Best Clown?

[rpscuba]

I was thinking of getting one or two clown fishes for my 90. I just wanted to hear from those who have clown fish what kind would be best suited for my tank. I know there are those that are aggressive..... but not sure which ones.

[ozadars]

Tomato complex and maroon clowns are very aggressive. Ocellaris is probably the least aggressive clowns. My favourites are orange and pink skunks tho

[rpscuba]

Thanks. Also, which ones stay fairly small? I dont think I want anything that gets very big.

[evinny101]

I have a mated pair of gold stipe maroons they look great!!

[rpscuba]

Do you both have Anenomies with your clowns?

[Mariner]

There are some real experts on this stuff that hang out over in the "Anemones and Clownfish" forum here on RC.
I'm not one of them, but I THINK that Percula, Ocellaris and Skunk clowns are some of the more common small/peaceful species.
Tomato, Clarkii's, Sebae, etc get about twice as big and are about twice as aggressive.
Maroons are typically the meanest.
A 90 could easily house any of them.
I love my Ocellaris (false perc) -- and no, I do not have an anemone. I have several soft corals that could substitute, but the clown has not shown a bit of interest in the year I've had him.
FWIW,
Mariner

[not ecooper]

I'm one of those freaks that hangs out at anem&clownfish. I have eight pairs in my home, each with their own separate tanks in hopes of breeding all of them!

Looks? Any of them. I don't buy a fish I don't like the looks of...
a. akindynos, a. allardi, a. chrysopterus, a. ocellaris, a. percula.

Personality? a.allardi, I must say. The cutest swim pattern, playfulness, ect.

Hardiness? My Soloman Islands a. perculas. These things are bulletproof for being wild caught.

Other favorite traits? My female black ocellaris' bad a!! attitude. NO ONE messes with her...not even the flame angel that tries to harass her in a non-aggressive way. My a. chrysopterus for their intoxicating blue bars. My female akindynos for her love for...well...landscaping. :) I could go on for hours.

More hobbyists should appreciate the less common clowns, and not think that only ocellaris, skunks, and tomatos exist.

[rpscuba]

Thanks Mariner and ecooper..... it is a difficult decision that I want to research and take some time with. Your input is greatly appreciated. I am leaning toward a pair of a. percula right now. However, I plan to research the a.allardi because of your review ecooper.......

Thanks….

[rpscuba]

Originally posted by ecooper


Personality? a.allardi, I must say. The cutest swim pattern, playfulness, ect.



Where would one find an a. allardi? Ive looked at marinedeptolive and saltwaterfish and neither list them.

Thanks.

[oama]

Another Clown Nut here.

Skunks can grow larger. I would classify them as medium sized clowns. They can also be agressive. My little 1 1/4" orange skunk took out my WC flame angel. But they should do well in a 90 gal.

Each clownfish can have a different personality. While many of our Broodstock Clarks will tear you up when you go to get the spawn, we have one old gal that just comes up and gently "kisses" your hand, as if to say "Please take care of my babies"

[not ecooper]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/45918100_0452.jpg

Thats a baby allardi. They're not easy by any means to find, and if you do find them they're either extremely expensive or mislabeled. One guy here on RC actually supplies allardi on the rare occaision he can find them, but then they cost $400. I've never seen them correctly labeled in a retail store so I don't know what retail would be.

Mine got REALLY sick right after I got the trio. I was up over thirty hours straight with them, but now they're as happy as a clown. :)

[Oglotroll]

I have to say i'm shocked that no one has suggested a Sebae Clown. Granted i'm a newbie but Sebae's look really cool, almost like an exact mix between damsels and percula to me, and i don't believe them to be very aggressive.
I've never owned one, but i'm hoping to soon... i noticed a post on this thread with a picture of a $400 clown... but it looks just like a Sebae to me...
advise/suggestions/harsh comments toward newbie welcome
(always looking to be schooled)
~Ben

[picture the reef]

I was asking the same questions about 7 months ago. Trying to decide on a clown pair for a 90 gal. reef. I knew I wanted something a little different that everyone did not have. The folks in the anemone and clownfish forum helped me a lot. I decided on a pair of A. bicinctus clowns. Great fish!:D

[rpscuba]

I want a cool pair of clowns that can hold their own... but will get along with eveyone at the same time.

Thanks for the input everyone.

[not ecooper]

Are you referring to a. clarkii? I believe you are. Its easiest to refer to clowns by their species names and not their slang names. True a. sebae are difficult fish. I owned a pair once, and couldn't deal with their behavioral problems.

To clear it up.....I looked intently for mine, made friends with some LFS employees, and came up with these clowns. No, I didn't pay anywhere near $400.

[ozadars]

Originally posted by rpscuba
I want a cool pair of clowns that can hold their own... but will get along with eveyone at the same time.

What fish do you have? You may want to go with true percula clowns. They are the smallest clowns, not as aggressive as maroons but more aggressive than ocellaris. Either a pair of percula or ocellaris clowns are your best bet.

[rpscuba]

Originally posted by ozadars
What fish do you have? You may want to go with true percula clowns. They are the smallest clowns, not as aggressive as maroons but more aggressive than ocellaris. Either a pair of percula or ocellaris clowns are your best bet.

I just have a Green Clown Goby at this time and I have no idea what I will end up with down the road. I'm not in a big hurry but I am tired of just watching the algae grow. I am ready for a little more action in the tank now....

[not ecooper]

Any clown should be OK in a ninety gallon. A. chrysopterus, for example, is only smaller than the maroon. I really don't believe that quoted fact, however, because my female is 5 1/2 inches and my male is 4 3/4". Awesome fish!

Here they are. Look at that size and those blue bars! (pictured in their ten gallon quarantine tank.)

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/45918100_0367.jpg

[rpscuba]

Very nice! Are they easy to obtain?

[Correia]

I have one Maroon Clownfish. It is very aggressive wich other Clowns....but it is not aggressive wich fishs other species.

[not ecooper]

Originally posted by rpscuba
Very nice! Are they easy to obtain?

Mmm....not with some diligence. Usually if you get a fish store with a good reputation, and tell them what you're looking for, they can get them within a few weeks. Price is highly variable (I've seen young ones go for $15 a piece or so, but adults like the ones above I paid $60 for the pair....although most places would have charged me more around $80-100.)

They are brook magnets and require some intense care the first 24-48 hours. Freshwater dips with copper ready in case of trouble. I've been so lucky with mine lately, with the exception of those baby allard's that gave me a HECK of a time....

[not ecooper]

My new favorite of Daddy....

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/45918100_0475.jpg

[rpscuba]

How do they ship ecooper? I'm afraid that the LFS's in my area have not impressed me.......... even slightly. Thus, I am sure I will have to order them online if I want them.

[not ecooper]

Ehh...usually OK. Do some research on the anemones and clownfish forum. There is a LOT of info there on these fish.

Momma's bag leaked in tranship. She was a stressed out MESS when I saw her. I brought daddy home...went back a few hours later and she was looking a little better so I bought her. Amazingly, they BOTH looked better once they were in the same tank again.

If you want to get some nice, unusual clowns be prepared to travel. I'm in central Indiana, and I go as far as St. Louis and Ohio in search of fish.

[Scuba Dog]

It's all a matter of personal preference, I have a mated pair of maroons...and yes they are a bit aggressive but thats the way I like it lol..love having my hand charged when im rearanging frags in there area lol

[rpscuba]

Originally posted by ecooper
I go as far as St. Louis

I have close friends in St. Louis who travel back to my area on nearly a weekly basis..... where have you had luck in the past?

[rpscuba]

Also...... are the bars really blue or is it just the light making them appear blueish?

[oama]

They don't call it the Blue Stripe Clownfish for nothing!:D

[rpscuba]

Ok. I was at the LFS today and there was a pair of A. Percula for sale. However, they only had two white stripes instead of three. The third white stripe near the tail was missing. The LFS advised that they were juveniles A. Percula. I've looked for picts but cant find any juv. picts.

[rpscuba]

This is pretty neat: http://www.cincyreef.com/Articles/Clownfish_GregDoug.php I found it looking for picts of juv a percula.

[rpscuba]

...... anyone with information on juv. a percula clowns out there??

[Rod Buehler]

percs grow into their stripes. Some percs may take a year or more to develope their 3rd bar.

[not ecooper]

But....they may be misbarred as adults as well. Its not 100% certain they will be completely barred. (To some people it doesn't matter, but I, personally, cannot stand misbars.)

[Rod Buehler]

very true!. My female is mis barred, but it doesnt bother me at all. Even though she is mis-barred, she produces lots of fri that develope their full bars.

[rpscuba]

I gather that there is not any way to tell or ensure (environment) that the third bar will develop??

[rpscuba]

Also, before I order a pair online, should I specify that I want them three bars?

[not ecooper]

.....where are you planning on getting them from?

[not ecooper]

Really, if you can get to St. Louis, I would look up Clayton Pet Emporium, ask for Jan, and tell her you want them to get in a couple of fully barred true percs for you. That would be the best way, then swing by and get them (its worth the trip) or have your friends pick them up.

[rpscuba]

If I were to order them myself it would be through one of the popular outlets...... saltwaterfish.com.... etropicals.com...... marinedepotlive.com...... you get the idea.

Do you think the fish would do well on the 5 hour drive from St. Louis?

[oama]

Originally posted by rpscuba
Do you think the fish would do well on the 5 hour drive from St. Louis?

With O2 in the bag. No problem. Just make sure the bag is not in direct sunlight or otherwise gets too hot.

It takes around 48-72 hrs for us to ship fish to Japan. They make it just fine. You are only talking about two fish in a bag.

[rpscuba]

Also, I think that I may have located a couple of A. chrysopterus at my LFS. I'm not sure because the are not identified on the outside of the tank. There are two and they have them in seperate tanks. I want to ask but the High School helpers arent much help....... any way it appears that their band is light blue. I dont know if its the lights playing tricks on me or not? Any tips on how to ID them?

[oama]

The mid bar is thinner than in many others of the CLK Complex and "peaks" up into the dorsal fin, but does not go all the way up.

[rpscuba]

Are there any other clownfish that exhibit blue bands?

[vgibbens]

Originally posted by ecooper
True a. sebae are difficult fish. I owned a pair once, and couldn't deal with their behavioral problems.


What sort of problems did you have? I've had a female true A. Sebae for over a year now and haven't noticed any problems. She eats from my hands and comes up to the glass every time I walk by the tank. I think she's been a wonderful fish. The hard thing is to find another true A. Sebae to pair with my current one.

[Hvy_Dty]

I've got two Ocellaris clowns and love 'em. They're very playful and fun to watch. I also think they look very cool. I do think the maroon clowns are the prettiest, but they're aggressive.

[oama]

Originally posted by rpscuba
Are there any other clownfish that exhibit blue bands?

Yes. But not as striking as the these guys can get. Some species, like CLK, TOM & MEL, have variant that can have blue stripes, while others of the same species do not.

[rpscuba]

I guess the best thing will be to have the LFS owner call me and advise what he has since they are not labeled.... I would like a pair of A. chrysopterus or a pair of A. percula (I think!).

[not ecooper]

I've seen a. akindynos on several occaisons with blue bands, some very noticeably blue....I've seen some blue banded clarkii's, melanopus....

Look at the midbar of a clarkii, then look at the midbar of my chrysopterus. It is sooo much thinner on my chrys. If you see a wide band (more than 4 or 5 scales) then its a clark. Less, and you might have hit a jackpot of one kind or another.

I had a pair of a. sebae's (NOTICE, this is the TRUE sebae, not the mislabeled clarkii), and I had all sides of their quarantine tank, including the glass, covered in newspaper because if they saw ANYTHING they would begin slamming themselves into the glass like maniacs. Those fish made me flat out mad.

[not ecooper]

Oh....DON'T get them from saltwaterfish.com. Carnage. Total carnage. And I'm not the only one in my area with that problem, either.

[rpscuba]

I will visit the LFS tomorrow to get a better idea of what they have and how much they want for them. I'll take note in the midbar. I'll report back here sometime tomorrow. I really like the A. chrysopterus so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.....

[rpscuba]

Originally posted by ecooper
Oh....DON'T get them from saltwaterfish.com. Carnage. Total carnage. And I'm not the only one in my area with that problem, either.

Thanks! I am truly clueless in this area. I've been "shopping" around and have no idea who is better than the other. I'll cross them off the list.

[rpscuba]

What about two pair of clowns in a 90 gallon? Say two A. percula and two A. chrysotperus?

[NicoleC]

Bring a small cooler when you go shopping. (No ice or heat packs needed if it's mild.) It'll add a bit of temperature stability on a long drive.

[not ecooper]

Good suggestion, Nicole. :) As usual.

I have coolers JUST for frag swaps, fish shopping, ect.

I'd stick with one pair. Its a four foot tank, thats just asking for a fight ESPECTIALLY if one is a pair of chrysopterus. (They're big, and they cover some territory as opposed to smaller clowns.)

[rpscuba]

Just got back from my LFS. I have confirmed that they do have a mated pair of A. chrysopterus for sale. They wanted $84 for the pair and I have them down to $75 right now. I need to know if this is a fair price before I commit to buying them.

[rpscuba]

Also, I asked about the A. percula and they advised that they were adult mis-banded, not juv's..... thanks for the heads up all!

[not ecooper]

Yep, pretty fair price if they are of good size and health.

[rpscuba]

I went back again tonight just to take another look. They appear to be healthy. Also, they have them in separate tanks (one acrylic tank with a divider) and they are almost always hugged up against the acrylic next to one another. I assume this is a good sign? Is there anything I need to do/ask before I buy them?

[not ecooper]

Go for it. When you get them home put them in QT, and do a freshwater dip for as long as they tolerate it (show stress, stop swimming.) A couple of hours later, do it again.

Find a med called Pipzine. (Aquatronics product.) When you find that, I'll tell you what to do next. :)

[psychorugby]

How big of a tank would it take to house 2 pairs of clowns? I currently have a pair of GS Maroons, so I know I'll never get another pair in this tank - even though they aren't aggressive in the least. The female (5") tend to break up fights in my tank.

[not ecooper]

I wouldn't even attempt it. Both maroons and Chrysopterus are VERY large and you'll be BEGGING for trouble...

Normally, a six foot tank is OK for two small pairs and iffy for a small pair and a not-so-large pair.....but at your own risk! As far as two large pairs in a ft tank....you're really asking for trouble, there.

[teog]

I had a single black Ocellaris in my tank for over 1yr..She is now a large female. About 4 months ago I came a cross a few black Ocellaris babies at a good deal so I picked them up. After much thought I decided to put the smaller black Ocellaris in with the large female...it was a match made in heaven..Ive never seen them fight, but I have seen the large female protect the little Ocellaris from other fish..its a perfect trio

So my vote is for black Ocellaris clowns

[not ecooper]

I like my black ocellaris pairs, as well...they originated from www.inlandaquatics.com and have been GREAT. Although, I still like a little flavor in my life.

[Oglotroll]

Trying to decide what to put in a 10g nano. I was considering a pair of clowns, but if i did that i'd want to put in an anenome. Also the clowns i was considering:
True Percs
Black Percs
Sebae
also, could anything else go in the tank with the clowns? What kind of fish could either hold it's own or simply not bother the clowns? Thanks a bunch

[ghostbear29]

as long as it is tank raised...all clowns do well. I don't have a pair as they are way to hard to find in LFS' in my area. But I have a true perc (tank raised mind you) and he is as fit as a fiddle.

[NicoleC]

In a 10g, a small pair is about your limit. False percs would be fine; tank raised clowns are a great option for newbies. If they are in the tank by themselves, they are more likely to spawn, too. You might get away with a small goby in there, too, if you skim well or keep up with weekly water changes.

Please skip the anemone in a tank that size, at least not until you are much more experienced. It's very hard to keep the water quality pristine and stable like the anemone will need in a nano. It's also very hard to get enough light over a nano for an anemone unless you have a MH pendant.

There are many corals, provided you have the light to keep them, that you and your clowns will enjoy as a host that aren't so delicate. I have two anemones, but my clowns choose to host in two frogspawns instead.

For anemone keeping questions, you might try the Anemone & Clownfish Forum, too.