Adding a new clown

[Anonymous]

OK guys i was wondering if it would be cool to add a new clown to my tank...one originally died so...anyways he/she has been kinda on its own for some time..it is TR so i was wonder if it would be cool to add a smaller one, maybe to establish sexes..btw its a A. Clarkii and obviously i would be adding another of the aforementioned species...does anyone foresee a problem?

 

[jandree22]

I'm in the exact situation as you, I had two Ocellaris clowns, one died a while back, and i just finished up acclimating a new companion like 10 min ago, haha. I'll let ya know how they're getting along after I watch them tomorrow.

 

[Jeff CC]

The new Clown is likely to get abused by the old one. That said, I added a second Clarkii to a 75 gal. reef, and after a day or two of skirmishing, the two Clowns settled in nicely. That same tank also has two Ocellaris Clowns that I rescued- they were being disposed of by a fellow aquarist- and the four of them are getting along well. I was sure I was going to have to relocate some of these fish but... go figure.

 

[diver0077]

I know that everyone says not to mix clowns, but I have 2 Ocellaris and 1 Clarkii clown and so far they seem to be getting along, but it has only been a few days, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I bought the Clarkii for my bubble tip anemone since the Ocellaris clowns did not take to him. Within an hour the Clarkii clown took to the anemone and seems to be having a ball there.

 

[jandree22]

after adding my 2nd Ocellaris, they're doing fine and already swimming in a pair.

 

[npaden]

lordnikon,

That is the best way to pair up clarkiis. Good luck but watch closely and if the abuse goes on for to long then you will need to intervene. Sometimes people will put the new clown in a specimen container hanging on the side of the tank and let the existing clown get used to them being in the tank before releasing them.

diver0077,

A few does does not compatibility make. Your clarkii has a good chance of growing up (they can get about 2 times bigger than the ocellaris) and beating the crap out of your ocellaris.

I would be very careful and watch them very closely. There have been many reports of an aquarist thinking that their clowns of different species were getting along and finding a dead clownfish overnight.

FWIW, Nathan

 

[Anonymous]

Npaden thanx...and diver0077 clark clowns will take to almost nearly any anemone including soft corals such as Xenia

 

[shr00m]

its fine to add a juve with a mature female..... usually you'll end up with a pair, i added a juvenile about 5 months ago, now he and the female are nicely paired up, there was no picking at all.... no more than the female usually knocks around the male....

 

[Anonymous]

i dont know if i even have a female...i had two then one died...werent around long enough to figure out who was male and/or female...

 

[shr00m]

if its been by itself long its a female....

 

[npaden]

if its been by itself long its a female....

Actually that isn't the case. Usually it is though and even if it isn't the established fish will be dominant toward the new fish and quickly turn into a female.

FWIW, Nathan

 

[shr00m]

not in my experience, that is if you add a juvenile.... my clown was nearly 2-3 times bigger than the new addition.... hehe i can see the little juve pushing around the 3 inch perc already at home in the tank.

 

[npaden]

shroom, you might try to read my post before you disagree with it?

Maybe I missed a comma but I thought I was fairly clear.

Even if the existing fish hasn't already changed to a female, it (the existing fish) will be the dominant one and with the addition of the new fish will quickly change into a female.

FWIW, Nathan