Different Clown Breeds

[zeeter]

I have two Percs in my tank now. They've been there for about two weeks and haven't quite proclaimed their territory yet as I have two yellow-belly damsels that seem to own the place.

In a 75 gallon tank would it be alright to add another kind of clown in there? I know that maroons are a no-no, but maybe there's another, less aggressive kind that can live in peace with my percs.

[skippy2]

I wouldn't advice it. It's risky enough having damnsels (spelled my way :)). I would think the new clown would be bullied to death by both your perc pair and the damnsels.

[Robert04]

I have a pair of tomato clowns, percs, pink skunks in my tank.. they don't care about eachother.. the tomatos and percs actualy host the corals together. I also have 2 yellow chromis and 2 green chromis, the chromis pairs will just hang out by themselves as far as I have seen mine behaving.

[zeeter]

Thanks for the advice. I think the damsels really mess things up. The clowns don't go anywhere near the live rock. I went to the fish-store to get chromis and the guy told me that the damsels were chromis. They looked cool, and I didn't know any better. Now I guess I'm stuck with them.

[Amphiprion]

Chromis are damsels, but damsels aren't necessarily Chromis ;). The typical species (but not all) actually have a unique body and caudal fin shape compared to other damsels. Here are a few pics to illustrate:

Chromis viridis
http://aquariumsetc.com.au/onlineshop/images/Chromis_viridis.jpg

Chromis cyanea
http://directsealife.com/shop/images/Chromis%20cyanea.jpg

Chrysiptera hemicyanea
http://www.hippocampus-bildarchiv.de/images/FMWFT0317_Chrysiptera_hemicyanea.jpg

This should illustrate the major differences. Now you should be able to pick out most Chromis species from a mile away.

[davocean]

Nice pics, and big fan of chromis!
Almost always more than one pair of clowns mixed ends badly.
Maybe not right away, but when they mature, they become very territorial, it's just their nature.
It can take 6mo- a year or more for this to happen, but when it does it can be very ugly over night.
Clowns grouped together in large groups can be done when from the same clutch, but even that is not very common in captivity.
Unless your tank is VERY large, I don't recommend it.

[zeeter]

So is there a chance at all that my damsels and clowns will start to get along?

[skippy2]

I could almost gaurantee that, no, they will not. Damnsels, are extremely territorial and will claim the whole tank. I most definately am talking from experience. I don't know why LFS tell newbies to cycle their tank with damnsels. Unless, of course, it is just to make money. :) You can't fault the damnsels. They are only doing what comes naturally.

[Robert04]

I don't want to start a * match.. but my aquarium and many others are a complete contradiciton of this thread.. so maybe there is something to be said for the environment you keep your fish in.

[Amphiprion]

Actually, it largely depends on the individual fish :). There are some examples that are never or rarely an issue, whereas there are others that are always an issue. I had one small blue devil damsel years ago that was very well behaved. When that one had passed, I purchased another that happened to be a hellion. Unfortunately, the latter is more the rule than the exception. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of well-behaved damsels out there, but they aren't as common in the trade as their more territorial counterparts. Edit: The same applies to clownfishes.

[Robert04]

That makes alot of sense.. But I have noticed my generic damsels that don't seem to schoal very much are more aggressive than my chromis which enjoy the company of a partner or even other fish. Can you explain that for me?

[Amphiprion]

Which part? Many damsels, especially Chrysiptera, don't shoal at all. They live in loose, spaced aggregations where each has a decent territory--usually the size of an entire tank. That is why they are aggressive, because they have defined territory. Chromis don't really define territories so much, but they have a heavy hierarchy, as do most shoaling fish. Chromis and similar fish will appreciate other fish out in the open, as it lets them know there is no danger in the open area. These other fish are known as "dither" fish. Normally, other Chromis would play this role.

[zeeter]

Well, my percs have begun to shoo-away the damsels and move about the tank a bit. Maybe they're just starting to become more comfortable in the tank. Plus my water chemistry has drastically improved over the last couple of days. Maybe they're just feeling better and have become more aggressive.

Would getting an anemone help some? I know I should wait awhile before getting one, but well the percs be more comfortable knowing they have the shelter of a green-tip?

[zeeter]

I got fed up with the damsels. Traded them in today. I got four green chromis and two pj cardinals. Now everyone seems a bit more bold swimming about the tank.

[<3Oscar]

I had a damsel in my tank early on and it bullied every fish in sight. We eventually had to give him a new home. However, our blue-green chromis are model citizens.