Clown Choices

[Rig]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure on a pair of clowns for a 26 with a rose bta. I'd really like the clowns to host in the bta and am accordingly nervous about the a. ocellaris, which was originally my first choice. Would a pair of maroons be ok in 26 gallons? Tomatoes? Thanks.

[Ninong]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure on a pair of clowns for a 26 with a rose bta. I'd really like the clowns to host in the bta and am accordingly nervous about the a. ocellaris, which was originally my first choice. Would a pair of maroons be ok in 26 gallons? Tomatoes? Thanks.

A 26-gal tank is a little on the small side for a pair of Maroons (Premnas biaculeatus) but at least they are just about guaranteed to accept it in no time flat. Most people say that you should have at least a 40-gal tank for Maroons.

A pair of Amphiprion ocellaris would be better suited for a 26-gal tank and chances are excellent that they would accept a BTA. Since your tank is only 26 gallons, you will have to hope that your BTA is one of the smaller variants. I have seen some of these that were a good 18" across.

[zhenya]

I have seen some of these that were a good 18" across.

They can get big in no time flat and look like this...




You'll be hard pressed to try and keep something like this in a 26g aquarium.

[klasikb]

our ocellaris would host in almost anything, I'm confident they would host in a rbt.

[Ninong]

Gene,

Was that your 75-gal tank or your 110-gal tank?

[Poseidon]

LOL!!!

Gene i just used that same picture of yours in another thread! That is a GREAT shot! and an excellent example of what a healthy specimen looks like!

[Ninong]

LOL!!!

Gene i just used that same picture of yours in another thread! That is a GREAT shot! and an excellent example of what a healthy specimen looks like!

That's not "a healthy specimen."

That's the ANEMONE FROM HELL that SWALLOWED his TANK!

[Poseidon]

Okay that TOO!

[zhenya]

Gene,

Was that your 75-gal tank or your 110-gal tank?

It is in a 110g tank, if I learn anything from it, I put anemone in my 75-gal tank that is not known for asexual reproductive methods, ie. Heteractis crispa. It grew large as well but it is known for staying/living mostly in the sand bed so it was somewhat safe to keep in that tank filled with corals. I haven't had any instances where any of my corals were stung/injured by it in the 3+ years that it's been there.

Not to drift away from the subject of this thread...Todd, for a 26g tank my choices for clownfish would not be either the small pair of Premnas biaculeatus nor A.clarkii which are known to host just about anything but gow to a hefty sizes and could become extremely agressive, especialy with the presence of anemone.
I agree with Ninong that a pair of A. ocellaris is more suitable for your size aquarium and there are very good chances that they would accept and host in the bta.

[zhenya]

That's not "a healthy specimen."

That's the ANEMONE FROM HELL that SWALLOWED his TANK!

Well, there are two ways to look at it, George.
One, yes, it did swallowed that 110g tank in no time flat in the big picture of things.

And two, I sorta grew fond of it and even the clownfish from hell that host it is no big deal anymore. And, it provided a valuable lesson for me as well.. ;) I know now exactly what not to keep in a reef aquarium as far as anemones are concerned.