Help me decide!

[irishbing]

I am setting up a 20L. I want to keep a clown or clowns. Ive decided on three types of them:

 

1) 1 Gold Stripe Maroon Clown

 

2) 2 Clarkii Clowns

 

3) 2 False Percs

 

Thanks

[TurtleWax]

#3

[sdbeazley]

3

[ReeferMonkey]

I have a Clarkii from Vanuatu and she's pretty cool. Apparently Clarkii's from Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands tend to only have two stripes and are missing the one near the tail. They kind of look like A. bicinctus, which are also in the Clarkii complex.

 

Saddleback clowns are also pretty cool, as are Barrier Reef Clowns. Steer clear of GSMs, everyone I know who had/has one has said it was a terror.

[Kool-cat]

3 or true percula clowns

[dodgerblew]

I have a GSM and if I could get it out without tearing tank apart I would. Constantly pushing things over and clearing space out of today's new territory. This one is in 60. Go with 3 or true percs

[irishbing]

Why not Clarkiis?

[ReeferMonkey]

I'm saying go for Clarkiis. You more or less avoid the "Nemo" complex. They're also better swimmers.

[irishbing]

I like the clarkii look too. Why did everyone choose 3 though?

[ReeferMonkey]

Ocellaris clowns are popular. If you like Clarkiis, go for it. I'm really happy with mine. Some of the Ocellaris that I've seen aren't really fun to watch - my Clarkii is always swimming all about, in and out of caves, behind rocks etc. I'm also partial to the more yellowish coloration with the black cover.

[ReeferMonkey]

Here she is:

[irishbing]

nice clarkii...are they easy to take care of? what do they host in?

[ReeferMonkey]

So far I haven't had any problems. Mine eats like a hog and hosted to my frogspawn the instant she was introduced to the tank. I'm pretty sure they would host to any of the Euphyllia genus corals, probably some leathers, etc. They will take to many different kinds of anemones.

 

I highly recommend Joyce Wilkerson's Clownfish book. Covers basic characteristics of each kind, as well as basics fore breeding and husbandry. Also check out the Clownfish forum on RC.

 

Go with the Clarkii. :nudge nudge:

[Dutch]

3 or true percula clowns

[ReeferMonkey]

Don't conform. Rebel against Ocellaris oppression!

[irishbing]

lol...im getting a clarkii...its decided.

 

and i need somethign that wont sting and kill other corals...i plan on keeping sps and clams in the future, and i dont want my corals to kill them.I heard frogspawn stings. Do all corals sting? Will they host in hammers?

Thanks

[dodgerblew]

Hammers are in same family as frogspawn ( Euphyllia ) with just as powerful and long nematocysts. Clownfish do not need anemones.

 

My GSM clown hosts in a lavendar frilly mushroom colony. I have one dominant shroom witha diameter of 5-6" when expanded and the clown just rubs all over it. I actually have a pic of it. I'd post it but need to figure out how to reduce and attach, but i can email

[irishbing]

what types of corals are good for clowns? any type? Im not getting mushrooms.. so i plan to get other types of corals for the clowns to host in.

[shinken]

3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:*( :*( :)

[dodgerblew]

the only animal that you can pretty much guarantee a clown to host in is a symbiotic anemone...that's all. There is no guarantee of any clown hosting in any coral...i.e., my clown hosts in a mushroom but doesnt go into a huge frogspawn I have. You just can't tell. Just like you can't make people like each other (see Iraq v. US ). If you want your clown to have a host, get an anemone, then problem solved.

[irishbing]

is it safe to have anemones with other corals? will they stop moving after a while? The clarkii clowns at the LFS have anemones in their tanks with them, i dont want them to feel homeless in my tank.

[xcajx]

sorry to jack, but that is a great question... which are more aggressive? Anemones or euphyllias?

[irishbing]

your not jacking. Whats a euphyllias..are they like hammers?

[dodgerblew]

Well being that frogspawn and hammers are stationary and we can arrange for it to have clearance, and anemones can move at will I'd say the aggression title goes to ........the....anemone

 

Way to go LAKERS!! They rule. Can you say CHAMPS!!

[ReeferMonkey]

Here's what worked for me:

 

I picked up a small (really small - <2" skeleton) 3 headed frogspawn frag and had it already set up and happy in the tank before I introduced the Clarkii. Once the Clarkii went in the tank, bingo, straight for cover into the frogspawn. I think you're less likely to have success if you add the host after the clown.

 

Euphyllia genus includes torch, frogspawn and hammer corals. They get along with their genus but are aggressive against other corals. When placed in areas of lower flow they are much less likely to extend sweeper tentacles. Mine are in a moderate flow area and rarely (and I mean rarely) ever put off sweepers. I'm sure that eventually, the frog will get too big for my MB7 but I started small, so I have plenty of time.

 

Also, hammers are much more sensitive to water quality and other issues than other members of the genus Euphyllia.

 

Since you're setting up a new tank, I personally recommend cycling the tank and add either a Euphyllia of some sort or maybe a large leather. A long-tentacled fungia might work as well. Since you have some space in a 20L, I would say go for the Euphyllia. There are some reallly cool color morphs of frogspawn. Once the frag is acclimated, and had a week or two to get settled, add the clown and see what happens.

 

HTH.