Picking Your Clownfish

[melypr1985]

Where's all the love for tomato clowns? My female is a complete pain. I haven't been able to clean anything near their anemone island because the female tomato has learned that there is soft meaty flesh at the top of the tweezers I use. Some fish shouldn't be so smart.

Oh boy. Yes, Tomatoes, Maroons even Clarkiis can be quite a trial when they get large enough to inflict real pain. I've even seen them draw blood a few times.

 

[elfda]

Where's all the love for tomato clowns? My female is a complete pain. I haven't been able to clean anything near their anemone island because the female tomato has learned that there is soft meaty flesh at the top of the tweezers I use. Some fish shouldn't be so smart.

I just wear gloves in tanks with jerk clowns, lol

 

[davocean]

Oh boy. Yes, Tomatoes, Maroons even Clarkiis can be quite a trial when they get large enough to inflict real pain. I've even seen them draw blood a few times.

Yep, those 3 top the list IMO

 

[Smo]

It's pretty safe to assume a small clown, not just smaller than your female, but about the smallest you will see an LFS carry, usually up to about an inch and a quarter and no bigger will be sexless or male.
To be safe, we normally advise introduction in a floating breeder or specimen container, sometimes for a couple/few days, placed near the females spot, and observe her, is she curious, or are her cheek spines out and she charges at it like she wants to kill it.
This is the safest route.

This is what I do, and this was my fussiest clown to pair, she just would not accept the first 2 males and they were teeny tiny guys, luckily 3rd time was a charm, maroons are known for being a little fussy when it comes to pairing.
But w/ this one instead of charging, she just sat there observing curiously, it was an obvious difference.

Any recommendations for a container suitable to host a prospective male for a couple of days?

 

[davocean]

They have floating breeder box's at any petco for like $5 that work fine

 

[Smo]

They have floating breeder box's at any petco for like $5 that work fine

I'll take a look. Thanks much.

 

[elfda]

I'm happy to say this thread has already helped me out; I was able to pass along this advice to a customer looking to give his recently widowed clown a new companion.

Yay, breeder box!

 

[1.0reef]

A good addition to this article would be choosing clownfish without deformities and also being able to tell the differences between certain species and variants.

 

[melypr1985]

A good addition to this article would be choosing clownfish without deformities and also being able to tell the differences between certain species and variants.

That might make a good companion article to this one. I'll add it to the list.

 

[Mini Coop]

Awesome article! I got my 2 ocelaris froma breeder at perfect timing and very obviously can see the size difference and the one that became female. This will be great to pass onto others as well!!

Question: I don't have an anemone. I was hoping to get one this summer just because I like them. If I have had the clowns for several months, and add the anemone later, do they still have the possibility to host to it?

 

[melypr1985]

If I have had the clowns for several months, and add the anemone later, do they still have the possibility to host to it?

Yes. It's always possible. You can't force them into it either, but there are many tips and tricks people use that range from "I can't believe that ever worked" to "Why didn't I think of that?" lol. Everybody has an opinion or something that worked for them.

 

[davocean]

Awesome article! I got my 2 ocelaris froma breeder at perfect timing and very obviously can see the size difference and the one that became female. This will be great to pass onto others as well!!

Question: I don't have an anemone. I was hoping to get one this summer just because I like them. If I have had the clowns for several months, and add the anemone later, do they still have the possibility to host to it?

The instinct to want a host will still be there, though results as to if. when, or how fast may vary if given a non natural host anemone.
Your clowns being occs, natural host anemone matches would be Magnifica, Gigantea, or Mertensi going by Fautin/Allen's list, and when given a natural host anemone match results usually happen very fast if not immediately.

This has been the key to fast or immediate hosting, a natural clown species match given a natural host anemone match.

 

[davocean]

Yes. It's always possible. You can't force them into it either.

I could not agree more, never force clowns into an anemone, if they have not adapted to that nems sting cells it can harm them.

 

[monimo]

if i choose Ocellaris Clownfish whitch i was reading all about i know males are smaller than femals so i can get a tiny male and a bigger male and it will change o female or i get smaller male andd bigger female i dunno

 

[stevo01]

if i choose Ocellaris Clownfish whitch i was reading all about i know males are smaller than femals so i can get a tiny male and a bigger male and it will change o female or i get smaller male andd bigger female i dunno

If there is a pair being sold and one is larger there is a good chance it is or will be the female. Stay away from 2 that are very close in size. If there are many of them in the same tank choose the best largest and smallest. If they are all the same size just buy one. Let it grow a little then buy a second that is smaller. At least that's what I would do.

 

[stevo01]

Best choice imo is buy a matched pair from the get go.

 

[melypr1985]

if i choose Ocellaris Clownfish whitch i was reading all about i know males are smaller than femals so i can get a tiny male and a bigger male and it will change o female or i get smaller male andd bigger female i dunno

Like Stevo said, you can always purchase a bigger and smaller clown and let them work out which will be female...though the larger is most likely to be the female in that senario. I haven't had any issues buying clowns that are the same size when they are juvis and letting them work it out either though. Just be sure that if you buy a larger one, the other is definitely a juvi.

 

[burden2626]

idk if its how or why i have oc with percula i bought a big bta and then put videos on my phone and set it next to tank they would swimm up close then back and about 3 days they started to host percula it took oc about a week of his buddy not with him at night then he joined her and i bought him first as juvinile.oc and percula was bit bigger a couple months later now thats all they do

 

[Russell m]

Just a quick question. I’am new to reefing have always been fresh water I setup a Red Sea 250 last month and just picked up 2 black ice clowns. Will I have problems adding any other reef type fish?

 

[Venzzla]

So would it be safe to add 6 clowns to a 40 gallon breeder assuming same species such as perculas or ocellaris ? Also out of these 6 I would buy very small clowns 1/2 inch in size and maybe one that is same species different color such as a large female Wyoming. Would this be ok?