Clownfish Pair Heaven or Hell?

[anizato]

I have had an Onyx Clownfish (back and white with orange) for about a year now and added a Flurry Snowflake Clownfish (white with black outlines and orange accents) 6 months after. They have been fine and getting along well for all this time with their 4 anemones, mostly red/orange/pink all about 1.5" big. I added a Green BTA 6" big and their behavior began to change. Flurry started to bully Onyx horribly. Wouldn't leave it alone for one minute. Onyx was so exhausted, you could tell, so I put him in a holding chamber with a small anemone to help it heal, it seems much more calm now. The Flurry is in the Green BTA just hanging out.

I don't know what else to do, what else to expect from this. How long will Onyx be chill in that chamber before he wants to jump out?

 

If you ask me, I would rather keep Onyx than Flurry. Of course I want both of them, but if it comes down to it.

Will this come to pass? Is this temporary?

 

If I ultimately wanted a "school" of clownfish in my reef, how could I accomplish this?

 

Thanks in advance for any tips or information.

[Tamberav]

I have had an Onyx Clownfish (back and white with orange) for about a year now and added a Flurry Snowflake Clownfish (white with black outlines and orange accents) 6 months after. They have been fine and getting along well for all this time with their 4 anemones, mostly red/orange/pink all about 1.5" big. I added a Green BTA 6" big and their behavior began to change. Flurry started to bully Onyx horribly. Wouldn't leave it alone for one minute. Onyx was so exhausted, you could tell, so I put him in a holding chamber with a small anemone to help it heal, it seems much more calm now. The Flurry is in the Green BTA just hanging out.

I don't know what else to do, what else to expect from this. How long will Onyx be chill in that chamber before he wants to jump out?

 

If you ask me, I would rather keep Onyx than Flurry. Of course I want both of them, but if it comes down to it.

Will this come to pass? Is this temporary?

 

If I ultimately wanted a "school" of clownfish in my reef, how could I accomplish this?

 

Thanks in advance for any tips or information.

 

A school has successfully been done by using a single clutch of clownfish (brothers and sisters) that have been raised together. Bulk Reef supply has a tank like this, 120g I think with 30 clownfish. There have been others who have been successful with a single clutch.

 

 

For your current clowns, if you have two females, they will never get along. If one is a juvi/male, they may work it out but may not. It sounds like it may not work because the new fish is the major aggressor.

 

If you were planning to have many different colors of clownfish from different sources, this would be very difficult to maintain long term for the reasons you are seeing with your current two. If a pair starts spawning, they might as well be great white sharks in terms of aggression.

 

That being said, I bet a clown breeder could pull it off if he had clowns from different fish spawn around the same time, then raised the babies together as if they were a single clutch. Just a theory I always thought would be cool if someone tried.

 

Sometimes multiple pairs will work in very large tanks with nems on opposite ends.

[anizato]

So by the looks of things, I might have to set up a nano tank for Flurry. It kind of sucks, I was looking forward to having them as a pair, but nature has other plans.

I was beginning to plan an upgrade for the reef, but that will probably have to be put on hold until I can settle this Clown situation.

Unfortunately, thanks to Murphy's Law, I leave on vacation in 5 days, so I have no time to do anything, for the time being I will have to leave Onyx in the cube net it is currently in. FML

 

Any suggestions on the setup for Flurry and one of the anemones?

[anizato]

So there is no IFS, ANDS or BUTS regarding the installment of a new nano for the Flurry (aggressor). I spoke to my LFS and they don't take fish as store credit or trade, only hi-end coral. So since I am not a fish murderer...

 

I am leaning towards an IM Nuvo 10 as opposed to the JBJ Cube for the setup of a new NANO.

 

I am thinking an AI HD LED or a Kessil A160. What do you suggest and why?

 

MJ1200 for flow, replacing the stock return pump (I want to avoid any powerheads IN the display - unless you recommend a different model pump). But I am curious to see what you guys suggest in terms of flow in the tank with no pump in the display.

 

Still haven't decided on an ATO system, which - as far as I understand - is a MUST have in a nano reef (so any recommendations are welcomed) right?