Clark's Clownfish
Amphiprion clarkii
Marine Marine Indo-Pacific Usually captive bred
One of the hardiest and most adaptable clownfish species, accepting virtually any host anemone or artificial substitute. They grow relatively large and become increasingly territorial with age, often biting tank mates and hands that approach their home.
Also called: Yellowtail clownfish, Black clown, Brown anemonefish, Chocolate clownfish, Clarcki's clown.
Try it in the planner Opens a tank sized to its minimum with 1 fish added.
What it needs
| Item | Value | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Adult length | 13 cm | Used for the Space check: the tank must be long enough for the fish to turn round. |
| Smallest tank | 120 L, at least 80 cm long estimated | The least water and floor length this species is kept in for good, as a single fish or smallest group. |
| Extra water per added fish | 40 L estimated | What each further fish adds once the minimum is met. |
| Waste load | Class 3 of 5 estimated | How much waste an adult makes against its size. Feeds the Load check. |
| Temperature | 24 to 28 C | Stock sharing a tank need overlapping ranges. |
| pH | 8.1 to 8.4 | Compared with tankmates in the Water check. |
| Hardness | GH 8 to 12, KH 8 to 12 | Degrees of general and carbonate hardness. |
| Flow | Medium | Low-flow fish are stressed in a strong current. |
| Light | Moderate | Matched to the lighting class on the needs sheet. |
| Group size | Single fish is fine | Not a schooling species. |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Territorial: strong. |
| Swims in | All levels | Fish that use different levels share a tank more easily. |
| Lifespan | About 15 years | A fish is a long commitment. |
| Experience | Suits a first tank | A guide to how forgiving the species is of mistakes. |
| Salinity | Marine, about SG 1.023 to 1.025 | Needs salt water, a different build and a longer-running tank than a freshwater set-up. |
Tags marked estimated are judged from the size and habits of the species rather than measured, so treat them as a sensible default.
Diet and tank layout
Clark's Clownfish is an omnivore that swims in all levels of the tank. It is safe with plants. Give it plenty of cover.
Tankmates
Works with
- Sixline Wrasse
- Bicolor Blenny
- Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse
- Diamond Watchman Goby
- Lawnmower Blenny
- Midas Blenny
- Orchid Dottyback
- Snowflake Moray Eel
- Yellow Coris Wrasse
- Yellow Watchman Goby
- Golden Head Sleeper Goby
- Harlequin Tuskfish
- Longnose Hawkfish
- Randall's Shrimp Goby
- Sixspot Sleeper Goby
- Valentini Puffer
- Yellow Seahorse
- Yellowhead Jawfish
- Zebra Moray
- Arc-eye Hawkfish
- Banded Sleeper Goby
- Bird Wrasse
- Blackcap Basslet
- Blue Star Leopard Wrasse
- Dragon Wrasse
- Engineer Goby
- Exquisite Fairy Wrasse
- Filamented Flasher Wrasse
- Forktail Blenny
- Freckled Hawkfish
- Leopard Wrasse
- Longhorn Cowfish
- Pinkbar Goby
- Radiant Wrasse
- Silver-Belly Wrasse
- Spotted Prawn Goby
- Steinitz' Shrimp Goby
Depends
- Blue Tang
- Ocellaris Clownfish
- Banggai Cardinalfish
- Blue Green Chromis
- Firefish Goby
- Foxface Rabbitfish
- Green Mandarin
- Percula Clownfish
- Royal Gramma
- Yellow Tang
- Bicolor Angelfish
- Copperband Butterflyfish
- Coral Beauty Angelfish
- Emperor Angelfish
- Flame Angelfish
- Lyretail Anthias
- Neon Goby
- Pajama Cardinalfish
- Powder Blue Tang
- Purple Firefish
- Purple Tang
- Sailfin Tang
- Spotted Mandarin
- Tailspot Blenny
- Yellow Clown Goby
- African Flameback Angelfish
- Antennata Lionfish
- Atlantic Blue Tang
- Blue Chromis
- Blueface Angelfish
- Bristletail Filefish
- Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
- Cherubfish
- Citron Clown Goby
- Convict Tang
- Flame Hawkfish
- Green Clown Goby
- Koran Angelfish
- Lemonpeel Angelfish
- Lined Seahorse
- Longfin Bannerfish
- Longspine Porcupinefish
- Majestic Angelfish
- McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
- Moorish Idol
- Naso Tang
- Niger Triggerfish
- One-Spot Foxface
- Pink Skunk Clownfish
- Raccoon Butterflyfish
- Schooling Bannerfish
- Scopas Tang
- Threadfin Butterflyfish
- Wheeler's Shrimp Goby
- Achilles Tang
- Bicolor Anthias
- Bicolor Chromis
- Bluejaw Triggerfish
- Bluestripe Pipefish
- Chalk Bass
- Clearfin Lionfish
- Disco Blenny
- Dispar Anthias
- Eibl's Angelfish
- Falco Hawkfish
- Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish
- Golden Butterflyfish
- Goldrim Tang
- Harlequin Filefish
- Herald's Angelfish
- Hi Fin Red Banded Goby
- Klein's Butterflyfish
- Kole Yellow Eye Tang
- Lamarck's Angelfish
- Longnose Butterflyfish
- Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse
- Mimic Tang
- Orange Skunk Clownfish
- Orange Skunk Clownfish
- Pinktail Triggerfish
- Pyramid Butterflyfish
- Queen Angelfish
- Regal Angelfish
- Ruby Dragonet
- Rusty Angelfish
- Saddleback Clownfish
- Scissortail Dartfish
- Starry Dragonet
- Stars and Stripes Puffer
Avoid
- Volitan Lionfish
- Blue Damselfish
- Domino Damselfish
- Four Stripe Damselfish
- Maroon Clownfish
- Three Stripe Damselfish
- Tomato Clownfish
- Azure Damselfish
- Lemon Damselfish
- Magenta Dottyback
- Picasso Triggerfish
- Royal Dottyback
- Sebae Clownfish
- Cinnamon Clownfish
- Clown Tang
- Clown Triggerfish
- Diadem Dottyback
- Humuhumu Triggerfish
- Lunar Wrasse
- Neon Damselfish
- Neon Dottyback
- Rock Beauty Angelfish
- Sohal Tang
Compare any two fish on the compatibility page, or print the equipment for a stock on the needs sheet. How this is worked out: the method.