all clownfish tank

Question
Hi I am new to the hobby...I have a 55 gal tank about a month old now...I have live sand and about 40lbs of live rock...anyways my question is...I know a 55 gal tank is probably a little small for angels and tangs etc...so is it possible to mix all different types of clowns together?  I have 2 true perculas right now but I was wondering if it would be ok to get for example...a couple tomato clowns, a couple maroon clowns along with various other types?  what would be your advice on this...maybe there are a few breeds that behave well together and some that may not?  Im just making sure because ive heard people say clowns don't mix well together? thanks for taking time out of your day to help me out...have a nice day

Answer
Hi Dylan:

If you are definitely planning on keeping a couple different species of clownfish with your 2 true perculas, then the key is introducing them all at the same time, which is going to be a little more difficult to do now since you already have the 2. This allows these territorial fish to claim a certain area of the aquarium to call their own. You would want to provide plenty of rockwork for them as well.

You could always set up another smaller tank to put the 2 true perculas in; then get your other clownfish, then add them all together at once.

Also so they don't have to compete for food, which can also cause bickering, make sure you keep them well fed. In the wild, these species eat zooplankton and algae, being omnivorous. Therefore a mix of quality food preparations is best.

Furthermore I'd recommend getting all juveniles, and keeping the number of clownfish even, so they all can eventually pair off as couples.

In this manner you could sustain the aquarium for a while, however eventually as they age, the 55 gal tank may start to become too small for them, warranting a larger aquarium.

In regard to the Tomato clownfish, they tend to be more aggressive; you may want to avoid keeping this species unless kept without other clownfish species.

I wish you the best of luck with all your saltwater aquarium endeavors.

Regards,
David