Clown fish

[scriley15]

i just got 3 ocellaris clown fish for my 20 gallon, the three of them never separate and are always in like a ball of clown fish! i was wondering if this was normal behavior or if i should be worried

thanks,

[jmann124]

I only have 2 clowns and they don't do this, but I've seen lots of clowns at the LFS doing things like this. Are they all 3 the same size, or did you get one that was bigger than the other 2?

[scriley15]

they're all the same size

[jmann124]

They may start fighting when it comes time to change sexes. It's always a good idea to get one clown bigger than the other. The biggest and most dominant clown will become the female and a competing clown will fight. Sometimes to the death. Just watch and keep and eye out just in case.

[scriley15]

So two of them seem to be teaming up on the 3rd so i took him out and put him in my refugium, do you think i should get a 4th clown or find something to do with the odd man out?

[Reefing Madness]

Its a schooling thing, only 2 or more than 6.

[FishTechie]

back to the lfs

[Jessie Nicoletti]

i noticed this hapens not only with same species but over diff species unless the odd one out is bigger and of a diff species like reefing said 2 or 6 +

[aquariumlove]

You don't be worried. It's a similar matter.