How to Mix Clownfish Species

Clownfish are beautiful and fascinating tropical marine fish. These delightful little coral reef creatures live in a symbiotic relationship with giant sea anemones under natural conditions. Clownfish housed in an aquarium do not require an anemone to survive, but it is far easier to mix different clownfish species if you offer each pair an anemone of their own. The clownfish will remain in the immediate vicinity of their anemone home and will not interferer with each other. The only potential problem will arise if the anemones choose to move about the aquarium, in which case the aquarist needs to gently pick the animals up and return them to their designated spots.

Things You'll Need

  • 120-gallon marine aquarium and stand
  • Thin piece of Styrofoam
  • Utility knife
  • Aragonite or similar sea sand, at least one third being mature sand
  • Two large marine rocks
  • Aquarium chlorine remover
  • Two power heads
  • Aquarium heater
  • Heater guard
  • Synthetic sea salt
  • Liquid nitrifying bacteria culture
  • Protein skimmer
  • Canister filter
  • Metal halide light
  • Two large sea anemones
  • Common or percula clownfish pair
  • Pink clownfish pair
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Instructions

  1. Setting up the Aquarium

    • 1

      Locate a draft-free area in a room and position your aquarium stand on a level section of the floor. Aquariums are heavy, so be sure that the floor can hold the weight, particularly if it is a suspended floor.

    • 2

      Use a utility knife to cut a piece of Styrofoam to fit the stand. Styrofoam will prevent the base of the aquarium from cracking, if the stand is not completely level.

    • 3

      Place the aquarium on the stand.

    • 4

      Cover one third of the aquarium bottom with mature sea sand, such as aragonite, which you have obtained from an established tank at your dealer. This mature sand is covered with beneficial bacteria. Use pre-washed sea sand, such as aragonite, to cover the rest of the aquarium floor, to a depth of 1 inch.

    • 5

      Place two large marine rocks with flat tops on the aragonite. Position one on either side of the aquarium.

    • 6

      Fill the aquarium with tap water and add four tablespoons of liquid chlorine remover.

    • 7

      Place two power heads into the aquarium, one on either side. Turn them on.

    • 8

      Set the aquarium heater to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and slide a plastic heater guard over the heater, to prevent the sea anemones from burning if they attempt to climb onto the heater when it turns off. Anemones are not able to climb off the heater quickly enough once it turns on again. Place the heater into the aquarium and turn it on.

    • 9

      Add 33-pounds of synthetic sea salt to the aquarium. Allow the salt to thoroughly mix with the water for 24 hours.

    • 10

      Add liquid nitrifying bacteria to begin the important biological filtration cycle.

    • 11

      Place a hang-on protein skimmer onto the back rim of the aquarium. Turn on the skimmer.

    • 12

      Fill a canister filter with biological, mechanical and chemical filter material and hook the filter to the aquarium.

    • 13

      Suspend a metal halide light above the aquarium.

    Adding the Living Animals

    • 14

      Choose two large sea anemones from an aquatic dealer. Ask for animals that have been in the dealer's tanks for some time and are not weak and stressed from having recently been caught and transported.

    • 15

      Place one anemone on each flat-topped rock. Wait a week for the anemones to settle in the aquarium.

    • 16

      Purchase two very young common, or percula clownfish and two very young pink clownfish. Young clownfish typically swim in groups and are less aggressive and territorial than mature clownfish.

    • 17

      Release the one species into the aquarium above the one anemone and the second species into the aquarium, above the second anemone.