NEWBIE buying fishh :) Clownfish

[Inrin]

I have never owned a fish before.
but.. i was thinking of getting two clownfish in a 20gallon since i can not fit anymore space than that. I was wondering if you guys could tell me what i would need to do in order to set this up. What kind of things i would need to buy? maintaining saltwater? would 2 get along great with eachother? is 20gallons a good size? and what does it take to take care of an anenome??

im just trying to research alot before i go out and buy them im worried also at the fish store they might try to scam me or something.. so im doing my research alsoo.. if i put the black orcellies with the orange clownfish would they go along great together?? anything you know would be helpful

 

[Ace25]

Well, 2 clowns in a 20G is doable, but I really don't know if a black and white and a occeleris will get a long. Never tried that nor know anyone who has.. most people get multiples of the same type of clown.

Adding an anemone adds a huge leap in care level and equipment. It is much much easier to just do the clowns for a while until you get a good feel for SW tanks. An anemone on a 20G will need a good light, talking well over $100 just for the light, and a good skimmer, around $150 and even then it is not recommended putting an anemone in a 20G tank, just on the edge of being too small for almost all anemones.

Without the anemone you can get away with just going with 1-2lbs of Live rock per gallon and I like the RenaSmart Filter Hang on Back filter for a small filter.. not expensive and you can put in your media of choice. I have one on my 29G and it is full with live rock rubble and a bag of chemi-pure elite+filter floss. I put a surface skimmer addon to it as well. I don't have a skimmer on that tank because I have 1.5lb per gallon of live rock, HOB filter, and do 90% waterchanges weekly on it (I have a 75G that I do 50% waterchanges weekly and I reuse the old water from that to do a waterchange on my 29G since the water is still really good water for a FO tank). You definately don't need to do 90% weekly on a 20G, I just do so because I have the water already and it either goes into the 29G or goes down the drain.

So, shopping list for a 20G tank with 2 clowns..

1. Tank
2. Sand
3. 1-2lbs live rock per gallon
4. Heater
5. HOB filter OR HOB skimmer
6. Powerhead (recommend Koralia2)
7. Cheap fluorescent light, standard one that comes with aquariums is fine for fish only.
8. 2 clownfish (after 30 days of tank running and testing to make sure it is done cycling, this is the hardest part for anyone getting into a SW tank.. please refrain from adding fish or other living things until your possitive the cycle is complete)

 

[TropicalNorth]

Welcome to AC Inrin.

A pair of occeleris clowns, one orange and one black, will work fine. As long as you get one larger than the other they should pair up, I've done it and they got on fine. They are the same species just different colour morph. Even a percula / occelaris mix can work, and are known to breed together.

Agree with Ace on the anemone, clowns are fine without an anemone.
Also with Ace's list I would add testing equipment (hydrometer/refractometer, and test kits for ph, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate).

The most important things to get your head around are cycling (ageing the tank so it is ready for fish), live rock and water chemistry. These three things are the most important things to research, and research well. Cycling is key for your fishes survival, a tank that isn't ready for fish may result in the death of the fish. Same for water chemistry, a basic understanding of ph, kh, salinity, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate is important.

Marine tanks aren't that hard as long as you do your research and take everything nice and slowly, marine tanks can't be rushed. Oh and asking lots of questions is good too.

 

[DarbX1605]

This thread has me thinking now. Can you put anything in a 20 with the clowns? Like, coral/mushrooms/etc? Live Rock and 2 fish seems a little boring - but I'd like a smaller salt tank - she wont go for anything larger than the 20 high in our room now (and I'm not about to nuke my planted 75 with Discus in the living room)