Clown trio: remove 1 or add 5?

[Ardeus]

I recently tried to introduce a group of small clowns to a tank with an established couple but it failed miserably due to a deadly outburst of brooklynella.

Here's the 400 liters tank with the surviving clown trio

https://s2.postimg.org/qj5nu1ugp/20170716_010613.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/4jz96udmd/)

The trio has been peaceful for a few months but odds are that that family arrangement won't last.

I am faced with 2 options:

- Let the trio stay while there's peace and find a new home for the smaller clown as soon as I see that he's no longer welcome in the group;

- Accept the offer of 5 young clowns from a friend. In this case, I would remove all the fish from the main tank for a couple of days and reintroduce them all at once.

What are the chances of the last option in the long run?

[Ardeus]

This video has persuaded me to leave it as it

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[davocean]

While it may be cool now, and I've seen a trio last quite a while, it almost inevitably becomes an issue eventually when they mature and pair off.

The harems are usually all from the same clutch.

I personally would pull the 3rd wheel, but that's because i learned the hard way many years ago and swore I would not do it again, as when it happens, it usually goes bad before you can do anything to intervene

[Ardeus]

The 2 smaller clowns are probably 6 or 7 months old.

I did have a case a few years ago where the male joined forces with a pigmy angel to beat up the female. I had to remove the pigmy angel and isolate the male for a couple of weeks before I could put the couple together again. It took them months for them to get over it.

[OrionN]

I keep Ocellaris and Percula in group of 3 or 4 long term without problem in a tank with plenty of natural hosts. The smaller one would get abuse but not to the point of severe injury. In my 325 gal right now, I have 4 Percula with three forming a trio and the 4th one wander around from anemone to anemone. Initially they were in pairs until the female assert her dominant over the dominate one of the other pair. Now all three stay somewhat together and chase the smallest one. I have to think of someway to remove the small one and will have the trio in my tank. The pair spawn regularly in my tank.

[Ardeus]

Thank you Minh.

For how long has the trio been stable? Do they still get along during spawning?

[OrionN]

they are in my 320 gal for at least 3 years. The female was a mature tank raise. The other three were wild caught Percula. They spawned every 2 weeks at this time, for at least one year.

[Ardeus]

Do you think that they tolerate each other because of the presence of other fish?

[davocean]

Keep in mind, he's keeping his in a 320g tank, that's a different ball game

[Ardeus]

The main difference is that if they start to attack the weaker one, he won't be able to go very far.

Other than that, in a bigger tank you're able to keep more and larger fish, which help to keep the aggression between the clowns in check, I guess.

My experience with groups of social fish is with shelldwellers from lake Tanganyika. When they are in a small community with no other fish, they have deadly fights. If you add other species they focus less on themselves.

I remember I once saw a film where there was a couple who was always fighting and someone gave them a stupid dog. The couple stopped fighting and started blaming the dog for everything :)

[OrionN]

IME, Percula and Ocellaris along with Pink Skunk does not spend a huge amount of energy to attack each other. As long as the little guy can dive around and out of sight, that pretty much end the aggression.
From the look of your tank, then number of BTA, I think you can keep the three of them and I am 90% sure that they will do fine as a trio.

[Ardeus]

Thanks Minh.

[Ardeus]

Here they are:

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