Tip of the Day – 2/5/2015

Clownfish are a staple of the marine aquarium hobby. Despite their popularity, however, they are unlike most other fish in the hobby. If you ever noticed, these adorable little orange and white fish are usually sold in pairs. In fact, most places nowadays seems to sell the fish in this format. Sure, single fish are available, but there is an overwhelming push to sell pairs. Why is this? Clownfish are very sociable fish, but so are many others. Clownfish breed frequently in the home aquarium setting. Then again, so do a lot of gobies, cardinalfish, and several other types. To further compound pairing questions, many clownfish don’t do so well in pairs. Often, the more dominant of the pair will become a female, and after this swap, the female shows signs of aggression and many times will kill its counterpart. So what gives? Is it a push to move more fish? Are dealers playing on the possibilities of hobbyists wanting to breed? Well, we’re not totally sure it can be nailed down to a single reason, but just know that you don’t have to buy clownfish in pairs. They do well all by themselves or in aquariums with other types of fish. They don’t require a companion, or for that matter even an anemone.