How to Care for Clownfish Aquariums

Clownfish are beautiful and popular saltwater aquarium fish---particularly since movies like "A Shark's Tale" and "Finding Nemo" popularized them. However, getting a clownfish and his aquarium set up and then keeping both fish and living space healthy can be complicated, so be sure that you have the time, resources and patience for the job. Once you have set up your clownfish aquarium, you will need to feed, monitor and test the fish and the aquarium to make sure the environment remains healthy.

Things You'll Need

  • Thermometer
  • Hydrometer or refractometer
  • Water test kit
  • Gravel siphon
  • Algae pad
  • Live, frozen or flake food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Check the temperature daily. In the first few weeks of having your clownfish aquarium, you should monitor the temperature more closely until you get a feel for how the tank's heater works. You should simply be able to set it and forget it, but until you are sure this is the case, do not risk cooking or cooling your fish. The temperature should be between 75 and 82 degrees F.

    • 2

      Test the water quality weekly. Check the salinity of the water with a hydrometer or refractometer to make sure it remains between 1.020 and 1.026. There are also drop or strip tests for salinity. If salinity is high, add some fresh water. If salinity is low, add a slightly higher salinity of water at the water change. Never add dry salt directly to an aquarium. You should also test for nitrates and ammonia using a test kit. Ammonia should always be at zero, and nitrates should ideally be less than 20ppm.

    • 3

      Change the water every four weeks with freshly made up saltwater. You should not change the entire tank at once, but rather remove 10 to 25 percent of the water using the water siphon and replace no more than that at any given time. While you are changing the water, you may wish to clean the sand as well. Do not do this more frequently than once a month as it can disrupt the fish and cause them to become ill due to stress on their environment. Monitor the salinity after you change the water to make sure that it remains steady. Make up saltwater outside of the tank, in a bucket specifically for the purpose, or buy ready made saltwater from the fish store.

    • 4

      Feed your clownfish in moderation. They should eat two or three times daily, but each feeding should only consist of a little bit of food one or two flakes or pellets, or a few pieces of frozen foods. Frozen food should be thawed before feeding. This helps keep the tank clean.

    • 5

      Add fish that are compatible with clownfish. These include gobies, cardinal fish, damselfish, angelfish, blennies, hawkfish, tangs and puffers. Clownfish are territorial and will defend their part of the tank aggressively, so it is important that you add fish that can coexist with them.