Basic Facts About Clownfish
| Scientific Family: | Pomacentridae |
| Number of Clownfish Species Types: | There are 2 main species types of Clownfish: Ocellaris and Pecurla. However, there are over 30 total clownfish species types |
| Average Life Span: | Most Clownfish live between 4 and 6 years, but some can live up to 10 or perhaps even longer. |
| Typical Size: | Typically Clownfish are between 2 and 5 inches. Most average around 3-4 inches. |
| Colors: | Orange, White, and Black. Most Clownfish have a combination of all 3 colors. |
| Native To: | Pacific and Indian Oceans. These are saltwater fish. |
| Water Conditions Needed: | Temperature (Farenheit): 74-80 Degrees PH Level: 7.9-8.4 Gravity: 1.021 and 1.026 |
| What Do Clownfish Eat?: | Clownfish are omnivores, but they love meat. You can feed them a variety of meaty things such as tiny crustaceans, types of algae, live copepods, anemone tentacles, fish eggs and larvae, certain shrimp, and finely chopped fish. You can also feed them flakes and pellets if you want them to get some veggies. Feed juveniles 3-4 times a day, and feed adults 2 times a day. |
| Fish-Keeping Experience Level: | Beginner for just the Clownfish Medium for Clownfish with an Anemone |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 30 Gallons for 1 Clownfish. We recommend going up to at least 50 gallons if you are adding another Clownfish or other living species to your tank. |
| Tank Accessory Requirements: | Heater and Filter. Protein Skimmers are recommended. Lights will be needed if you pair with an anemone. |
| Compatibility – Other Fish: | Damselfish, Butterflyfish, Wrasses, Dartfish, Blennies, Gobies, Starfish, Snails, Shrimp |
| Compatibility – Plants: | Various types of Anemone, Soft or Hard Corals |
| Compatibility – Do not Keep With These Species: | Different species of Clownfish, Triggerfish, Groupers, Lionfish (we believe no one should keep Lionfish), Eels |
| Can you breed them? | Yes, you can breed clownfish, but you must alter certain aspects about your aquarium to make that happen. |
| Fun Fact: | Clownfish are male upon birth. However, the dominant clownfish will switch their sex and become the females. |
| Cost: | $20-$100 Depending on the type of Clownfish you’d like, prices will range some species are rarer than others. This fish can be a cheaper or a little more pricey. |
How will a Clownfish behave in your aquarium?
Clownfish are pretty docile. They’ll tend to float towards the top of your aquarium. Watching them pair with an anemone is unique and entertaining. If you pair them with other types of Clownfish, they can get very aggressive, so for multiple clowns in the same tank try to get the same species and similar sizes. In certain situations with bigger fish like Tangs, they can get overwhelmed so you’d have to monitor that pairing closely. If you do pair them from the outset, there’s a good chance they become very good friends and stay together most of the time!
How to acclimate your Clownfish to your fish tank?
When you get your Clownfish, there are a few ways you can introduce your new prized possession to your aquarium. We’ll walk you through one of the easier ways, the Floating Method, but know that there are other ways you can do this as well. Another method for introducing your Clownfish to your fish tank is the Drip Method,
Floating Method:
Step 1: Turn off all lights on your aquarium and dim the lights in the room. Remember, your Clownfish has likely been shipped in a dark box, so we don’t want to cause them to freak out by flooding them with lights.
Step 2: Place the bag with the Clownfish in it in your aquarium and let it float. Don’t open the bag yet. Let the bag float for about 15 minutes. Doing this will let the temperature of the water in the bag to match the temperature of the water in your aquarium.
Step 3: Once you’ve had the bag in the water for 15 minutes, cut a small hole in the bag (if there’s a metal clip, cut the hole right below the metal clip). Open the hole wide enough, and then pour in 1/2 a cup of your aquarium water to the bag. Continue to add 1/2 cup of aquarium water every four minutes until the bag is full.
Step 4: Once the bag is full, take the bag and pour out half of the water (not into your aquarium). Repeat step 3 again. This time, when the bag is full, you’ll net your Clownfish and put it into your fish tank! Make sure to remove the shipping bag from your aquarium, and again, don’t pour the water from the bag into the aquarium but discard of it elsewhere (like your sink).
Which Species Are Best To Pair With Your Clownfish?
- Damselfish
- Wrasses
- Butterflyfish
- Dartfish
- Dottybacks
- Blennies
- Gobies
- Starfish
- Snails
- Shrimp
- Anemone
Ohfishal Clownfish Fish Tank Set Up
This is our ultimate checklist for a fish tank with a Clownfish. Of course, you can do this with less parts, or different parts, but this is our all-in ohfishal recommendation. This set-up will run you around $650 (market prices will vary).
- Fish Tank, Light, Heater and Filter – 55 Gallon Top Fin Essentials Aquarium Starter Kit – $150
- Species – 2 Clownfish ($60), 1 Bulb Anemone ($45), 1 Blennie ($20), 1 Goby ($20), 1 Wrasses ($30), 1 Bubble Coral – ($50), 40 pounds of Dead Rock ($125), 5-20 cleaner snails/crabs ($15-40) – an easy place to shop is Live Aquaria.
- Protein Skimmer – $100
- Sponge Filter and Air Pump – $20
- 1 Bottle of Bacteria – $25
If you are starting your aquarium from scratch, please take it slowly. We recommend starting with the Dead Rock first with the Bacteria (for about a week or 2), and then add in your clownfish. After about 2 weeks, you should be able to add in a Goby or Blennie as well as the cleaner snails/crabs, and then after another 2 weeks you could add in the other. Make sure you are frequently testing your water conditions to ensure that ammonia and nitrate levels aren’t spiking. The slower you take it, the less likely you are to lose any fish or other species!
Frequently Asked Questions about Clownfish
Yes, you can, but you should make sure they are the same species of Clownfish. Otherwise, they will get aggressive to each other. If you can introduce all the Clownfish to your tank at the same time too, that is ideal.
Yes, but you’ll have to do a few things differently. First, you’ll need to feed them more, likely 3+ times per day. Second, you’ll likely need to raise the water temperature above 80 degrees.
That really depends on your Clownfish, but most will live to be around 6 years old.
