Keeping a clownfish in a marine aquarium requires a significant investment. The smallest species available in the aquarium trade, and the only one suitable for a nano-aquarium, is A. percula. The second most traded species in the world, A. ocellaris, requires a little more space. The size of the fish is, in fact, slightly different (9 cm against 11 cm for the dominant females), but it is especially their behavior which imposes more volume of swimming for the ocellated clownfish. If A. percula never leaves its host anemone farther than 10-12 cm from a piece of tentacle, A. ocellaris does not hesitate to move away from its host anemone several tens of cm. An aquarium of 75-80 liters net is sufficient for a couple of A. percula, but instead count 100 net liters (about 120 gross liters) for a couple of A's. ocellaris. By this specific behavior of the perchot clownfish, it is not very active in a large aquarium and its food should be targeted.
The seawater parameters for a clownfish are standard marine aquariums: the water should be kept at a temperature of about 24-25 ° C, possibly a little higher during breeding. The pH should be 8.0 to 8.4, the specific weight of seawater (salinities) between 1.022 to 1.026 and especially stable !. Other water parameters must be within the generally acceptable levels of a saltwater aquarium (nitrates <5 mg / l and nitrite not measurable by colorimetric test). There should be a useful water movement to the sea anemone and sufficient (therefore powerful) light for the photosynthesis of zooxanthellae from the sea anemone.
If clownfish are compatible with most marine aquarium invertebrates, their lifestyle will need to be considered for other fish in the tank. First of all, we must deprive ourselves of any species (fish or invertebrate) likely to succumb to the slightest contact with the tentacles of an anemone if it is present. It should also be remembered that a clownfish is rather slow, especially compared to a fish surgeon for example. Nor should they be used as prey for other fish: in this spirit, it is important that they are not placed with large carnivorous and aggressive fish such as lionfish and groupers.
The introduction of clownfish, of the same species, must be made at the same time, all at once if you opt for a group greater than the pair. The hierarchy must be established and the aggression between the fish will decrease in a few weeks, when one of the fish will be mature enough to turn into female, which implies that a pair will be formed automatically with 2 fish introduced simultaneously. The subsequent introduction of another fish of the same species must imperatively be done with a juvenile, as small as possible. The biggest clown will probably be aggressive with the newcomer, but as long as they are not 2 females, the small fish will generally submit to the female while remaining male.
The seawater parameters for a clownfish are standard marine aquariums: the water should be kept at a temperature of about 24-25 ° C, possibly a little higher during breeding. The pH should be 8.0 to 8.4, the specific weight of seawater (salinities) between 1.022 to 1.026 and especially stable !. Other water parameters must be within the generally acceptable levels of a saltwater aquarium (nitrates <5 mg / l and nitrite not measurable by colorimetric test). There should be a useful water movement to the sea anemone and sufficient (therefore powerful) light for the photosynthesis of zooxanthellae from the sea anemone.
If clownfish are compatible with most marine aquarium invertebrates, their lifestyle will need to be considered for other fish in the tank. First of all, we must deprive ourselves of any species (fish or invertebrate) likely to succumb to the slightest contact with the tentacles of an anemone if it is present. It should also be remembered that a clownfish is rather slow, especially compared to a fish surgeon for example. Nor should they be used as prey for other fish: in this spirit, it is important that they are not placed with large carnivorous and aggressive fish such as lionfish and groupers.
The introduction of clownfish, of the same species, must be made at the same time, all at once if you opt for a group greater than the pair. The hierarchy must be established and the aggression between the fish will decrease in a few weeks, when one of the fish will be mature enough to turn into female, which implies that a pair will be formed automatically with 2 fish introduced simultaneously. The subsequent introduction of another fish of the same species must imperatively be done with a juvenile, as small as possible. The biggest clown will probably be aggressive with the newcomer, but as long as they are not 2 females, the small fish will generally submit to the female while remaining male.