4 Clownfish in one tank, war zone?

[Aronsaquarium]

Hey!
So I’ve had 2 Perculas in my 75g for almost a year now. And I wanted to add 2 Ocellaris that I’ve had as my quarantine tank residents for the last 3 months to my DT.
(so I can make my QT tank a fishless Invert QT system.)

I added them yesterday and a war broke out.. I put my older perculas in a compartment in the tank to see if that would help, but the second I let them out a few hours later the war continued.
I let them be lights off overnight, but when I saw the war this morning continuing I moved the younger Ocellaris into that compartment for the time being.

Is there a chance they’d warm up to each other or is my plan doomed?

You can see in the picture below, they don’t leave them alone, keep trying to get to them in their secure box.. but it’s only been 18 hours?

Also if this is doomed, does that mean that there’s a silver lining and I already have a female and male pair?? (They’re not different in size really, but each 2 seem to be fine on their own)

 

[Jekyl]

I wouldn't think it would end well. They typically don't.

 

[Euphyllia97]

I think (of course there are always exceptions) that keeping more than 2 clownfish in the same tank (especially if it is not a huge one) is a scenario to be doomed if they are not from the same harem and housed together since birth.

Mixing occelaris and Percula is also not the best idea in my opinion. Can work for some time but the percula will outgrow the occelaris and will most probably kill it later on.

I would suggest to divide them and keep them in couples of the same type :/

 

[Aronsaquarium]

Thank you both!
Is there’s serious aggression, does that mean I have a female or 2?
Or even if they’re all male they’d still fight?

 

[Euphyllia97]

Thank you both!
Is there’s serious aggression, does that mean I have a female or 2?
Or even if they’re all male they’d still fig

Keeping more than 2 or mixing percula with occelaris often results in deaths unfortunately.

Clownfish gender is quite difficult.

They are all born as male. Then the biggest one turns into a female. Leaving 1 female and 5/6 males. The biggest of those males will change gender once the female dies.

They will still fight if they are all male at this point.

 

[EricR]

...
They are all born as male

Interesting.
I always thought they were born sexless,,, then transitioned to male and, possibly/eventually, to female.

Internet search just now supports what you said,,, assuming I trust the Web.

 

[Seancj]

You will need a much bigger tank for this to 'possibly' work, something of at least 8 feet long. Pairs claim a certain amount of territory and protect it with ferocity. My pink skunk clowns and my ocellaris pair have split my 360 gallon (8'x3'x2') tank exactly in half. They will often come to the 50 yard line to test each other, but never any actually aggression before returning to their side of the tank. They each have 7 or more ritteri to call home on their side of the tank.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Yep. My original idea for clowns in a 4 ft tank was a mated pair of Maroons and a mated pair of O. Clown variants (I really dig clowns!). I was shot down hard and fast.

 

[Aronsaquarium]

Thank you all!
I moved them back to their 10g QT tank.
Maybe I’ll do a little clown/anemone situation in that tank. I know 10g is small, but I’ve been growing crazy amounts of Cheato in there and it’s been keeping the water super stable.

The Ocellaris are smaller, I was hoping they might make it work in the DT, but having one hiding in the rocks and one squished by my skimmer inlet kinda answered that I guess..

I was hoping they might warm up to each other, as I’ve had with other fish species that people told me wouldn’t work.
But with other species they’re able to hid in a rock and slowly make things work well for themselves, clowns don’t do the hiding in a cave thing…

 

[jtf74]

You will need a much bigger tank for this to 'possibly' work, something of at least 8 feet long. Pairs claim a certain amount of territory and protect it with ferocity. My pink skunk clowns and my ocellaris pair have split my 360 gallon (8'x3'x2') tank exactly in half. They will often come to the 50 yard line to test each other, but never any actually aggression before returning to their side of the tank. They each have 7 or more ritteri to call home on their side of the tank.

Yeah my male clown (maroon) doesn't move much but my big female will go to the other end of a 6' tank occasionally to patrol. The 75 gal aquarium will not likely ever work IMO.

 

[Seancj]

Maroons are one of the most aggressive and territorial clowns. Beautiful, but best kept alone.

 

[Seancj]

Here's a video I took tonight of the 50 yard line squaring off. They do this when one, or both pair, are about to lay eggs.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Here's a video I took tonight of the 50 yard line squaring off. They do this when one, or both pair, are about to lay eggs.

What kind of clowns are those? A variant Ocellaris, yes, but which? Also, I thought I saw an all white fish about 3 inches in length. What's that one?

 

[littlefoxx]

Hey!
So I’ve had 2 Perculas in my 75g for almost a year now. And I wanted to add 2 Ocellaris that I’ve had as my quarantine tank residents for the last 3 months to my DT.
(so I can make my QT tank a fishless Invert QT system.)

I added them yesterday and a war broke out.. I put my older perculas in a compartment in the tank to see if that would help, but the second I let them out a few hours later the war continued.
I let them be lights off overnight, but when I saw the war this morning continuing I moved the younger Ocellaris into that compartment for the time being.

Is there a chance they’d warm up to each other or is my plan doomed?

You can see in the picture below, they don’t leave them alone, keep trying to get to them in their secure box.. but it’s only been 18 hours?

Also if this is doomed, does that mean that there’s a silver lining and I already have a female and male pair?? (They’re not different in size really, but each 2 seem to be fine on their own)

No one or the other pair unfortunately

 

[Dorking It]

I have 2 black ice clowns, mated and laying eggs. I also have 2 black storm clowns, 1 male and other is transitioning (I think).

My four seem happy and do not nip at eachother. 180 gal

 

[Aronsaquarium]

I have 2 black ice clowns, mated and laying eggs. I also have 2 black storm clowns, 1 male and other is transitioning (I think).

My four seem happy and do not nip at eachother. 180 gal

Seems like you’ve gotten lucky
You’ve also got double the size tank as I do, which makes a big difference

 

[Aronsaquarium]

Here's a video I took tonight of the 50 yard line squaring off. They do this when one, or both pair, are about to lay eggs.

Stunning tank!
Absolutely love it

 

[codycolina707]

Hey!
So I’ve had 2 Perculas in my 75g for almost a year now. And I wanted to add 2 Ocellaris that I’ve had as my quarantine tank residents for the last 3 months to my DT.
(so I can make my QT tank a fishless Invert QT system.)

I added them yesterday and a war broke out.. I put my older perculas in a compartment in the tank to see if that would help, but the second I let them out a few hours later the war continued.
I let them be lights off overnight, but when I saw the war this morning continuing I moved the younger Ocellaris into that compartment for the time being.

Is there a chance they’d warm up to each other or is my plan doomed?

You can see in the picture below, they don’t leave them alone, keep trying to get to them in their secure box.. but it’s only been 18 hours?

Also if this is doomed, does that mean that there’s a silver lining and I already have a female and male pair?? (They’re not different in size really, but each 2 seem to be fine on their own)

I got 4 in my 150 they had some fighting but all chill now they use to team up and bully my original mocha clown but that didn't last very long idk it's been a year together and they get along pretty good for now

 

[Seancj]

What kind of clowns are those? A variant Ocellaris, yes, but which? Also, I thought I saw an all white fish about 3 inches in length. What's that one?

The white clowns were sold to me as platinum black frostbite clowns. I got them when they were 1" long. Had them for about 2 years now.
Hmm, I have 2 purple firefish, a red firefish, and a Helfrichi firefish. Those might have been the white fish you saw.

 

[Largeangels]

More often than not it will end badly. IME even an 8ft 300 gallon can have bad results. Doesn't mean it can't be done and I have had some luck in the past. But plan for disaster.