2 pairs of clowns 1 tank ok???

[ninjamini]

I fave a small pair of false perks. Today I saw some nude clowns....have to have some.

But will they kill each other? It's a 4foot 150 gallon.

[Alexwilson1337]

They are technically the same fish if I'm not mistaken

[peasofme]

only 2 clowns per tank

[Harriscli]

In that size tank you may be okay. Problem is when the bond they will get aggressive.

If you do
Decide to do put them together it would work best if they had multiple things to host as far away as possiblr

[Calappidae]

All clowns are born as males. The more aggressive, and dominant one will out grow the others and become a female. There is no "Pairs", clownfish almost live like a bee hive in anemones and they have a queen.

You'll notice on clown picking on the others.. thats the female :mixed:.

Reason why clowns are added at the same time so that they can decide who is female.

Multiple different species of clowns is a no go.

[ninjamini]

There is no "Pairs", clownfish almost live like a bee hive in anemones and they have a queen.

You'll notice on clown picking on the others..

They are technically the same fish if I'm not mistaken

So if there the same fish can I have 2 of each and have a hairum? Or will I end up with 2 fish after a while? Or will they seperate?

[redfundai]

They will kill each other till one female remains

[Calappidae]

They will kill each other till one female remains

You can have as many clowns as you want BUT no clowns of different species.

[Calappidae]

I fave a small pair of false perks. Today I saw some nude clowns....have to have some.

But will they kill each other? It's a 4foot 150 gallon.

To sum things up.. they will terrorize each other probably to death..

[jthao]

not to cause a war, but i have a 120g 4x2x2, and I have a pair of oc, a pair of picassos, and a blue line clarkii (if that's correct name?), and they live peacefully. but what i do notice, is that fishes seem to get along better when theres lots of fishes. if there's only a few/couple of other fishes, and you have two pairs of clowns, they will seek out each other and fight. It works for me, and always have (used to have pair of onyx, pair of b/w oc, and a maroon in a 180g and they coexisted peacefully as well) but I have lots of fish (I mean A LOT!), more than the "god of reef aquariums" will ever allow LOL, but everything thrives and do just fine.
I suggest that you only do it if theres a good amount of fish in your tank, this seems to usually have them distracted and the clowns almost kind of stick together (all species) somehow, at least for me.
JUST SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, I'M NO EXPERT (FAR FROM IT ACTUALLY). YOU MAY EXPERIENCE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK, I'M NOT RELIABLE IF YOUR FISHES GO NUTS LOL. But all jokes aside, this hobby is all about trying different things, and doing what works best for you, some "god of reef aquariums" may go crazy on you (like i may be getting myself into here) but if in the end, you get the result you wish, then the method of getting there is only our own unique approach.
I SAY, GO FOR IT!!

[Calappidae]

not to cause a war, but i have a 120g 4x2x2, and I have a pair of oc, a pair of picassos, and a blue line clarkii (if that's correct name?), and they live peacefully. but what i do notice, is that fishes seem to get along better when theres lots of fishes. if there's only a few/couple of other fishes, and you have two pairs of clowns, they will seek out each other and fight. It works for me, and always have (used to have pair of onyx, pair of b/w oc, and a maroon in a 180g and they coexisted peacefully as well) but I have lots of fish (I mean A LOT!), more than the "god of reef aquariums" will ever allow LOL, but everything thrives and do just fine.
I suggest that you only do it if theres a good amount of fish in your tank, this seems to usually have them distracted and the clowns almost kind of stick together (all species) somehow, at least for me.
JUST SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, I'M NO EXPERT (FAR FROM IT ACTUALLY). YOU MAY EXPERIENCE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK, I'M NOT RELIABLE IF YOUR FISHES GO NUTS LOL. But all jokes aside, this hobby is all about trying different things, and doing what works best for you, some "god of reef aquariums" may go crazy on you (like i may be getting myself into here) but if in the end, you get the result you wish, then the method of getting there is only our own unique approach.
I SAY, GO FOR IT!!

Thats a rare case, sometimes they get along and sometimes not... if all the clowns have their own anemone then sometimes they will stay put in the anemone and avoid eachother... but there is still a high risk of fighting to the death.

[smtank]

One clown will be the dominate female and one clown will be the dominate male all others are will remain sexually immature. If the female should perish the dominate male will become the female and one of the sexually immature clowns will become the dominate male. This is not like a bee hive, the female only spawns with dominate male.

If you introduce all young juvenile clowns a dominate pair will develop and the rest will be sexually immature. The female will become deathly aggressive with any other clown that she senses has the potential to become a female or is already a female, and any potential male that is not subservient or rejected.

With the use of host anemones and plenty of territories you could introduce juvenile clowns. With any type of Damsel you always run the risk of aggression breaking out, but there are many hobbyist that keep multiple clowns in larger aquariums successfully. Choose sexually immature clowns initially and be prepared with a back up plan should aggression become an issue down the line.

[FTDelta]

I SAY, GO FOR IT!!

Bad advice. Your situation is an extremely rare case. For the rest of us, I say don't do it.

One pair per tank unless you have 1000 gallon tank.

[OrionN]

You cannot have two pairs, but if they are young, they will do OK in a group most of the time.

I raise clown fish, and over breed and have too many clown fish in my tank. I have to do something so I add some of my nicer babies to my reef tanks that have mature pairs in them.
On one of my tank, there is a Haddoni, no clown fish, 30 gal cube. I added 8 clowns 4 A. percula and 4 SnowOnyx all about 1 inches. The four Percula all do well in this tank, but the 4 SnowOnyx all disappeared over 2 night. No jumping into overflow or jump out side of tank. A big mystery to me. Maybe the Haddoni ate all four.
I added 12 babies clowns various type. Several A. percula, several SnowOnyx, Several Phantom, and two Platinum Percular. The tank have a pair of Picasso sub mature. Tank is a 30X30X30 with one Haddoni and one Maximini. All doing well. Some bickering and the large Picasso pair are Queen and King but they don't realy go after the young fish anymore.

IN another tank, another 30 inches cube, there are three S. gigantea, and a mature SnowOnyx pair, laying eggs. I added 3 SnowOnyx and three A. percula. Over flow of this tank is screen by 1/2 egg crates. Easy let the baby clowns to pass through. I added three A. percula and 3 SnowOnyx. One of the Snow Onyx got his face ripped by the male, and loss 1/2 of the upper jaws, after a week or so, they let him and another SnowOnyx stay in the anemones with them. Two of the Percula and one of the SnowOnyx got chase into the overflow box (huge, about 10 gals) They live there fine and is growing. I add food into the overflow box for them. One of the Percula get abuse by the 4 fish in the tank (two adult SnowOnyx and two juvi snow Onyx). He is not allow in the three Gigantea but reside in a Frogspawn coral and is doing great there.

On the whole, Ocellaris tend to tolerate Juvi more than Percula or PerculaXOcellaris.

[Calappidae]

Bad advice. Your situation is an extremely rare case. For the rest of us, I say don't do it.

One pair per tank unless you have 1000 gallon tank.

1000 gallon? try the whole ocean... it won't work in the long run.

[cet98]

One clown will be the dominate female and one clown will be the dominate male all others are will remain sexually immature. If the female should perish the dominate male will become the female and one of the sexually immature clowns will become the dominate male. This is not like a bee hive, the female only spawns with dominate male.

If you introduce all young juvenile clowns a dominate pair will develop and the rest will be sexually immature. The female will become deathly aggressive with any other clown that she senses has the potential to become a female or is already a female, and any potential male that is not subservient or rejected.

With the use of host anemones and plenty of territories you could introduce juvenile clowns. With any type of Damsel you always run the risk of aggression breaking out, but there are many hobbyist that keep multiple clowns in larger aquariums successfully. Choose sexually immature clowns initially and be prepared with a back up plan should aggression become an issue down the line.

+1....best answer given here :thumbsup:

[bues0022]

There is no "Pairs", clownfish almost live like a bee hive in anemones and they have a queen.
.

This is incorrect information. Clownfish definitely will pair up, and what you will end up with is a scenario as smtank described. When observing wild clowns, what you have stated may appear to be truth, but in our home aquaria with very limited space the territorial behavior of clowns comes out.

[nanoreefer1000]

What about Marvins tank? He has I think 10+ picassos/percs in I think an 100 gallon, with like 20 BTA's.

[bues0022]

You will always be able to find cases where things like this work, but it is unfortunately not the norm. The problem herein is that some people choose to only see the few who have made it work as a sign of what they are likely to encounter, rather than the full picture of many more cases where it hasn't worked. The problem with going in in such a project even with the best intentions of removing fish if aggression shows, is that there very well may not be much aggression seen by the tank owner until fish have gone missing and are killed by the pair.

My rule of thumb whenever I answer this question (which comes up more than it should IMHO) is: if you have to ask if more than one pair is ok, you don't yet have the knowledge base to make a successful attempt at the project.

Who is Marvin? Did you mean Mobert? If you are referring to "27 clowns for 27 months" even she saw some aggression and had fish dying near the end of that thread. Please post a link

[OrionN]

I think in Mobert's thread, she ended up with 11 clowns when she started with 27 of them.
You can have multiple Ocellaris, Percula and Pink Skunk. These are the most docile of the clowns. However, only done mature pair with the rest immature.

[thefranchizehof]

I love how this topic is almost as controversial as "Evolution vs God". I have heard so many people say no, no, no, no until they are blue in the face. Fact of the matter is, that by understanding the risk, anyone can attempt it. Most will probably be unsuccessful and a few may be successful. I am newer to the hobby but even I know that there is no such thing as "similar" tanks. All tanks are special in their own right from the species living in them to the parameters. Just because Joe Blow had a clown massacre doesn't mean that John Smith is going too also.

I have a couple of different LFS that I respect/trust and haven't steered me wrong (yet). Granted, I know they run a business and want to make money, obviously, but if I am getting "YES" from LFS and "NO" from people who think they are reef kings, I am probably going to go with the people who run a successful business.

I am in no way shape or form trying to shoot down anyone or reject your theories/opinions, but I feel like if someone wants to attempt to do something that isn't exactly the norm in the hobby, they should feel free to try and document their results.

Again, I'm newer to the hobby, and my opinion probably carries as much weight as a grain of salt, but I feel like people have successes that aren't the "norm" every day

[bues0022]

I love how this topic is almost as controversial as "Evolution vs God". I have heard so many people say no, no, no, no until they are blue in the face. Fact of the matter is, that by understanding the risk, anyone can attempt it. Most will probably be unsuccessful and a few may be successful. I am newer to the hobby but even I know that there is no such thing as "similar" tanks. All tanks are special in their own right from the species living in them to the parameters. Just because Joe Blow had a clown massacre doesn't mean that John Smith is going too also.

I have a couple of different LFS that I respect/trust and haven't steered me wrong (yet). Granted, I know they run a business and want to make money, obviously, but if I am getting "YES" from LFS and "NO" from people who think they are reef kings, I am probably going to go with the people who run a successful business.

I am in no way shape or form trying to shoot down anyone or reject your theories/opinions, but I feel like if someone wants to attempt to do something that isn't exactly the norm in the hobby, they should feel free to try and document their results.

Again, I'm newer to the hobby, and my opinion probably carries as much weight as a grain of salt, but I feel like people have successes that aren't the "norm" every day

What you are saying is entirely true about not only this issue, but most things in this hobby. If you truly understand the operating parameters in which you are dealing with, you will be successfull, or at least knowledgable enough to pull out before things get too far downhill. The biggest issue, and why most on here advocate entirely against more than one pair per tank, is that it seems most people do not have the situational understanding you have. People want to know will it or won't it work, not truly understand how things work.

*Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man a fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.

You understand and want to learn how to fish. Most people just want a fish.

[HumbleFish]

I love how this topic is almost as controversial as "Evolution vs God". I have heard so many people say no, no, no, no until they are blue in the face. Fact of the matter is, that by understanding the risk, anyone can attempt it. Most will probably be unsuccessful and a few may be successful. I am newer to the hobby but even I know that there is no such thing as "similar" tanks. All tanks are special in their own right from the species living in them to the parameters. Just because Joe Blow had a clown massacre doesn't mean that John Smith is going too also.

I have a couple of different LFS that I respect/trust and haven't steered me wrong (yet). Granted, I know they run a business and want to make money, obviously, but if I am getting "YES" from LFS and "NO" from people who think they are reef kings, I am probably going to go with the people who run a successful business.

I am in no way shape or form trying to shoot down anyone or reject your theories/opinions, but I feel like if someone wants to attempt to do something that isn't exactly the norm in the hobby, they should feel free to try and document their results.

Again, I'm newer to the hobby, and my opinion probably carries as much weight as a grain of salt, but I feel like people have successes that aren't the "norm" every day

I'm on the opposite end of spectrum, as I've been doing this for 35+ years now. And let me tell ya, my opinion carries no more weight than yours. Things have evolved so much in this hobby that most of what I learned 35 years ago is now obsolete.

When doling out advice, I generally say, "This is what the odds suggest will happen..." Based upon my previous experiences, and those I've known or read about. But there are always exceptions to every rule. So I feel as long as one understands the possible risks, he/she is more than entitled to roll the dice.

Somewhere out there someone is trying to remove a "coral eating" tang from their tank.

Somewhere out there someone is enjoying a Raccoon Butterfly in their fully stocked reef tank.

The odds just don't favour either happening. ;)

[mobert]

I think in Mobert's thread, she ended up with 11 clowns when she started with 27 of them.
You can have multiple Ocellaris, Percula and Pink Skunk. These are the most docile of the clowns. However, only done mature pair with the rest immature.

True, I currently have 12 clowns 8+ year old clowns today but my clown deaths were probably caused by my neglect of water quality and lack of feeding. As long as I flood the tank daily with a large ice cube amount of frozen food daily and watch the water parameters all has been well and peaceful.

That being said, if your current clowns swim the entire tank, they will meet up with any new clowns added and a fight would most likely ensue. If the current pair stay close to their anemone/home, and another anemone is located on the opposite side of the tank and not within sight line of the first pair, then your chances of success increases. If you want to further your chances of success, you should also rearrange your whole tank before adding new clowns so your old clowns are not so determined to defend "their" territory. You should also feed the clowns such that they don't have to meet up to eat. A LOT of drifting food throughout the tank helps.
http://youtu.be/-ImQqjuU8m4

If your goal is to have multiple clowns in the same anemone, living happily together, as opposed to two pairs in the tank, then, in addition to doing the above, I would watch the LFS tank of clowns and not pick the more dominant clowns. Smaller, immature younger clowns who are subservient but not victims are the best candidates.

I do not recommend more than one pair of clowns in a tank, but in a 150 gallon or larger, and with the milder clowns, IMO, it is possible with effort and luck.

Mona

[SNAKEMANVET]

I have tried this in a 240,with a percs and occys,it lasted about an hr,they would meet in the middle and fight.I had several rbtas on each end of the tank.The only reason I tried this I had another tank ready if it didn't work out.If you have a spare tank ready I say try it.I have a feeling you will be removing one pair.

[thefranchizehof]

What you are saying is entirely true about not only this issue, but most things in this hobby. If you truly understand the operating parameters in which you are dealing with, you will be successfull, or at least knowledgable enough to pull out before things get too far downhill. The biggest issue, and why most on here advocate entirely against more than one pair per tank, is that it seems most people do not have the situational understanding you have. People want to know will it or won't it work, not truly understand how things work.

*Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man a fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.

You understand and want to learn how to fish. Most people just want a fish.

Thank you for the support and respecting my ideas/thoughts. I appreciate it. Like I said, I'm far, far, far from a seasoned aquarist, but I just feel like this debate/topic isn't black and white. It's not YES it will work and it's not NO it won't work.

Results will vary from tank to tank.

[reeffreak75]

not to cause a war, but i have a 120g 4x2x2, and I have a pair of oc, a pair of picassos, and a blue line clarkii (if that's correct name?), and they live peacefully. but what i do notice, is that fishes seem to get along better when theres lots of fishes. if there's only a few/couple of other fishes, and you have two pairs of clowns, they will seek out each other and fight. It works for me, and always have (used to have pair of onyx, pair of b/w oc, and a maroon in a 180g and they coexisted peacefully as well) but I have lots of fish (I mean A LOT!), more than the "god of reef aquariums" will ever allow LOL, but everything thrives and do just fine.
I suggest that you only do it if theres a good amount of fish in your tank, this seems to usually have them distracted and the clowns almost kind of stick together (all species) somehow, at least for me.
JUST SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, I'M NO EXPERT (FAR FROM IT ACTUALLY). YOU MAY EXPERIENCE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK, I'M NOT RELIABLE IF YOUR FISHES GO NUTS LOL. But all jokes aside, this hobby is all about trying different things, and doing what works best for you, some "god of reef aquariums" may go crazy on you (like i may be getting myself into here) but if in the end, you get the result you wish, then the method of getting there is only our own unique approach.
I SAY, GO FOR IT!!


Wow!! I couldnt said it any better!cheers!!!!

[sh0ck]

In long tank I can think of this working with luck - if they dont fight over anemone or anemone dont move at all and both pairs have their own. But than any spike happen, nem move or whatever and u end up with 1 pair in an hour.

In 4 foot I would not expect anything more than "temporary" peace. Mby if anemones are on opposite corners glass. Spawning defense territories just overlap otherwise.

[FTDelta]

So be it. No matter what suggestion/opinion/advice is given here, you will do whatever you want. It's your money, your tank, do whatever tickles your fancy. If it's really about wanting to hear a couple posters say "Yes, it can be done" by all means do it. I guess being a responsible marine aquarist is not your thing. Good luck.

[thefranchizehof]

I just wanna share my most recent experiment. Lasted 15 hours.

I have an established pair in my 75 gallon. Broke down and bought this pair of Snow Onyx clowns last night. Everything was great to start as they just checked each other out. Came home from running errands and the established pair was pushing my new ones all over the place. So, sadly, I had to get rid of my old pair. It sucks because the monetary value of the new ones was greater than the sentimental value of the old :(

Just wanted to share this with you all. Every tank is different and no two fish are the same. I know this sounds ironic after my longer "rant" earlier in this post, but just wanted to share.

[sonoma2nv]

why make fish fight.this subject is hit or miss its all dependent on the fish but 90% its ends is one of the pairs dead,theresa a sarch button for a reason dont be lazy.a reef is not for someone thats lazy

[FTDelta]

Thank you for the support and respecting my ideas/thoughts. I appreciate it. Like I said, I'm far, far, far from a seasoned aquarist, but I just feel like this debate/topic isn't black and white. It's not YES it will work and it's not NO it won't work.

Results will vary from tank to tank.

No it doesn't vary from tank to tank.

With all due respect, this is usually a typical response from someone who doesn't want to believe it can't be done regardless of others' experiences or responses. No matter what anyone says, 9 times out of 10 they will do it in spite of of all. Like I always say - it's your tank, your money, do what you want. It will be a bitter pill to swallow once you find out the hard way when you realize you should have heeded the advice given to you. Good luck.