Advice on adding a new clown to existing tank w/ 2 clowns

[anthonynyc]

All,
I went to my local fish store to pick up a Maroon clown. I already have a year old tank with 2 false percula clowns. My tank is 72 gallons. I was told by the worker that this new addition will be attacked and it's recommended to add all clowns at once.
Since I have 2 already, do you think it will make a difference to add another one? Or maybe another 2? I really have grown to like the Maroon clown and would like to add them to the tank.
Thanks,
Anthony

 

[mcsd22]

Its not the maroon that will be getting attacked he will be the attacker. It is really hard to mix maroons with any other clowns. I would get rid of the percs if you want a maroon.

 

[jonjonmueh]

Originally Posted by mcsd22
Its not the maroon that will be getting attacked he will be the attacker. It is really hard to mix maroons with any other clowns. I would get rid of the percs if you want a maroon.
I agree, I have a male and a female gold stripe maroon clown and the female is very agressive. when put my hand in the tank to give my tang its seaweed the clown attacks my hand and sometimes i can even feel her biting me.

 

[lilyblack]

I have a perc (false) and a maroon and I recently set up a new larger tank and decided that since they were both the same size (the perc was maybe a tiny bit bigger) that I would risk trying to put them both in together since nobody would have any established territory. Surprisingly the perc beat the crap out of the maroon in two days. The maroon was pulled back out and put back into his old tank. I thought the maroon would win but fish don't always do what you expect I guess. Maybe because the maroon was still a juvenile he wasn't as aggressive?
Mel

 

[alyssia]

I didn't think you could ever keep an odd number of clowns together, and 2 pairs in a 72 is definitely a bad idea.

 

[blueface]

The false percs are now a pair. If you were to add any type of clown it would get killed by the pair.

 

[misfit]

I have done this before in a 210 and it didnt work.Please save yourself some trouble ,dont try it.I thought in a bigger tank it would work but it didnt.I would up not being able to catch the maroon and loosing one perc , so I caught the other perc (who was stressed from being picked on ) nursed him back to health and gave him to a friend

 

[coachklm]

Originally Posted by blueface
The false percs are now a pair. If you were to add any type of clown it would get killed by the pair.

very true

first hand expeirience here...
also i did have a success with a gold stripe and 2 unpaired false percs.(3months+)..in a 40g QT tank.. there was a blue damsel in their the maroon could turn his attention to but could never catch....
2 clowns first then the maroon.