Do clowns like company of their own kind?

[sueandherzoo]

I've got a 12 gallon that has been cycling for a little over 2 weeks now and soon I hope to be ready to add my first fish. Since it's such a small tank I know I can probably only have 2 fish total in there so I have to choose wisely. I know I need to have a "Nemo" in there, doesn't much matter to me if it's a true perc or a false, and then I'm thinking some sort of Goby. But every time I read about people getting clown fish they always seem to be buying a "pair" of them. Are they much happier when purchased as a pair or is that just the buyer's preference? I really only planned on getting one since having two would cut back on me being able to buy another fish, but if they are happier in pairs then I'll get a pair.
Are they fine swimming solo?
Sue

 

[dogfaceman]

no they are perfectly fine swimming solo, most people get a pair because of the relationship they usually have together( i.e. swimming together), but they are perfectly fine going solo.
in addition to your clown, you might want to get a shrimp goby and a pistol shrimp, they have a very interesting relationship.

 

[markeo99]

there are reason a lot of people get 2
1 they are territorial if you get 1 now and try to add another 70% chance 1 will kill the other
2 when you get 2 young clowns they switch gender as they grow so your chance of getting a pair is pretty much 100%
as far as happier nah my female is always crabby

 

[dogfaceman]

also make sure the goby is in the tank first before you get the clown, ive noticed it makes them lest territorial

 

[sueandherzoo]

markeo99
http:///forum/post/2732639
there are reason a lot of people get 2
2 when you get 2 young clowns they switch gender as they grow so your chance of getting a pair is pretty much 100%
as far as happier nah my female is always crabby
Holy crap - they change gender?!?!?! I have yet more reading to do - that is fascinating! However, if I end up getting "a pair", does that mean I'll someday have little clowns? In a 12-gallon tank, that is probably NOT a good thing to do.
Originally Posted by dogfaceman[/b]
http:///forum/post/2732670
also make sure the goby is in the tank first before you get the clown, ive noticed it makes them lest territorial
Great tip again - I was assuming my first purchase would be the clown but now I will definitely rethink that.
THanks for the great information - if newbies would just post here more and buy on impulse less, there would be a lot more happy tank-keepers AND tank inhabitants!
Sue

 

[sueandherzoo]

Originally Posted by markeo99
http:///forum/post/2732639
as far as happier nah my female is always crabby
I literally LOL'd over that comment..... what more did you expect from a female? Not only that, but I find that some of my "grumpy" pets are the most amusing and entertaining. I have a box turtle that is SO crabby but it makes him that much more endearing.

 

[sueandherzoo]

Whoohooo - I just Googled shrimp gobies and find that's another name for the Watchman Goby - a fish that I have on my "Wish List"!!!!

 

[sueandherzoo]

OK, this is way too cool for words. I just did a bunch of reading and watched some UTube videos on pistol shrimp - that is amazing. I may have to quit my job just to keep watching the fascinating stuff in my tank! (probably a bad idea - might be hard to support this hobby without a job). Too cool - I see a bigger tank on my Christmas list. LOL

 

[atrialfib22]

Aaaaand there it is! Another one bites on the line andddd she's hooked!
Welcome to the club! LOL
Not the worse addiction I can think of...

 

[sueandherzoo]

LOL Thanks for the welcome. Yes, I think "another one bites and gets hooked" -- NORMALLY on a gorgeous weather day like today I would be outside from sun up to sun down working on my koi ponds and turtle pond but all I really wanted to do today was walk around looking at and learning about saltwater life. Unfortunately when a new addiction takes hold of me the other ones suffer a little but by the time I get into this one full swing I will have shut down the outdoor ponds for the winter - timing is just about perfect. And I practiced patience at the LFS's today - I really did - I am so proud of myself! The reputable fish store I found (about 40 minutes from here) had a couple of gobies that were nice but he told me he is getting in three pairs of co-existing pistol shrimp and gobies by Friday. He's holding one pair for me so that seemed like the mature, wise choice to make. It gives my tank one more week of cycling and stablizing and I can make sure the water parameters are PERFECT before I put my first critters in there. Wow - me - patient? That's a first.
And yes, as I told my husband while I was salivating over the rocks and fish and corals and anemones, "count your blessings - it could be a lot worse!"
Sue

 

[dogfaceman]

there are lots of different types of "Shrimp" Gobies , heres a list
Yellow Watchman
Pink & Blue
Orange Spotted
Bumble Bee
Blue Spot
Blue Speckled
Banded Watchman
Banded
yellow watchman is my favorite though, they are less picky than some of the others,

 

[dogfaceman]

also you might want to look into a pom pom crab, also do you have live rock? and in 2-3 months your going to want a bigger tank

everyone does it doesnt matter what size, but try and stick with the one you have so you can master the hobby of saltwater fish, if you can master a 12gallon you can pretty much do anything.

 

[dogfaceman]

Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo http:///forum/post/2733141
Holy crap - they change gender?!?!?! I have yet more reading to do - that is fascinating! However, if I end up getting "a pair", does that mean I'll someday have little clowns? In a 12-gallon tank, that is probably NOT a good thing to do.
no dont worry, they will be eaten up and filtered out, but they will lay eggs up to 2 times per month so if you ever wanted to hatch a batch you might want to check out this thread,
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/321434/diary-of-a-breeding-clowns

 

[invertcrazy]

Are you testing your water during the cycle? Just be sure the ammonia and nitrites are at 0 before you add any livestock. After your nitrites are at 0 and if you have any algae now is the time to add a couple of snails or crabs then wait a week or two to add any fish
just had to add my .02

 

[sueandherzoo]

Yes, I've been testing and charting the water parameters every other day since I set up the tank about 17 days ago. And actually I've had a few snails, a few crabs, and one peppermint shrim in there for about a week now. Forgot to mention that - somehow I never really think of those as livestock - not sure why. I've watched the ammonia and nitrites and nitrates go up and have watched them come down. I am down to just a tiny trace of ammonia (greenish yellow in the test tube) and I think after I do a water change tonight or tomorrow I should be all set.
From all my "window shopping" I've really learned to like the yellow watchman goby so hopefully one of the three "pairs" the LFS is getting in this week will have a watchman. He's going to send me an e-mail as soon as they arrive and I will try to race down there to get first pick.
Thanks everyone - I am learning so much!

 

[subielover]

Not positive, but I am pretty sure that yellow watchman gobies get to be pretty large. That was what I was told which is why I did not get one for my 14 gallon. I was told they can grow to be about 4 inches, which is way to big for a 12 or 14 gallon. HTH

 

[sueandherzoo]

Good point - I'll do some reading to see how big the yellow watchmen get before I bring one home. However like was mentioned in a previous post you KNOW I'm going to end up getting a bigger tank. My goal was to start with a nano to see if I were capable and willing to do what it takes to keep a small tank healthy so therefore I'd know I would be able to handle the responsibility of a larger one before investing thousands into this hobby. Since I'm pretty much addicted I see a larger set up under the Christmas tree. I was also waiting to see what hubby's reaction was going to be to yet another hobby (and an expensive one) and yesterday while walking through the LFS with me he started price shopping at the larger set ups and said "IF you decided you want to continue this and IF you wanted a bigger set up, what do you think of this one?" I think that's a VERY good sign.

And yes, in response to the live rock question, I have 14 pounds of live and 4 pounds of base that I put in there the first night I set it up, along with live sand. I wish I were on my home computer so I could post a photo - I'll try to remember when I'm home at lunch.
Sue

 

[subielover]

Sounds like a plan

After posting my earlier response, I did a bit more research on them. Everything I am reading is saying they can get to be 3" not 4" like I previously stated. That, IMO, would be stretching it in a small tank, but like you said when you upgrade the little fella could come with ya

Let's see some pics

 

[sueandherzoo]

Pretty boring at this point but still keeps me fascinated for hours.

 

[subielover]

Starting to get some color