Which clowns for a 29g?

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A. Nonymous

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Feb 4, 2008
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So my tank is (finally) nearly complete. It has cycled and as soon as I get the protein skimmer dialed in (which is turning into a PITA) then I will finally be ready to add my very first saltwater fish. From the start I just wanted a pair of clowns. Nothing more and nothing less. However as I look I see there are approximately 50 bazillion different kinds of clownfish. I had no idea.

So, I figure for a 29g I want a smaller species of course. I also probably want a less boisterous species as well. It's a FOWLR tank if that makes any difference. What kind of clown is going to be best for a SW n00b and a small tank? What species do I want to avoid no matter what? I was leaning toward the ocellaris or even percula clownfish but didn't know if that would be the best fit or not.
 

TL1000RSquid

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Ocellaris or perc's would be my suggestion, pretty hardy, not to large. If you want something a little different maybe a barberi.
 

greech

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^Agreed. Saddles would be ok too for a while but full grown, they would need a larger tank. If you want a tank mate or two, stick with ocellaris or percs.
 

A. Nonymous

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Got a pair of ocellaris at the LFS. Guy at the fish store told me initially there was no way my tank was cycled because you can't cycle a tank with just LR and no fish. Then he saw my nitrates in my water sample. I think he was still a bit puzzled. Any way here they are. They are interesting to me the way they explore the tank. I don't know if it's just clowns or SW fish in general. I'm used to FW fish going from one side of the tank to the other. These guys seem to break the tank down in 4-5 inch cubes and not go outside that cube. Then they move on to the next cube. Very weird.

 

A. Nonymous

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Nice, looking good. Did you get your skimmer issues worked out yet?
Possibly. I don't trust it yet so I'm only running it when I'm at home. I have all of 6 inches or so of fish in the tank so I think I can get away with running it only when it's supervised until I trust it again.
 

greech

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Yep, that's what they do. After some time, they will explore more but you will never see a clown swim the length of a tank routinely unless you are dropping food at one end of the tank and then another :).

Their instinct is to find a host that provides them protection so they don't stray far. In the absence of an anemone, they will hold up near a rock, powerhead, heater, dig out a sand pit, or just hand in a corner of the tank. Even if you add an anemone, they still may prefer something else.
 

A. Nonymous

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Everything I've read indicates the anemones are far, far harder to keep than the clowns and the clowns don't need them so I'm not gonna mess with one.
 

TL1000RSquid

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Some anemones are harder then others, for your clowns bubble tip would be the easiest that they'd likely be hosted by. All you really need for BTA's is an established setup, you have several more months for that to happen, good water quality, halfway decent lighting, and a good source for healthy nem's.

I think one of the biggest problems with anemones for n00b keepers is people buying ones that are already in poor condition.
 

A. Nonymous

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Some anemones are harder then others, for your clowns bubble tip would be the easiest that they'd likely be hosted by. All you really need for BTA's is an established setup, you have several more months for that to happen, good water quality, halfway decent lighting, and a good source for healthy nem's.

I think one of the biggest problems with anemones for n00b keepers is people buying ones that are already in poor condition.
Do not try to suck me in to buying more stuff for this tank. Don't even start!! It will not work!!!

**goes off and googles bubble tip anemones**
 
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