How many fish

[Go29]

I have a 29 gallon with a hob filter for carbon,and a red sea prism protein skimmer. I have a coral beauty mandarin neon goby and a clownfish ( false perc) i am wondering if i can add another clown. I used to have one but she died and i got the mandarin. My mandarin has been getting big, but i dont think he produces to much waste. i also have various corals, and about 30 pounds of live rock. so again can i have another clown :confused: thanx

wes

[mgmparrothead]

From what I have read and heard, clowns have to be introduced together. You can have more than one, if they are introduced at the same time, and one is larger than the other. I have a 55 with 1 in it and another 55 with 2 in it. I was going to put them all in one and was warned against it due to the not being introduced at the same time.

[johnpoole]

if you remove the clown for a week or so, move some rocks around, then reintroduce the clown and the new one at the same time, you might get by... it's a lot of hassle, but i know some fw breeders that go that route

[Evil_TT]

you can add a clown no problem, there will probably be some level of intimidation between them at first until they establish the dominant of the two,

however you have to be sure the fish you add is smaller, noticibly so or you may end up with 2 females which will end badly!


btw there is a great clown fish forum on this board, they were quite helpful with me and my clowns :)

[leebca]

How long have you had the mandarin?

[MichaelD]

Juvenile clownfish added together are no problem, because they fight a bit and the dominant one becomes a female and the subversive one a male. When only one clownfish is around, it develops into a female, which is most likely your case, so when you get your clownfish make sure it is one of the smallest ones in the stores tanks, to make sure you don't get a female, if you were to introduce a female into your tank they'd most likely fight until one dies.
I'd also recommend reading this faq and rethinking if you should have gotten a mandarin in that small of tank, they are tough to care for in that small of a tank, especially if you haven't been feeding them directly.
http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=3

[smcnally]

I introduced a larger false perc along with my smaller one about 3 weeks after the small one was first put in my tank. That day the little one did his little shake 'n' bake dance, and now they swim together all the time. Maybe I was just lucky, but they seem to have taken to eachother very well.

[Bax]

Go29

You are over stocked already!!!!

Do you have a refugium?

If not make one!!!! or your mandarin is toast!

[Go29]

JUst to clear things up my mandarin has got a HUGE belly. HE eats frozen mysid shrimp, and lots of it. I also feed him some selecon enriched brin shrimp, and some pellets. I asked the wrong question, i mean would it be too much of a bioload on my tank. I change about 25% of the water each week. thanx again

[Bax]

That's a good amount of water change and will go a long way to allowing for the bioload your putting on the tank.

Glad to hear your mandarin eats so well, many aren't so lucky! :)

[Go29]

ya, it took me about 2 months to finally find one that would except anything at my lfs way up here

[MichaelD]

Thats great that your mandarin eats prepared food. I don't believe your over stock as the biggest bioload in your tank is probably the clownfish, so I think you'd be fine with adding another clown, if your really worried about bioload you might think about getting larger better skimmer or more LR.