both be females and this would make them more territorial IMHO.
A couple people seem to have hit the point, but I’ll put in my expierence here. If you want to add a second clown, you have to make sure that it is still a immature male. When any clown is the only one in a tank for more than a week, it will begin to turn into a female. Once the change has begun, there is no reversing it. The best way to assure that the clown that you get would be compatible would be to go to a LFS that has a bunch, and pick the smallest one in the tank. When it is first added, the clown you have might pick on it a little, but that is just a dominance thing and it will stop once the smaller clown settles in. Since all clowns are males when they are born and then morph into females when they are the dominant fish, if you get a small enough one then it should simply pair up with the fish you have now. Who knows, if you get some sort of osc. or perc. you might get babies with the fish you have now.
Good stuff, will definitely get a clown from a LFS that has several in the tank and will get the smallest one, makes sense. Really leaning towards a small tomato clown.
Tomato clowns grow larger that the Osc. do. SO there could be a problem in the future depending on how long you stay in the hobby or keep the fish.
[quote=“SnEaKyPoLoCk, post:13, topic:1545”]
Tomato clowns grow larger that the Osc. do. SO there could be a problem in the future depending on how long you stay in the hobby or keep the fish.[/quote]
Didn’t know that.
Feel like I am on NBC and The slogan " The more you know! should float across the screen
I think I’ll nix the tomato and go w/ a black and white ocellaris.
+1 with what Ian said. Make sure you buy the smallest clown from a group and you will get a male. This does not guarantee that your female will like him, but it will probably work. I had my female black occellaris for 4 months before adding the male. She took to him right away!
I would go with the black occ.
[quote=“jfischer182, post:15, topic:1545”]
I think I’ll nix the tomato and go w/ a black and white ocellaris.[/quote]
That’s what I would do. That being said in my personal experience the wild caughts have a REALLY bad survival rate. Try to find aquacultured. There are several LFS that order stuff from ORA in our area.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:17, topic:1545”]
[quote=“jfischer182, post:15, topic:1545”]
I think I’ll nix the tomato and go w/ a black and white ocellaris.[/quote]
That’s what I would do. That being said in my personal experience the wild caughts have a REALLY bad survival rate. Try to find aquacultured. There are several LFS that order stuff from ORA in our area. [/quote]
DPA has some right now. That is where I got mine ;D
Check out the tomato they have at Dr. Macs, that mother $%# is HUGE
Will def buy tank raised, I try to by tank raised when I buy anything. Black ocellaris it is! Will have to keep my eye out for a LFS that has a group of them. If anyone is at a store and sees a group, give me shout! Thanks.