how aggressive is A. clarkii?

[dmh41532]

I recently lost my pair of oscellaris clowns, and I am looking for new clowns. I would like to add something different. I'd like to add a pair of clarkii clowns. Just wondering how aggressive, in general they can be, espically as get older. I have a 65 with a trio of flasher wrasses, a bangii cardinal, orchid dottyback. considering adding a flame hawk. no anemone yet, once the tank settles from the move, I plan to add a bubbletip.

[shadow64]

stay away from clarki's

[Kooka]

I have a pair of wild caught Clarkiis in my 75 gallon and they are easily the most intelligent and interesting variety of clownfish I've kept. That said, they are also the most aggressive, destructive and all out mean clownfish I've ever had. They tolerate the flame angel and yellow tang I have but the larger female clown killed my beloved canary wrasse and sporadically harasses my leopard wrasse. It also went after my cleaner shrimp when I moved him from my smaller frag tank; ended up ripping off one of its antennae. Other than that, the larger female loves to dig in the sand like a little pig, occasionally burying corals in the process. Once Clarkiis pair off they become very territorial and will protect their anemone or anything else they're hosting vigorously. I cannot place my hand anywhere near their bubbletip without risking the female head-butting and biting me! They also have the ability to move large rocks around so make sure your rockwork is secure.

[lobstergrabber]

stay away from clarki's

Why would you say that because they are the clowns I would like to get.

[cma]

This is my first comment on this forum so congratulations I guess. Any way I've had 2 clarkii in my 10g for 9 months with a damsel and a fire fish goby. the clowns can grow close to 6" I've heard. They chase the damsel every now and again and when I introduced the goby the clowns where actually biting the goby. Not to hurt the goby but because they where curios. They are very social fish and go good with about every thing as long as enough space. Don't want to disagree with anyone but that's my experience.

[DamonG]

I had a mated pair, and I have to admit, they were the first(and only)mated pair of fish I have ever owned. They grew fast and we'll, and fir a while, were very entertaining. Then, it seemed like overnight, they went into spawning mode(from what I read) and after that, they simply had to leave my community system. I loved them, but had no choice.

They were the roughest clowns I have, by far, ever owned... beautiful, but extremely volatile... Lol

[cma]

I had a mated pair, and I have to admit, they were the first(and only)mated pair of fish I have ever owned. They grew fast and we'll, and fir a while, were very entertaining. Then, it seemed like overnight, they went into spawning mode(from what I read) and after that, they simply had to leave my community system. I loved them, but had no choice.

They were the roughest clowns I have, by far, ever owned... beautiful, but extremely volatile... Lol

you are describing my clarkii's. I'm worried about my other fish when my clowns go into spawning mode:worried2:

[DamonG]

You know, people kept telling me that with a decent sized tank, it could be minimized. But, those things, if they saw themselves in the glass they would go nuts. Not to mention any other fish..

I loved those guys and raised them from tiny.. But, they just had to go.. I hope your experience isn't the same because they really are beautiful animals..

[snorvich]

They will want to control about 50 gallons of tank space once sexually mature. In a 200 gallon tank, that may not be a big problem; in a 60 gallon tank, they would be best as the only fish.

[joshky]

I had a juvenile and it was aggressive even as a baby! I got rid of it because of how bad it was, maybe if I had a larger tank I would get them again, but until then I'll stick with the smaller docile species like percula and ocellaris.

[shadow64]

I lost many fish to a clarki .mine would pick at others in tank . they would nip at coral . And the topper .....After acclimating a cleaner shrimp and 32 $$ later my mr clarki thought the shrimp was his desert Yum... they are very territorial.

[dmh41532]

well, I guess I will either get A. oscellaris or A. percula. The store I purchase my fish from said they are semi-aggressive, but from what I've been reading, they're pretty mean. Thanks everyone

[Azedenkae]

Clarkiis are very aggressive when they need to be, so e.g. when dealing with competitors.

Mine rages on all Clownfish bar a single Clown friend of its.

Also doesn't bother my Dottyback, Blue Tang or Clown Goby.