If you are planning to get a clownfish as a pet, you will need to know some things about caring for it. In this article, we shed light on that and more.
Have you seen the Disney movie Finding Nemo? Did it inspire you to keep a clownfish as a pet? Well, we won’t be surprised. The best thing about the clownfish is that it swims as though it were waddling through the water, resembling a happy dog who comes running to you when you are back from work. There exist different species of clownfish, which can be differentiated by their color and placement of stripes.
Know Your Clownfish
There is no questioning the fact that clownfish enjoy the company of anemones in the wild, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be a part of your aquarium.
Clownfish Care
Ideally, the size of the aquarium should be 90×30×38 cm. If you have chosen the Maroon clownfish, you need to keep in mind that they grow up to six inches in size. Even Percula clownfish grow very fast. Hence, you will have to buy an aquarium which will be able to support them once they attain full growth. One difference between clownfish and freshwater fish is that former require more space.
You will have to talk to the pet shop owner about the right filtration plant for the aquarium. One important point to note here, is that you should not put the fish into the aquarium the same day that you buy them. You will need to give some time for water to sit in the aquarium. At the same time, the sand and rocks you have added will also need time to settle.
Along with more space, these fish also require good quality of water. Therefore, you will have to clean the aquarium on a frequent basis.
Pairing Them
Clownfish are social species, which is aptly highlighted by their behavior in the wild, where they live in harmony with anemones. Hence, it is recommended, that you buy a pair. If you are keeping the Ocellaris clownfish as a pet, you should not keep it with other species of clownfish, as they do not get along with other species. Also, make sure you do not overcrowd the aquarium, as that will increase the chances of territorial fights and cause a lot of stress. They are not very good at handling stress and may even succumb to it.
Sea Anemones
You can consider adding a sea anemone to the habitat of your pet clownfish, for the two are known to share a good relationship. However, not all anemones gel well with the clownfish. You will need to find out which anemone species is compatible. If they are not compatible, the anemone might bite your clownfish and that may cause it to die. Then again, you will have to take extra care of the anemones as they find it difficult to adjust to aquarium environment.
Diet and Feeding
Clownfish are omnivores. You can give them live food, frozen food, as well as flake food. If you give them frozen food, do not forget to thaw it. As they are not fussy eaters, they don’t cause too much of inconvenience to the owner. You will have to feed them about twice or thrice a day. However, you do need to make sure that you are not overfeeding them. For this, you will have to check the bottom of the tank. Leftovers at the bottom of the tank is a clear sign of overfeeding.
I hope this information proves to be of help to you.
