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Hey, ive been wanting too keep clown fishs for many many years now around 6-7 years... and now that im older i think ive be able to keep salt water fish.. all my life i wanted a clown, but my dad told me salt water fish is hard to keep and also expencive. So if you guys can help me <please, and thank you] i wanna meet the specific needs of owning some clown fishes, i need you guys to help me and tell me what ill need...
just list me all the things ill need, and ill read up on what they do, how they work, etc. the only real question i have right now is, what is the smallest tank size i can have to have around 3 clowns, any ways thanks again guys.

im a real newbie... please list me like every thing... expect a for a tank thanks again = )


[span class="edited"][Edited by 2004-07-15 03:21][/span]

You should never have more than a pair of Clownfish in a tank, unless its very large(Like 300+ gallons}. Having said that, a pair of smaller clowns like Perculas would be great in a 30 gallon tank.

I always suggest live rock, as well as several powerheads. Of course you'll need things like a heater and stuff, but with only those things you can really set up, and cycle it with only those items. Of course you'll need a substrate, I prefer sand for a number of reasons.

Min. of a 29gal tank, a 55 would be better. Substrate, 2 powerheads, a heater, lights. This is what you NEED, after that a HOB filter, and live rock. That's about it, and no, it's not that hard to keep a SW tank.



Dan

any one got a good site i can read up on keeping clown fishes..
and when you say 2, as in a male and female? or what?
and any reason why only 2? unless 300+

clownfish like/live in their anemone so... what do i attach it to a reef? or what? and just place it in the center, and have a power head blow water threw it?

Clownfish don't need an anenome so don;t get one as they are much harder than clownfish to keep.

Clown fish start off life being sexless (neither male or female) When they are the largest fish in the group they become the female with teh second largest becoming the male. For instance if 5 clowns were together in the wild and the femal was eaten, the male would become the female and the largest juvinile the new male. So when you buy two small clowns around 1 inch each they will work out which will become female and which male by the aggressiveness ofthe individual fish, strength the amount of food they get etc...

Why not more than two a tank? In the wild the ranking of dominant female and male are often threatened when a juvinle may experience a growth spurt. The juvinile will challenge the male or female and the loser will be chased out of the territory. However in a tank the clown can't escape and will be contuinually harrased until death.

thanks dude that helps a lot , i think you've helped me put the most! awsome, so like what type of rock should i get inb the center? and thing you reconmmend? thanks a lot

If you can get live rock, Figi is a good choice. Another option to save money is to get reef bones. These are dried out reef rock, and you can get this as low as $1 per pound.



Dan

so if a get a some live rock, what should i put at the bottom? get some sand there?
Figi is that a type of sand?
and bones.. so just sprinkle some of that over the sand?

oh oh... and i got a question to have a power head, do you need a underground filter like to hold it up and stuff thanks guys


[span class="edited"][Edited by 2004-07-21 00:28][/span]