Tomato Clown

Summer temperatures have arrived and if you forget your sunscreen, you may end up looking like Centreville Aquarium’s June Fish of the Month: the Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus). These saltwater mainstays are often seen but just as often underappreciated. Also known as the Blackback Anemonefish, Fire Clown, and Red Tomato Clown, this fish is a beautiful representative of the damsel fish family. Tomato Clowns are a vibrant orange-red color with a brilliant white bar, outlined in black, running over its head behind its eyes. Females show darker coloration along their sides, while males are red throughout and juveniles are darker red with 2 or 3 head bars. Tomato Clowns can grow up 5 1/2 inches long and live for 6-8 years.
These easy to keep fish thrive in an aquarium of at least 20 gallons with a pH of 8.0-8.4, a temperature between 72-80 degrees, and a salinity of 1.020-1.028. They appreciate plenty of hiding spots throughout the tank, as they are generally peaceful fish that will only become aggressive if another fish infringes on their space. Tomato Clowns can be kept with most other peaceful fish, but large, aggressive fish like triggers, lionfish, and fish-eating eels should be avoided. These fish will form a symbiotic relationship with
anemone but do not need this relationship to survive and may form that bond with a variety of other objects in their environment. It is generally recommended to have only one species of clownfish in a tank, either singly or in a pair. As matriarchal fish, the dominant (and typically larger) Tomato Clown will turn into a female while the submissive half of the pair remains or becomes a male. CaribSea’s Arag-Alive aquarium sand is a fantastic choice of substrate for Tomato Clowns

Tomato Clownfish are extremely receptive to change, be it new environments, new tankmates, or a variety of foods and feeding schedules. They are omnivorous, meaning that they will readily accept any of the packaged or frozen food options available at Centreville Aquarium. Their diet of choice includes a mix of marine pellets or flakes, and frozen soft meaty foods such as mysis shrimp. Live foods encourage Tomato Clowns to breed in the tank and the fry will readily eat baby brine shrimp and rotifers. Clownfish are very common saltwater fish in the aquarium hobby, but their easy care, symbiotic pairings, and endearing personalities combine to make them the star of any smaller saltwater community tank.