I Can't Decide - Help?

[brians_224]

Thanks for your time.

I recently lost my 18 month old pair of Ocelaris clowns to carpet surfing.

I want to replace them - but with what?

My largest regret about the ocelaris is that they never hosted in my rbta. I know that a rbta is not a natural partner for the false clown. My tank is 45 gallons, I don't think that I can afford the realestate required for a natural hosting partner. In addition, I have 6 clones I can't seem to wrestle free from the live rock.

My question - what do you think will provide me the best chance of hosting in my RBTAs:

WC Ocelaris vs CB Ocelaris - I really like the looks of the ocelaris clown. Will a wild caught specimen more likely host? I've heard it from both sides.

Maroons - i've read that the rbta is a natural partner with them. Any time I've seen them in the LFS, they are always hosting in something or another. Do I need to worry about aggression? I think my royal gramma might have influenced the carpet surfing with my last two clowns. She has a bit of an attitude. I thought maybe the maroons would put her in check? There seems to be many varieties of maroons out there. I like the shape and markings of this kind: If I order a maroon on line, how can I be sure that I'm getting the correct variety?
(Image compliments of Petsolutions )



Can you provide me any details to help sway me one way or the other? What would you recommend?

[youpey]

i have a book on clowns, and it very much points towards tank raised because of health issues, but the book is written by a clown breeder. i take all that with a grain of salt. I do believe that tank raised are better because they dont usually have to travel so much and were in a tank there whole lives, so going from the giant ocean to a small tank like wild caughts do might be a pretty big shock. now that i have gotten completely off topic, wild caughts know what anenomes are, where as tank raised probably have never seen it. i do believe that there instincts tell them to go the anenome when they are born, but they may not have one to go to. i think if you really want it to go to the anenome, wild caught will more likely take to it.

[brians_224]

Thanks.
Regarding tank raised - my lfs says that the instinct to host has been bred out of them.

Wild caught ocelaris or maroon?

[youpey]

i read in the book, but have no personal experience with maroon. but the book described them as "3 inches of terror."
i am very fond of occelaris they are extremely friendly. very funny to watch, but the maroons are absolutely beautiful. the book also said maroons have a tendency to bite the person if they put their hand in the tank. I dont know what other fish you may have but from what i have read in this book maroons should be purchased with great thought since they are so aggressive

[bigworm616]

im pretty sure TR clowns will host. Between ocellaris and maroon clowns i would go with maroons. you have a much better chance of them hosting in your rbta. Plus they look cooler, everyone has ocellaris/percs. JMO, goodluck with it.

[Kelmen]

I would advise you against maroon.

In all my reading, they are the most fierce (bullying) and destructive (sand bed digger) one.
The pro is probably they are the most hardy in clownfish group.

GL

[NewBeReef627]

My pair of GSM dig in the sand and hit my hand when I clean the tank. But they are soooo pretty. When the female gets onto the male, he dodges her and kisses her cheek. It is real cute. They host in a giant colt. The female was ok with me til I cut a frag off the colt.

I would say Gold Striped Maroon.

Lori

[Confooseld]

I love my GSM's not that aggro but they do love to dig. However they are kept in check by two very aggresive much larger tank mates.

[JodiLynn]

Wouldn't maroons need a larger tank than 45g? I recall reading that somewhere. But I may be wrong.