seeking guidance as a new aquarist
Re: seeking guidance as a new aquarist
You could consider a second-hand 65L tank, it's bigger than a 15G. Just move the equipment over and you're good to go.
Re: seeking guidance as a new aquarist
In the UK, I've noticed that there are quite a few captive-bred clownfish, gobies, and a few others available. However, many others are still wild-caught. That being said, I firmly believe they deserve the best care possible.
A single clownfish could possibly thrive in a 15G tank, but you're pushing the limits. I wouldn't personally keep a pair in anything less than 20G. I've mentioned before that I don't consider clownfish to be reef-safe, so I wouldn't keep them with your coflakes. They have a tendency to "host" objects, which means they'll constantly rub against whatever they choose - often the largest coflake. Once that's gone, they'll move on to the next one.
Considering your previous budget, I'm afraid it's not enough to run a marine tank. Let's take a look at some of the necessary equipment: decent lighting will set you back around $120-200. For a 15G tank, you'll need at least 7KG of live rock, which costs around $130. Then there are powerheads - you'll need at least two small ones to ensure proper water flow and redundancy, costing around $80.
On top of that, you'll need to factor in the cost of flour, RO water, test kits, a refractometer, and more. Unfortunately, your $90 budget won't even cover these essentials.
Re: seeking guidance as a new aquarist
Clownfish in the wild are indeed social creatures, but when it comes to keeping them in a tank, it's a whole different story. They're extremely territorial and if you put two of them together, they'll fight to the death unless it's a mated pair or you've got a massive tank.
From my experience, getting a pair of juvenile clownfish and letting them grow up together can work out pretty well. They'll usually pair up and develop a bond as they mature. Introducing a smaller juvenile to a larger, established clownfish can also work, as long as you've got enough space for them to sort out their hierarchy.
However, if you keep a group of juveniles together, you'll eventually end up with a dominant pair that'll harass and kill off the rest - unless you've got a really large tank, that is.
As for keeping just one clownfish, I think it's perfectly fine. In fact, sometimes it's better for them to be alone, especially in smaller tanks. Even mated pairs can get aggressive with each other if they don't have enough space to give each other some breathing room.
Let me tell you, clownfish are some of the most aggressive fish I've ever kept - and not just to their own kind, either. They've got a special talent for nipping at my arms whenever I put them in the tank.
From my experience, getting a pair of juvenile clownfish and letting them grow up together can work out pretty well. They'll usually pair up and develop a bond as they mature. Introducing a smaller juvenile to a larger, established clownfish can also work, as long as you've got enough space for them to sort out their hierarchy.
However, if you keep a group of juveniles together, you'll eventually end up with a dominant pair that'll harass and kill off the rest - unless you've got a really large tank, that is.
As for keeping just one clownfish, I think it's perfectly fine. In fact, sometimes it's better for them to be alone, especially in smaller tanks. Even mated pairs can get aggressive with each other if they don't have enough space to give each other some breathing room.
Let me tell you, clownfish are some of the most aggressive fish I've ever kept - and not just to their own kind, either. They've got a special talent for nipping at my arms whenever I put them in the tank.