How to Care for a Maroon Clown

Clown fish, or anemone fish, are orange, yellow, red or black fish with white bars or patches on them. The fish are native to the warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans and live in the reefs or lagoons at the bottom of the ocean. Clown fish eat small planktons, crustaceans and mollusks in the wild. They are a popular choice for aquariums due to their bright colors and partnership with sea anemones. The maroon clown fish is more expensive than other varieties and is highly susceptible to diseases. Hence, it may not be the best choice for a beginner.

  1. Maroon Clown Fish

    • The maroon clown fish, or Premnas biaculeatus, has three yellow or white stripes, depending on the area of origin. These fish are also known as spine cheek anemone fish due to the small spine found on their cheeks. Fish native to Sumatra area have yellow stripes around their head, front of their dorsal fin and base of their tail, while maroon clown fish of Indo-Pacific origin have white stripes instead. All clown fish are born male. Some of them, however, modify into females and grow about 5 inches long. The males grow about 2 inches long.

    Tank Size

    • These fish require an aquarium with a tank size of about 30 gallons or larger. The pH value of the water should be between 8.1 to 8.4, and the water temperature should be maintained at 75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Salinity of 1.020 to 1.025 and carbonate hardness of 8 to 12 degrees is required. The water should be clean and well-circulated.

    Diet

    • As omnivores, maroon clown fish can eat almost any kind of food. In fact, they thrive well if you feed them a variety of foods such as frozen mysis shrimp, krill and herbivore preparations. Dry fish foods consisting of a seafood mix with algae and the mostly meaty flake foods containing a blend of raw marine proteins are popular choices. The fish should be fed two to three times a day.

    Compatibility

    • Maroon clown fish live in the ocean in a mutually beneficial relationship with predatory, water-dwelling animals known as sea anemones. While the anemones protect the clown fish from predators with the help of their stinging tentacles, the clown fish help the anemone by driving away anemone-eating fish. The feces of the clown fish also acts as a nutrient for the anemones. Clown fish can thrive well in an aquarium without an anemone as well. However, if you wish to provide a host, the bubble tip sea anemone, or Entacmaea quadricolor, is an ideal choice. This anemone requires a lot of light, so if your aquarium is away from a light source, go for other anemone species such as the Macrodactyla doreensis, Cryptodendrum adhaesivum or Heteractis malu. Also remember that maroon clown fish are the most aggressive clown fish and the most difficult to maintain with other clown fish in the same aquarium.