how many clowns should i get in my 70g tank???

theclown

theclown

New Member
Hey i recentley got a 70 gallon tank and I am wondering how many clowns i can get in it. should i get a school of clowns or just a pair and other reef safe fish? Also, would a black and white striped percula mate with a false percula? or will they just kill each other? ??
Thanks :happyfish
 
sac10918

sac10918

Member
Just get a mated pair and some other reef safe fish. Otherwise, the clowns are likely to fight and kill one another.
 
chris57

chris57

Member
ok false perculas get along in groups (perculas dont they can only be a mated pair or 2 babies) now the general rule is 1 inch of fish per gallon others say 1 inch of fish per every 5 gallons i used the 1 inch per 2 gallons but 1 inch per 5 gallons is easier on the fish and filter so a clown fish gets about 3 inches long so 11 clown fish is maxium for the 1 inch per 2 gallons rule and 4 clown fish for the 1 inch per 5 gallon rule. which ever you want to use is acceptable but 1 inch per 5 gallons it just seem not to be enough for me so i use the 1 inch per 2 gallon rule.
 
imurnamine

imurnamine

Active Member
I've never heard Clownfish described as a schooling fish.
Usually, one pair per tank. On rare occassions, you will hear of success with two pair.
The reason pet stores can have so many in a tank is because there are too many of the clownfish and too little of space for them to establish a territory... I'd be VERY cautious in doing what you're thinking; it will most likely end up a waste of money and fish lives.
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
Originally Posted by ImUrNamine
I've never heard Clownfish described as a schooling fish.
Usually, one pair per tank. On rare occassions, you will hear of success with two pair.
The reason pet stores can have so many in a tank is because there are too many of the clownfish and too little of space for them to establish a territory... I'd be VERY cautious in doing what you're thinking; it will most likely end up a waste of money and fish lives.


I have also never heard of keeping perculas in groups.
 
ct_vol

ct_vol

Member
Clowns can be maintained in schools as long as they are juveniles... --- isn't determined until later in age, once a pecking order is established... If you have a large enough tank, 200+ you can keep 3 or 4... What will happen is 1 female will keep 2 or 3 males... If the Female dies, one of the males will take her place... The female will be twice the size of the males... Sometimes they'll form two pairs at opposite sides of the tank... Most clowns sold at pet stores are Juvi's thats why they can keep so many together... But for your 70, one pair is best...
 
a. clarkii

a. clarkii

New Member
Originally Posted by sac10918
Just get a mated pair and some other reef safe fish. Otherwise, the clowns are likely to fight and kill one another.
Not true at all. You can keep a harem of clowns with one female, one male and several juvis.
 
colourmop

colourmop

Member
how can you tell the gender of perculas? my lps have a school of those and i dont think they really knows which one is male which one is female
 
defect808

defect808

Member
You wont beable to tell till later on. They will change size and the bigger one is a female. These fish change sexes. Like said above, if the female dies off one of the males will take its place.
 
a. clarkii

a. clarkii

New Member
The biggest clown is the female, the secodn largest is the male. The rest that are small and all about the same size or juvis. IF you got two males, they would figure out who should be the female by a series of dances and aggrssion acts.
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
Originally Posted by A. Clarkii
Not true at all. You can keep a harem of clowns with one female, one male and several juvis.

When they are juvis, maybe.
 
colourmop

colourmop

Member
so if the LPS have a school of clowns, i should always pick the larges and the second larges? what about a school of juv clowns? do i just pick 2 smaller one?
 
a. clarkii

a. clarkii

New Member
ITs not called a school of clowns but a family of clowns. I have seen tanks where there were 5 of one type of clown with one female, one male and three juvis. It can work.
 
a. clarkii

a. clarkii

New Member
Originally Posted by alyssia
If you get two females you will have big problems.
Apparently there is debate about this. Some say females can "go back" to a male but others say once a female they cannot revert back. There is a thread on another forum where a guy acquired two female percs and are now in the same tank together. He claims they have paired off. So you never know.
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
Originally Posted by A. Clarkii
Apparently there is debate about this. Some say females can "go back" to a male but others say once a female they cannot revert back. There is a thread on another forum where a guy acquired two female percs and are now in the same tank together. He claims they have paired off. So you never know.

How long have they been together?
 
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