Mixing Clowns

[Corax]

Hey Folks,
A friend of mine has a 4" Maroon clown in a 75gallon tank. She wants to add a couple of perculas to the tank. Anyone ever tried this? Right now, the Maroon is the only resident other than crabs and shrimp...

Any input is welcome =)

[ellington]

Hi,

You should probably read the "Your nominee for meanest clown" thread. Also, there are several other threads on "mixing clowns" that may be of interest.

HTH

[Phage]

Usually, you don't want to mix most any clowns, especially a maroon, but there are exceptions to the rule with any and all fish. Apparently no one told my maroon (4") that she should hate my false perc (2") and they go so far as to share residence in various corals. Although, any day she could go on a murderous rampage and take him out... you never know.

[ginntonic74]

imo i wouldnt try it. They might fight to the death but sometimes there is an exception to the rules. I would save my money and not try it.

[Corax]

I'm well aware of the Maroon's tendencies, I have a 4" female myself. The friend got into salt because she wanted to have perculas (her favorite clown), but she rescued a Maroon from positively TERRIBLE conditions... She has been reading that they CAN be mixed, even saw some pictures of them together apparently, so I wanted some real world accounts of such a thing for her to see before she does this...

[MarinaP]

I agree with ginntonic74. Also, why subject the pers to a very real death possibility, if there are so many other fishes that can coexist with a maroon in a 75G tank? Your friend made an impulsive purchase and should figure out a way to get the best out of it.

[Corax]

She didn't purchase the Maroon, she saved it from someone that wasn't even bright enough to mix salt water up properly. The poor thing was lving in an unheated 10g tank with a blue devil damsel and "a white damsel with a black spot on its dorsal fin"... She saved the poor thing's life and her sister in law is doing the same for the damsels...

The perculas aren't purchased yet, and I'm hoping this thread will help keep it that way when I show it to her in a few days =)

[MoeXO]

First off, I'm the one that is going to mix the clowns. Second, I did NOT make an "Impulse purchase" I saved the Maroon Clown from a SG that didn't even register, and a temp of about 65-70 degrees F. The lady that had her had her a blue damsel, and a "white Damsel" in a 10g tank. While I am keeping the Maroon in a 75g tank, my FRIEND is housing the 2 damsels in the 10g that they came in, until she gets a 29g up and running. Here (http://oscars-r-us.com/viewtopic.php?t=1361) is the original thread..which is very long. I have got some advice there. I personally think that the Maroon will do fine in a tank the size of mine. IF for some reason this does not work, I have a 29g that I can convert to a SW tank, and make it her home. The True Perculas are the ONLY reason I did a SW tank in the first place. RaVen, if I had wanted to find out the opinions of the people here (no disrespect intended, so please don't take it that way. I get very confused when I have 800 different opinions running around)I would have posted this question when you asked me to. I really am not appreciative that you would "ask this question for me". I really had thought you knew me better than that!! If this is your grasp to get me to change my mind on the purchase of my Percs, you are dead wrong. I'm not happy with this at all. Like I said...if I wanted to get the opinion of the people of this forum, I would have asked myself!

[Tanglefoot]

Just to kick in mt 2 cents, I have a mated pair of Pink Skunks and a 5" Gold Banded Maroon in a 58 gallon all as happy as can be. (almost a year). The only agression I ever have with the maroon is when anyone but my Tang gets within a 4"-5" radius of his anemone at which time she scoots them out. (Normal response). At most other times the 3 of them school together about 4 hours of the day and even eat together. All in all I would say health environment space and the unique disposition of each fish will be the ultimate decision maker.

Laters...

[MoeXO]

That is the way I'm looking at it Tanglefoot. That each fish has its own personality...mood...etc. I don't see why it would be so tragic to at least try it. I have decided to set up my 29g as a SW (it would have adventually happend anyway :lmao: ) and wait until it is completely cycled before I purchase the Perculas. Then, if they don't get along, I can put the Maroon in the 29g, and all is well.

I do want to clear things up here. I did appreciate the advice given here. I'm always open to suggestions, and advice. I was NOT mad at the fact that some people disagreed with what I am doing...I was mad that Raven had taken it upon himself to start a thread in my behalf. I have since spoken to Raven, and we are buds again! :thumbsup: I do very much appreciate the advice given to me here. And when I have questions I will ask...trust me..just ask Hoops..LOL I just don't want to come off here as some cold hearted B!tch that don't care about the hobby, and gets p!ssy when someone gives me advice that I don't agree with. I'm very much in the hobby for the fish. (Incase you couldn't tell by the "rescue" of the Maroon) Had I not cared about fish, I would have let the Maroon stay in the tank it was so poorly housed in, because I knew there could possibly be complications with putting it with Percs.

Hope you all understand what I'm saying here!! :wave:

[Tanglefoot]

Go get em MoeXO! And good luck. If we never explored the options we would never learn. Best we can do is approach it with curiousity and handle it with care. Keep in touch with the outcome.

Regards, Tanglefoot

[scottseidner]

I have to admit, I have had Ideas of a second Clown with my 4" White Stripe. He is generally non-agressive towards others. He sat on my Foxface when I first introduced them. After that he pretty much ignores all else. He now eats out of my hand, bumping snouts with the Foxface. I purchased a Green Bubble Tip for him today. I hope he takes to it.

[MoeXO]

Thanks for y'all understandment!! I'm pretty new to the hobby of SW, although I've researched for a year! At this moment, I am not putting any Anemonies in the tank...but I'm sure it will happen adventually (loooooooong way down the road..lol) I'm kinda just trying to get my feet wet with a FOWLR right now. Here (http://oscars-r-us.com/viewtopic.php?t=1394) are some pictures if you guys are intrested in looking at them. Just shows how the tank is looking so far. In these pictures, it's still a little cloudy from putting my baserock in.

[scottseidner]

Great News!!!
The Clown took to the Bubble Tip like a duck to water!!
I have a question though. The clown is always moving. He never stops, even in the anemone. Is this normal behavior?

[Tanglefoot]

Oh yeah, Maroons love to "fluff" theri host anemonie. It would seem to drive the anemonie nuts! The main trouble you might have is that even though most clowns will feed their host (given time) they also sometimes dilodge food like krill from the host when they fluff it.

Take care...

[scottseidner]

Thanks sp much for the info. I was getting kind of worried. The Clown does open the Anemone up. He draws the edge into its mouth and pulls, but gently.