Everyone here has been so helpful to me in learning corals. So i thought i would post up about the thing i know most, clownfish. This isnt a complete comprehensive list of everything about clowns, but it should be enough to get you going.
I will make this Q&A style and it is everything i have learned by reading or personally experienced with clowns. i will cover only clowns you can get at fish stores, and if i miss anything feel free to chime in.
1. What clown is right for me?
This really depends on many factors, the first being how big is your tank, do you have other clowns, what other fish do you have in the tank
First, if you already have a clown in your tank, you should NOT get different species of clowns. There is a big chance they will fight until one dies or leaps from the tank (and dies). If you dont have any clowns in your tank, then you can follow this general guideline. It is generic, so use it as a guideline only
Tank Size minimum:
10g - Ocellaris Clown (False Percula). These clowns dont get very large. They can get up to 3 to 4 inches. They look almost exactly like Percula Clowns, but they dont get quite as large. There colors are not as bright as Percula though
20g - Percula. These clowns look very much like the Ocellaris. They get slightly larger than Ocellaris.
55g - Pretty much most other LFS bought clowns, including Maroon/Gold Stripe Maroon, Tomato, Clarkii etc
2. I have X clown, can i get Y clown
Short answer, NO. They probably will fight to the death. If your tank is spacious (75g or larger) they may not, but chances are they will.
3. I have X clown and i want another of the same kind, can i get it
You can get another clown of the same species, but you have to be very careful. If your clown is the only clown in the tank, chances are it is female (more on this next). You can NOT have 2 female clowns in the same tank. The female clown is the most dominant clown in the tank, and wants to stay this way. If another female clown is introduced, they will fight to the death.
The best way to introduce a new clown of the same species into the tank is to buy one that is first, not the only clown in the tank at the store, and Is not the largest in the tank. The largest will probably be female.
4. How do and i know what gender my clown is
All clowns are born without gender. They are neither male or female. As they grow older a gender will be determined by their dominance in the group. The most dominant will become female, the second most dominant will become male. All other clownfish in the group will stay no gender. Once a clown becomes female, it will stay female for life. It can not change to male or no gender. Once a clown becomes male, if the female dies or is killed, the male can become female if it is the most dominant. However it can not become no gender. once male it wil have a gender for life.
Clowns will probably be fights for dominance. The male will want to become female, and the genderless will want to have gender. They might fight to a death of one of the gendered fish.
5. My clowns are twitching, is this OK
Clowns will twitch (looks like they are having a seizure) when they are showing submission to the more dominant clown (male to female or no gender to male or female). This is their way of saying i submit, i do not want to try to be the most dominant.
6. What should i feed my clowns
Typically clowns are not picky eaters. They love brine shrimp, but it is not healthy for them. There is no nutritional value in brine, and clowns can not survive (healthily) with brine. A good food for the is mysis shrimp, formula 2 from Ocean Nutrition, cyclop eeze, black worms. If your clown will not eat, it may have been only fed brine shrimp at the store and it will take time and patience to get them to eat other things.
7. What is a breeding pair
A breeding pair are clownfish that have paired up and have begun to lay eggs in captivity
8. Which is better tank bred or wild caught
Typically wild caught have brighter colors, but are used to being in the ocean. They can be stressed to be in a tank and may have a harder time adapting. Tank bred will have an easier time adjusting to the tank life, but their colors may not be as bright.
9. Do I need an anemone for my clown
Clowns do not need anemones in a tank. They will do fine without it. Many clowns will even host in soft corals.
10. I got an anemone, but my clown wont host it
Sometimes clowns dont want to host. First make sure your anemone is a hosting anemone like a BTA, carpet LTA. There are other hosting anemones but these are the most common. There is a method that has worked for me, but it does not have 100% success rate. this method is to wait for complete darkness in the room of the tank. There cant be any light. Shine a light (cell phone light or flashlight) on the anemone so it is the only thing lit. keep doing this until your clown notices it. My old clown hosted an anemone within 20 minutes using this method, but i have read that others did not have success.
11. I have seen black clowns or all white clowns, they are cool what are they
These are clowns where the black or white is dominant instead of the orange. The blank clowns are called onyx and white clowns are called snowflake. There is also clowns called picasso which are typically clowns with all 3 colors (black, white and orange), except the bar markings is misformed. All of these clowns are "rare" and typically command a higher price.
12. Can i have more then 2 clowns of the same species
It is not recommended. Because of the gendering of clowns they might fight. Sometimes it can work, but it is generally not recommended.
This is all i have for now, if there are any questions that i may have forgotten please post up here and i will gladly answer if i know it. I did not go over disease or breeding because I have not experienced either.
;D
Please note, i am just a hobbyist. I am not an expert with clownfish, nor do i play one on TV. These are general rules of thumbs with what i have personally experienced and/or read. Please do additional research to verify/confirm any information before trying anything with clowns
;D
I will make this Q&A style and it is everything i have learned by reading or personally experienced with clowns. i will cover only clowns you can get at fish stores, and if i miss anything feel free to chime in.
1. What clown is right for me?
This really depends on many factors, the first being how big is your tank, do you have other clowns, what other fish do you have in the tank
First, if you already have a clown in your tank, you should NOT get different species of clowns. There is a big chance they will fight until one dies or leaps from the tank (and dies). If you dont have any clowns in your tank, then you can follow this general guideline. It is generic, so use it as a guideline only
Tank Size minimum:
10g - Ocellaris Clown (False Percula). These clowns dont get very large. They can get up to 3 to 4 inches. They look almost exactly like Percula Clowns, but they dont get quite as large. There colors are not as bright as Percula though
20g - Percula. These clowns look very much like the Ocellaris. They get slightly larger than Ocellaris.
55g - Pretty much most other LFS bought clowns, including Maroon/Gold Stripe Maroon, Tomato, Clarkii etc
2. I have X clown, can i get Y clown
Short answer, NO. They probably will fight to the death. If your tank is spacious (75g or larger) they may not, but chances are they will.
3. I have X clown and i want another of the same kind, can i get it
You can get another clown of the same species, but you have to be very careful. If your clown is the only clown in the tank, chances are it is female (more on this next). You can NOT have 2 female clowns in the same tank. The female clown is the most dominant clown in the tank, and wants to stay this way. If another female clown is introduced, they will fight to the death.
The best way to introduce a new clown of the same species into the tank is to buy one that is first, not the only clown in the tank at the store, and Is not the largest in the tank. The largest will probably be female.
4. How do and i know what gender my clown is
All clowns are born without gender. They are neither male or female. As they grow older a gender will be determined by their dominance in the group. The most dominant will become female, the second most dominant will become male. All other clownfish in the group will stay no gender. Once a clown becomes female, it will stay female for life. It can not change to male or no gender. Once a clown becomes male, if the female dies or is killed, the male can become female if it is the most dominant. However it can not become no gender. once male it wil have a gender for life.
Clowns will probably be fights for dominance. The male will want to become female, and the genderless will want to have gender. They might fight to a death of one of the gendered fish.
5. My clowns are twitching, is this OK
Clowns will twitch (looks like they are having a seizure) when they are showing submission to the more dominant clown (male to female or no gender to male or female). This is their way of saying i submit, i do not want to try to be the most dominant.
6. What should i feed my clowns
Typically clowns are not picky eaters. They love brine shrimp, but it is not healthy for them. There is no nutritional value in brine, and clowns can not survive (healthily) with brine. A good food for the is mysis shrimp, formula 2 from Ocean Nutrition, cyclop eeze, black worms. If your clown will not eat, it may have been only fed brine shrimp at the store and it will take time and patience to get them to eat other things.
7. What is a breeding pair
A breeding pair are clownfish that have paired up and have begun to lay eggs in captivity
8. Which is better tank bred or wild caught
Typically wild caught have brighter colors, but are used to being in the ocean. They can be stressed to be in a tank and may have a harder time adapting. Tank bred will have an easier time adjusting to the tank life, but their colors may not be as bright.
9. Do I need an anemone for my clown
Clowns do not need anemones in a tank. They will do fine without it. Many clowns will even host in soft corals.
10. I got an anemone, but my clown wont host it
Sometimes clowns dont want to host. First make sure your anemone is a hosting anemone like a BTA, carpet LTA. There are other hosting anemones but these are the most common. There is a method that has worked for me, but it does not have 100% success rate. this method is to wait for complete darkness in the room of the tank. There cant be any light. Shine a light (cell phone light or flashlight) on the anemone so it is the only thing lit. keep doing this until your clown notices it. My old clown hosted an anemone within 20 minutes using this method, but i have read that others did not have success.
11. I have seen black clowns or all white clowns, they are cool what are they
These are clowns where the black or white is dominant instead of the orange. The blank clowns are called onyx and white clowns are called snowflake. There is also clowns called picasso which are typically clowns with all 3 colors (black, white and orange), except the bar markings is misformed. All of these clowns are "rare" and typically command a higher price.
12. Can i have more then 2 clowns of the same species
It is not recommended. Because of the gendering of clowns they might fight. Sometimes it can work, but it is generally not recommended.
This is all i have for now, if there are any questions that i may have forgotten please post up here and i will gladly answer if i know it. I did not go over disease or breeding because I have not experienced either.
;D
Please note, i am just a hobbyist. I am not an expert with clownfish, nor do i play one on TV. These are general rules of thumbs with what i have personally experienced and/or read. Please do additional research to verify/confirm any information before trying anything with clowns
;D
