Clown fish (amphiprion ocellaris) are a beautiful marine species that are highly entertaining to watch, and are very long lived. They have become quite popular recently as a species to keep because of the feature film called Finding Nemo.

Do not need Anemones

In their natural environment, clown fish live in close association with anemones and are sometimes referred to as anemone fish.

Clown fish do not need anemones to live and hence live comfortably in an aquarium without any marine plant life at all. If you do have an anemone in your aquarium then the clown fish is sure to spend the majority of its time in close proximity to it.

Right Temperature

A marine aquarium is required for any marine fish species like clown fish. If you have never kept a marine aquarium before, you should be sure to read more about marine setups, and maintain a marine tank for a few weeks before introducing any fish. Clown fish require a temperature of 25°C, specific gravity of 1.020 and a pH of 8.2.

We recommend that you should successfully maintain a cold or tropical aquarium before commencing with a marine setup. This will enable you to learn the intricacies of the care required and form the habits necessary. Tropical fish may forgive you for overfeeding or lack of water changes on the odd occasion, but marine fish will not.

Basic Requirements

If you are about to get any marine fish, you need to make sure you have the basic requirements, before you even bring them home! Here is a list of the basic requirements for any marine aquarium.

• Aquarium
• Filtration (under gravel, corner or power filter)
• Aeration (air pump & air stone)
• Lighting (or natural light)
• Heater
• Substrate (gravel, sand, pebbles etc.)
• Marine Salt
• Food
• Treated/Stabilized Water
• Hydrometer & Thermomiter

Optional Requirements

• Filters
• Aeration
• UV Lighting
• Ornaments
• Plants (live or plastic)
• Test Kits (pH, ammonia etc)
• Aquarium Backing

Breakdown

Suitable For People Aged: 15 & over
Experience Required: None. Care sheet & info
Feeding Care Time Required: 20 Min a Day
Maintenance Time Required: 2 Hour a Week
Minimum Space Required: Aquarium (as large as possible)
Cost of Upkeep: (approx) $15 Per Week (Power Required)
Life Span: (approx) 10 to 30 Years (Depending on Species)
Availability: All Year

INTRODUCTION

Clown fish (amphiprion ocellaris) are a beautiful marine species that are highly entertaining to watch, and are very long lived. In their natural environment, clown fish live in close association with anemones and are sometimes referred to as anemones fish. They do not need anemones to live and hence live comfortably in an aquarium without any marine plant life at all. If you do have an anemone in your aquarium then the clown fish is sure to spend the majority of its time in close proximity to it.

HOUSING

A marine aquarium is required for any marine fish species like clown fish. If you have never kept a marine aquarium before, you should be sure to read more about marine setups, and maintain a marine tank for a few weeks before introducing any fish. Clown fish require a temperature of 25°C, specific gravity of 1.020 and a pH of 8.2.

Be sure you have good quality water at all times and that aeration and filtration 1s always operating vigorously. You should check the temp, gravity and pH ona daily basis when you first set up the aquarium or first introduce new fish. After a few weeks you only need to check the levels on a weekly basis. You will also need to do maintenance and a 25% water change on a fortnightly basis, but this depends on you tank size and the ratio of fish.

BASIC REQUIRMENTS

• Aquarium (SOlitres or more)
• Air pump and appropriate aeration e Heater
• Biological Filter
• Aquarium Light (preferably a marine based light) e Hydrometer and Thermometer
• Artificial sea salt or natural salt water e Water agent (to remove chlorine etc) e Shell grit or other marine substrate
• Decorations and hiding places (so they don’t get stressed)

FEEDING

Clown fish will eat most frozen and live foods like bloodworm, brine shrimp, marine diet etc. They can also be trained to eat flake foods. But a varied diet is always recommended. Feed only what your fish can eat in a few minutes, overfeeding can cause an ammonia build up and lead to an imbalance in the nitrogen cycle within your aquarium.

COMPATABILITY

Ocellaris clowns become territorial at about 5cm. Once they reach this size, it’s best to keep no more than one pair in any aquarium. It’s also important to keep them in a separate bag if they ever need to be moved as adults. Juveniles are very compatible with each other, they will swim and feed together in compact schools.

SEXING

Amazingly, in the absence of females, male clown fish will change sex, growing larger and becoming female. It is not easy to sex them, but as a general rule, the largest adults are usually female while the smaller adults are male.

GENERAL

Clown fish grow up to 8cm and live for up to ten years or more. They are usually bright orange with white bands. The black and white form occurs naturally around Darwin and is currently thought to be a geographical race. Juvenile black clown fish retain the orange/brown colour until they reach adulthood, at about 5cm. Caramel clowns are orange and white as juveniles, and gradually develop a rich orange/caramel top half as they mature.

Clown fish sold as pets are captive bred in Australia, resulting in a parasite free fish that are easy to acclimatize and feed. At 4cm they are approximately 6 months old and make ideal marine inhabitants and pets.