information on percula clownfish

[stellalux]

Might've asked this before, but can't seem to find the thread in my Topics.

I'm really keen on getting a clownfish for my 65L tank. The local fish shop has Percula Clownfish available. I'm assuming these are the 'Common' and 'True Percula' types - are they indeed the smallest species?

I've got a few questions:
1. Will a single clownfish find a host?
2. Will it be happy, or would it appreciate some tankmates - maybe a small gobie or Blenny?
3. When I eventually upgrade, will it be tricky finding a mate for it? Will they get along okay?

Thanks

[route4]

Honestly, I think 65 litres is a bit cramped for a clownfish, but to answer your questions, one clown will host an anemone.

As for happiness, a single clown will be alright on its own, but they do seem to thrive in pairs. If you do decide to keep one, it'll likely develop into a female over time, and then you might encounter issues introducing a new male later on - it's generally easier to add two from the start.

[route4]

Clownfish are super active, and I mean super active - they're territorial too. I'd say you're looking at a minimum of 100 litres for just one pair, to be honest. Once you've kept them, you'll see what I mean, they're always on the go, very active fish, just my two cents.

[reefkeeper1]

I started with a single clown in a smaller tank, 10 gallons to be exact, and at the time I thought it was doing alright, but looking back I can see it wasn't truly happy. Fast forward to now, I've got three in a 29-gallon setup and the difference is like night and day - they're genuinely thriving.

[felinxo]

I've shared my thoughts on this before, but for the record, I think you need a minimum of 125 litres for a pair of clowns. Some folks swear they can thrive in 95 litres, though. I know the conventional wisdom says clowns tend to stick close to their host, rarely venturing more than 20cm away, so a slightly bigger tank should be fine. But, in my experience, that's not entirely true - they do spend most of their time with their host, but they also love to explore the entire tank (and mine's five foot, for reference).

[coral8]

I've got a slightly different take on this - I think a 20g (around 76L) can work for a pair of the smaller clowns. That being said, your 65L tank is still on the small side in my book. I do agree with the others that keeping just one clown isn't ideal - they're much more interesting and happy with a partner. If you only have one, it'll likely turn female and can be a challenge to pair up later on, although the smaller species like true percs and ocellaris seem to be a bit easier to pair, especially if they're tank-bred. Maybe it's time to consider a bigger tank.

My clowns are pretty stereotypical - if they ever ventured to the other side of the tank, I'd be shocked. I'm pretty sure the male isn't allowed over there anyway.

[stellalux]

Thanks for all the responses, really appreciate it. I'm still a bit confused though. I've joined another marine forum to get some different opinions, and I got about 5 people saying my tank size is fine - one even said it's the minimum, but bigger is better.

@coral8, I do plan on getting a bigger tank soon, but I thought it'd be best to start with this one and then upgrade. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with this one for now - it's not easy to get rid of it.

[coral8]

I've found that opinions in this hobby are all over the place - it's like nowhere else I've seen. At work, we sell a 10g 'Nemo' starter kit, which I personally think is way too small, but my boss, who's super knowledgeable about this stuff, is fine with it. I guess that's the thing - sometimes you just have to trust your own judgement and learn from your own experiences.

[stellalux]

I've got a slightly different take on this - I think a 20g (around 76L) can work for a pair of the smaller clowns. That being said, your 65L tank is still on the small side in my book. I do agree with the others that keeping just one clown isn't ideal - they're much more interesting and happy with a partner. If you only have one, it'll likely turn female and can be a challenge to pair up later on, although the smaller species like true percs and ocellaris seem to be a bit easier to pair, especially if they're tank-bred. Maybe it's time to consider a bigger tank.

My clowns are pretty stereotypical - if they ever ventured to the other side of the tank, I'd be shocked. I'm pretty sure the male isn't allowed over there anyway.

I've seen some impressive setups too, like my LFS's display tank, an Orca 450 with a pair of clowns. That's a more ideal environment for them, but I still think even smaller tanks can work with proper care.