1 vs 2 clownfish and can you keep clownfish from producing offspring?

[Dominic M]

In the ocean most pelagic fish have huge amounts of eggs and only a few survive. Most become an important part of the food web supplying important parts of the diet to many other animals and organisms.

Yes, clowns can be kept by themselves, however clowns are wired to be social (although sometimes overly aggressive as they establish a hierarchy).

Im planning to add other fish so if I kept one will that clown be social with other fish or just other clowns?

 

[One Reefing Boi]

Yeah natures nature, but if I just go with one will they still be happy and healthy? Ill add more fish down the line so it shouldn't be lonely.

tbh can't really speak to them being happy, but I have a pair and they are always swimming together and super cute. They are like that couple that are always happy 24/7, positing on insta at microbreweries and always have cute matching Halloween outfits. At night they sleep on top of each other suction cupped to my overflow intake (legit thought they were dead when I first got them lol) and now they host my zoas.

Just like they won't be 'unhappy' without an anemone, but I am going to get one because they will (hopefully) use it and enjoy it. Even if the nem will do nem things and might eat a fish or shrimp. I hope it doesn't, but the 'oh what if' isn't going to stop me from getting something and enjoying something I love.

Not having two of them in your case, won't cause the one to spend its night at a dive bar viciously swiping right on tinder looking for the love of its life.

They are social fish (unlike some fish that are just d**** to other of its kind). Adding other fish isn't really the same (that is why schooling fish won't school with other species of fish)

if it was me, I would never NOT get a pair but that is because I enjoy watching them be together and my fish are still pretty young (might not reach reproductive age yet) but they have never laid eggs in the 4 months I have had them.

Like I said, it is up to you Its your tank so whatever makes you happy and having an aquarium shouldn't cause stress or make you upset (should do the opposite!) whenever they lay eggs. If you think that might be the case, then maybe stick to just one.

TL;DR -- having one by itself won't make it 'unhappy' but could it be happier with a pair? Probably. I guess who really knows.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

 

[Jib]

They shouldn't be the only fish in the tank, if there's just one,

How come? I have a single clown and wasn’t planning on adding anything else anytime soon. I can, but was hoping to get the tank well established first.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

How come? I have a single clown and wasn’t planning on adding anything else anytime soon. I can, but was hoping to get the tank well established first.

not entirely sure but my guess would be aggression issues? Maybe having a pair of them or at least other fish will help it to learn social manners/social hierarchy?? So if it was a single fish for a long time, maybe if you try to add anything else (including another clown) at a later date, it will be super aggressive and territorial or something?

 

[Dominic M]

tbh can't really speak to them being happy, but I have a pair and they are always swimming together and super cute. They are like that couple that are always happy 24/7, positing on insta at microbreweries and always have cute matching Halloween outfits. At night they sleep on top of each other suction cupped to my overflow intake (legit thought they were dead when I first got them lol) and now they host my zoas.

Just like they won't be 'unhappy' without an anemone, but I am going to get one because they will (hopefully) use it and enjoy it. Even if the nem will do nem things and might eat a fish or shrimp. I hope it doesn't, but the 'oh what if' isn't going to stop me from getting something and enjoying something I love.

Not having two of them in your case, won't cause the one to spend its night at a dive bar variously swiping right on tinder looking for the love of its life.

They are social fish (unlike some fish that are just d**** to other of its kind). Adding other fish isn't really the same (that is why schooling fish won't school with other species of fish)

if it was me, I would never NOT get a pair but that is because I enjoy watching them be together and my fish are still pretty young (might not reach reproductive age yet) but they have never laid eggs in the 4 months I have had them.

Like I said, it is up to you Its your tank so whatever makes you happy and having an aquarium shouldn't cause stress or make you upset (should do the opposite!) whenever they lay eggs. If you think that might be the case, then maybe stick to just one.

TL;DR -- having one by itself won't make it 'unhappy' but could it be happier with a pair? Probably. I guess who really knows.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

Thanks a lot for that reply I think ill consider getting hearing your experience. I got a couple months to make up my mind, and "swiping right on tinder" LOL .

 

[One Reefing Boi]

Thanks a lot for that reply I think ill consider getting hearing your experience. I got a couple months to make up my mind, and "swiping right on tinder" LOL .

be sure to post some updates down the road when you get it/them!

 

[Dominic M]

be sure to post some updates down the road when you get it/them!

Definitely will, im planning on having it all setup by november. Ill probably post it in the nano reef forum too.

 

[MaxxuM]

Thanks for the reply I was planning on ocellaris clowns, I will probably get one then because I dont need 30 more lol and ill add more fish down the line anyways.

Raising baby fry requires a special environment that you wont have in your tank. They wont survive and will be consumed by tank creatures just like in nature. If you're worried about breeding then you are going to have to limit many of your animals to just one - which isn't realistic.

 

[Tired]

Yeah, you definitely can't accidentally wind up with too many clownfish. You have to try very hard to keep them alive. They're plankton as babies, is the problem. It's not like guppies.

 

[Coralsdaily]

Just because you have two clowns doesn't necessarily mean they will pair up and mate, especially if they aren't the same species. But also even if they pair up and mate, don't sweat about them laying eggs and not able to raise the young. It truly is a personal preference. the number of clownfish you keep in your tank will not affect the tank's health, unless off course if you try to keep a harem of them in a 20 gallon. but clownfish in the wild is a social animal consist of one female and multiple males. So if you want to mimic their natural behavior, then you should start with a small group to allow that to happen.

 

[Dominic M]

Just because you have two clowns doesn't necessarily mean they will pair up and mate, especially if they aren't the same species. But also even if they pair up and mate, don't sweat about them laying eggs and not able to raise the young. It truly is a personal preference. the number of clownfish you keep in your tank will not affect the tank's health, unless off course if you try to keep a harem of them in a 20 gallon. but clownfish in the wild is a social animal consist of one female and multiple males. So if you want to mimic their natural behavior, then you should start with a small group to allow that to happen.

So your saying I should start with 3 or more and not just a pair?

 

[Tired]

Probably not, no. Establishing a harem of clownfish requires a fairly large tank and the ability to remove any that don't get along, it's actually pretty tricky. You should start with a male/female pair, two very small ones so you know they're both males and one can change, or one.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

So your saying I should start with 3 or more and not just a pair?

I don't think so. I believe the general rule of thumb is either 1,2, or a bunch of them (like 10?)

 

[Dominic M]

Ok I think ill go with a pair because it will be in a 29gal tank and if I want more maybe I can just move some of the fish eggs another tank and hatch them. Anywhere who responded to thread thanks and ill update a probably post the tank in a new thread when Im finished : )

 

[AC1211]

Just get 2 clowns and stop worrying about eggs they don't ever make it in a display tank and won't make it without intention from the fishkeeper.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

Just get 2 clowns and stop worrying about eggs they don't ever make it in a display tank and won't make it without intention from the fishkeeper.

I think that is part of the dilemma, OP doesn't want mass genocide of baby clowns