Allard’s Clownfish: A Concise Care Guide, How to Keep

Allard’s ClownFish

The Allard’s Clownfish is an excellent, strong fish, although it can be hard to find and can not be cheap! It’s one of the Clarkii Complex’s eleven members, while it shares some characteristics with some others, its distinctive colour defines it aside. 

The Clownfish, commonly called the Twobar Anemonefish, resembles the famous Clarkii Clownfish Amphiprion Clarkii in looks. Twobar Anemonefish and Allard’s Anemonefish are two other frequent names for them. This term Allard’s relates to the species, while Twobar alludes to the number of white bands on their bodies. 

The Clarkii Clownfish has a noticeable white gap between the body colour and the caudal fin, which the Allard’s is missing. The stripes give still another differentiation. The Clarkii’s mid-body band is substantially wider than the Allard’s. Allard’s Anemonefish are quite simple to care for and are perfect for new fishkeepers. 

They’ve been bred-in-captivity while the fry has been ‘successfully reared’ multiple times. However, according to their size of them, their cost could be from moderate to high. The Twobar Anemonefish Fish is not as common in pet shops and online as other Clarkii species. They could be located with perseverance, and vary according to the size of the fish. They’re bigger than other clownfish. 

It is a robust fish, docile tankmates may be chosen for these fish. Continue reading to know about “their peculiarity, how to find, how to reproduce them, just everything about the Allard’s clownfish”.

Background: Klausewitz firstly identified Allard’s Clownfish in 1970.

Scientific Name: Amphiprion allardi

Family: Pomacentridae

Habitat/Range: Allard’s anemonefish is discovered in South Africa, East Africa between Durban and  Kenya, and East to the Mascarene Islands and Seychelles.

The appearance of Allard’s Clownfish:

It is a Clarkii Complex clownfish with a large body. The body of a Twobar’s Clowns is characteristically ‘stout’ and ’rounded’, with a ‘blunt-ended caudal fin’ that enables fast swimming. It could be yellow to almost black in colour in appearance as an adult, with a yellowish nose, yellowish fins (save for the whitetail fin), and no black colouration in the pelvic/anal fins. The base of the tail fin and the caudal fin itself is both white and not yellow. 

The Twobar has 2 longitudinal white bands on the body that are somewhat blue in adults. The 1st band is wider and nearer to the eye and extends towards the front of the dorsal fin before narrowing and stopping at the gill area. The next stripe is narrower than the 1st and has a similar width all the way around. The bands on juveniles are not blue, and their caudal fins are brown/yellow with white caps.

Size of Allard’s ClownFish: 

They can grow to around 5.5 inches (14 cm). 

Colour of Allard’s ClownFish:

The body of the Allard clownfish is dark-brown to black with 2 bluish-white bands on the sides with black outlining, a light whitish caudal fin, and the other fins are orange in colour.

Similarity of Allard’s ClownFish with other clownfish:

Many clownfish species resemble Allard’s in appearance, including:

• Two Band Anemonefish: A closer stunner with 2 bands is “Amphiprion bicinctus”. It has a larger band on the head than the Allard’s, but still, it lacks a white caudal-fin and white on the caudal-peduncle.
• Clarkii Clownfish: Even though “Amphiprion clarkii” has a black body colour similar to the Allard, the Clarkii’s semi band is substantially shorter.
• Orange-fin Anemonefish: “Amphiprion chrysopterus”, often known as the Blue striped Clownfish, is a remarkably similar species. Nevertheless, there is a large spatial difference between the two, which helps to avoid misunderstanding, as well as some tiny design variations.

The mature Orange-fin Anemonefish, such as the Allard’s Clownfish, seems to have bluing in the striping and could have a whitetail. An element that strikes out more about the Allard’s 1st band on the skull is that it is wider just at the top side of the head and narrower at the bottom. The diameter of the top of the head resembles a “bonnet”, commencing around the eye area and nearly approaching the front of the dorsal fin.

Difference Between Males and Females of Allard’s ClownFish: 

Most clownfish are born genderless but can switch sex. Based on certain environmental cues they can shift into a juvenile male and later the dominant one switches to a female. The shift from male to female occurs very quickly in Allard’s clownfish, taking only around ‘two months’. Females are much greater in size than males.

Lifespan:

14 years – These will survive between 14-20 years, like other Clarkii Complex fish.

Two Bar Anemonefish Clownfish Feeding Guide

Feed:

Algae, meaty foods, shrimps, tablets live, frozen, & flake foods.

Diet of Allard’s ClownFish:

An omnivorous Allard’s clownfish may consume unabsorbed food from their hostess coral. They mostly eat baby zooplankton in the surrounding water, such as copepods and tunicate larvae, with algae accounting for a tiny part of their diet. If there’s not a lot of algae in the tank, use goods that have Spirulina added to them.

Pellet/Tablet: Yes

Flake Food: Yes

Live foods (shrimp, worm, or fish):

Live items can be provided as a surprise or when teaching them to procreate on a regular basis.

Vegetable Food:

50% of their diet

Meaty Food: 

50% of their diet

Feeding Frequency:

Feeding times throughout the day – Fed twice a day for mature and three to four times a day for juveniles.

Behaviour and Temperament of Allard’s ClownFish:

The Allard’s Clownfish is among the most violent clownfish, particularly as they grow older. They do very well in a coral habitat, and also in a fish-only arrangement, as do all clownfish. Though most tank mates get along, tranquil fish may well be targeted. It’s recommended to introduce the Allard’s Clownfish to the tank after you’ve created a stable of tranquil-tank companions. 

Nevertheless, if you’re going to keep them alongside other aggressive fish like huge angelfish, triggerfish, or perch, you should put this clownfish first. Keep them away from fish that can eat them, as well as dotty backs, as these fish are too violent to keep alongside clownfish. Other clownfish couples will be killed once an adolescent pair has mated. 

Care level: Beginner/Easy

Conservation Status:

On corals, anemonefish and their host anemones suffer similar environmental challenges. Anemones, like corals, have subcellular endosymbionts called zooxanthellae and can bleach as a result of environmental factors like increased water temperature or acidification. Local populations and genetic diversity remain vulnerable to the worldwide ornamental fish trade’s top standard of enslavement of these species and their presenter anemones. This species was not evaluated in the IUCN Red List 2012 release.

Tank Or Aquarium Conditions

Image credit @Pinterest

Tank Set up for Allard’s Clownfish:

Tank size:

30 gallons (114 L) – One species requires at least 30 gallons, whereas a pair requires 45 to 55 gallons. If you want to maintain them with an anemone, you’ll require a bigger tank, perhaps up to 55 gallons, based on the anemone’s needs.

Suitable for Nano Tank: No

Tank Setup: 

The aquarium is decorated with ocean stones or reefs, which seem lovely, but the purpose for this is that twobar clownfish get along with coral reefs.

Tank Lightning:

It does not require specific lightning, yet if maintained with a host, the anemone will need bright lighting.

Live Rock Requirement:

For Hidden Spaces – If there are no anemones around, rock formations featuring hiding spots are essential.

Substrate Type: Any

Maintenance of the tank: 

Daily: Monitor the water purifier, surface temperature, particle density, and all other equipment in the aquarium on a daily basis. 

Weekly: Check the water quality at least once a week. 

Monthly: Each 2-4 weeks/as needed, replace up to 10 to 25% of the entire amount of water. Periodic introduction of new tank mates is also important.

• Equipment and Tank setting 

Clownfish could be grown in a freshwater tank or a small coral tank. An Allard’s Clownfish requires a minimal aquarium capacity of 30 (114 L) gallons because it is a bigger and much more active clownfish. Once it has gotten used to its surroundings, this is a brave fish that would swim to the top of the tank to eat. 

They will require rocks with several nooks and crannies to hide, as well as sufficient open space for swimming freely. However a host-anemone is preferred, if it is not required they may quickly adjust to a saltwater tank without them.  Allard clowns frequently replace a coral, another invertebrate, even a rock structure.

Temperature 

This species can be found in hot regions, where the temperature is usually around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7 °C). Ocean temperatures in a tank should be between 74 degrees to 79 degrees Fahrenheit (23° or 26° C). Extreme views of temperature exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32° C) or even below 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18℃) would be too much for them. 

If you’re going to keep twobar clowns with a sea-anemone, the aquarium size and demands must be determined by the anemone. Whereas most fish avoid stinging tentacles of anemone for fear of becoming food, your clownfish will pass the majority of its time inside it,  but they’ll also swim about the tank.

List of equipment that are required for a saltwater aquarium:

• 1.  Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
• 2.  Power strip/surge protector
• 3.  Tank
• 4.  Tank stand
• 5.  Bio-Wheel Filters
• 6.  Reverse Osmosis Unit or Deionizer
• 7.  Salt mix
• 8.  Hydrometer
• 9.  Digital pH Monitor
• 10.  Aquarium Photo Background or Paint the background
• 11.  Test kits
• 12.   Buckets, Towels, Rubber Gloves
• 13.  Substrate
• 14.  Refugium
• 15.  Trace Elements
• 16.  Aquarium vacuum
• 17.  Live Rock / Decorative rocks or coral
• 18.  Heater
• 19.  Thermometer
• 20.  Saltwater test kit
• 21.  UV Aquarium Sterilizers
• 22.  Lights
• 23.  Powerhead and sweeper
• 24.  Protein Skimmer
• 25.  Salinity Meter
• 26.  Reverse Osmosis System (RO/DI Unit)
• 27.  WaveMaker and Power Head
• 28.  Algae Scraper
• 29.  Media Reactor
• 30.  Carbon and GFO

Allard Clownfish Water Parameters

Two bar anemonefish clownfish aren’t particular for the parameters of their tank-water, as long as it’s close to reef grade. Following are the benchmarks you ought to strive for:

Parameter	Suggested Level FO	Suggested Level FOWLR	Suggested Level Reef
Specific Gravity	1.020-1.025	1.020-1.025	1.023-1.025
pH	8.1-8.4	8.1-8.4	8.1-8.4
Alkalinity	8-12 dKH	8-12 dKH	8-12 dKH
Ammonia (NH3)	Undetectable	Undetectable	Undetectable
Nitrite (NO2)	Undetectable	Undetectable	Undetectable
Nitrate – Nitrogen (NO3)	< 30.0 ppm	< 30.0 ppm	< 1.0 ppm
Phosphate (PO4)	< 1.0 ppm	< 1.0 ppm	< 0.2 ppm
Calcium	350-450 ppm	350-450 ppm	350-450 ppm
Magnesium	1150-1350 ppm	1150-1350 ppm	1250-1350 ppm
Iodine	0.04-0.10 ppm	0.04-0.10 ppm	0.06-0.10 ppm
Strontium	4-10 ppm	4-10 ppm	8-14 ppm
Temperature	74-79°F	74-79°F	74-79°F

Breeding Temperature: 

79.0° F – Temp of 79 degrees Fahrenheit – 83 degrees Fahrenheit (26° To 28°C) are ideal for producing high-quality larvae and eggs.

Water Hardness: 18 dGH

Water Movement:

Either – it is not important, it does require sluggish flow in some regions of the aquarium to feed.

Water Changes: 

Water should be changed two times a week – Do the water changes of fifteen per cent every two weeks or thirty per cent a month. In the presence of corals in the aquarium, it should be five per cent weekly to fifteen per cent every two weeks, based on the size of the tank.

These are; I could say ideal parameters as per my research, three-band clownfish could accept little variations and less-than-perfect conditions.

Brackish: No

Cost: 59$-199.99$

Compatibility: Community safe

Aquarium Hardiness: Very Hardy

Prone to Disease: No

Difficulty to Keep Allard’s ClownFish:

The Twobar Clownfish is a relatively simple fish to manage and is suitable for novices. They don’t require special feeding because they will eat a range of things. These fish, such as many other clownfish, could be reproduced and the fry grown in captivity with the right approach.

Members of the ‘Amphiprion’ genus are extremely hardy. They are immune to the majority of infectious disorders and rarely get sick. If these get infected, they could be safely cured with medication.

Allard Clownfish tank mates

Compatible Other Fish:

The Allard should not be kept with many other clownfish species because of their hostility against them. The differences in behaviour between clownfish of the same species are fascinating and easy to spot. A female’s continuous dominance prevents a male from changing gender. A dominant clownfish will exhibit “agonistic conduct,” whereas the inferior clownfish will exhibit “appeaser behaviour.”

The subservient clownfish react to the aggressor fish’s particular actions:

• If the angry fish, usually a female, is chasing and chirping, the inferior clownfish, which can be a male or a dragonfly nymph, will quickly shiver their body and make clicking sounds as they glide upward.
• The violent clown fish’s jaw snapping causes the subordinated clownfish to shake their body or head.
• The hostile clownfish’s ventral lean causes the submissive clownfish to tremble.
• When a hostile clownfish exhibits dorsal leaning, the subordinate clownfish exhibits lateral leaning.

List of compatible fish with Allard’s ClownFish

Peaceful fish: (If put well after Clownfish, the Allards may be violent with these gentle fish. In modest 30-gallon water, do not try)

• Assessors
• Dartfish
• Fairy wrasses
• Gobies

Semi-Aggressive: (Safe)

• clownfish
• Anthias
• dwarf angels

Aggressive: (But need to monitor and don’t place with any-other clown)

• 6-line wrasse
•  Damselfish
• 8-line wrasse
• dottybacks

Large Semi-Aggressive: (Safe)

• large angels
• Tangs
• large wrasses

Slow Swimmers & Eaters: (Need to monitor)

• Seahorses
• Pipefish 
• Mandarins

Shrimps, Crabs, Snails: (But need to monitor because these might eat them)

Safe:

• Copepods
• Bristle Worms
• Shrimps
• Flatworms
• Sea Mats
• Star Polyps
• Scallops
• Mini Brittle Stars
• Amphipods
• Feather Dusters

Non-compatible tank mates of Allard’s ClownFish:

These are possibly the worst tankmates for Two Bar Anemonefish:

Large Aggressive (Predatory):

• Lionfish 
• Groupers
• Soapfish

Only keep one type of clown in your tank. Mixing clown species is not a good idea.

Symbiotic Relationship with Sea anemones:

Symbiosis is a connection in which a clownfish and a sea anemone work together to help each other. In both wild and aquarium environments, clownfish stick with specific anemones to protect them from anemone-eating fish. In exchange, the anemone shields the clownfish from attackers by using its stinging tendrils to keep them at bay. 

Clownfish become resistant to the anemone’s tentacles’ sting. Another advantage is that the clownfish can eat the leftovers of any food that the anemone has grabbed. The clownfish will also clean up after themselves by eliminating bits of trash from the bottom by using their tentacles; while swimming. The anemone is also supposed to be fed by the Clownfish’s excrement.

The Twobar Clownfish will form relationships with a variety of anemones, creating a rich realistic habitat for your clownfish. Because the clown is shielded by its host anemone, your tankmates could include ‘larger semi-aggressive fish’ if you maintain them with a sea anemone. 

In nature, the Allard’s Clownfish make an association with the following host anemones:

• Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
• Beaded Sea Anemone (Heteractis aurora)
• Merten’s Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla mertensii)

However, not all anemones are compatible as some anemones are proved to be incompatible with the three-band clownfish:

• Condy Anemones Condylactis gigantea 

They should be added with caution. These are predatory anemones with high mobility. They are not “clown hosting anemones.” Their sting is far greater than that of clownfish-hosting anemones, and any clownfish dumb enough to confront it risks being eaten.

Reef Compatible with Allard’s ClownFish:

Yes, they are reef compatible. They never hassle calms, corals, and other invertebrates. You have to keep an eye on them when using corals as the substitute for sea-anemone is somehow becoming concerning. 

Usually, everything is good and there is no problem, but persistent observation could irritate the corals to the extent that they retract their polyps and might eventually dwindle because of the constant consideration. It is not a big problem so that you may stop to observe them, constantly observing them whether your clownfish accept them as a good tank mate or not. In a reef habitat, these clownfish will usually avoid any corals save for picking algae from the foot of a reef they have chosen as a host. Sea anemones are a wonderful addition to any coral reef tank, but they’re more difficult to maintain. If you want to retain a sea-anemone, ensure that its unique requirements are addressed.

Other hosts have been reported, including:

• Large polyped stony corals (LPS)
• Hairy mushroom corals
• SPS corals
• Gorgonians, Sea Fans
• Leather Corals
• Soft Corals (xenias, tree corals)
• Star Polyps, Organ Pipe Coral
• Zoanthids – Button Polyps, Sea Mats
• Filamentous algae if available. 

Predator Tank Compatible: No

Number to a tank: You can keep them a single or in mated pairs but it’s great if you place only one pair at a time. Because more pairs may cause them to be aggressive.

How do you keep Allard Anemonefish with care?

Allard Clowns are extremely powerful and easy to care for. Beginner aquarists will have satisfaction with the Allard Clownfish as a first try at the saltwater hobby. Poor water quality no matter how hardy they are will still cause illness and disease to them. If you conduct regular water changes, feed them a range of foods, and keep them in the correct tank with the proper tank mates, your anemonefish will live a long time.

Allard anemonefish prefer anemones in the wild, but they are perfectly fine in the aquarium without them. They will adore their Bubble Tip Anemone, but if any other tank mates are present, they will get aggressive.

The Allard clown is resilient and easy to spot. They thrive when provided with good water and a well-kept aquarium. Any marine fish subject to less-than-ideal groundwater resources for an extended amount of time will succumb to illness and disease, regardless of their tolerance for it. Fluid changes every two weeks will also help to restore trace amounts lost by the fish and corals.

What could you do to keep your Clownfish from getting sick?

They flourish when provided with good water and a well-kept aquarium. Any saltwater fish subjected to less-than-ideal quality of water for an extended amount of time will succumb to illness and disease, regardless of their resistance to it. Water change every two weeks will also help to restore trace amounts lost by the fish and reef.

If you detect any of the following criteria, be cautious:

• Anorexia 
• Strenuous breathing
• White spots on the body
• Open-sores
• Bulging eyes
• Cloudy-eyes
• Reddish fins 
• Frayed and ripped fins

Anorexia is often the first sign of a problem. If your Clownfish refuses to eat, look for indicators of other illnesses so you can begin treatment sooner. The remaining indicators are self-evident and will tell whether or not three-striped clownfish become ill. Bacteria and viruses can enter your tank through live rock, corals, and fish that haven’t been cleaned or confined properly. The simplest method to avoid this is to carefully clean or quarantine whatever you intend to bring to the tank. Providing high-quality meals, clean, high-quality water, and appropriate tank mates are also helpful in preventing illness.

It is important to maintain an eye on the symptoms rather than putting the fish to the tough solution of being introduced to medication and anguish.

Diseases of Allard’s ClownFish

As these fish are usually healthy, the disease is rarely a concern in a well-kept aquarium. However, if they do become unwell, some illnesses can be fatal. Clownfish are susceptible to the same various ailments that affect other saltwater fish, including fungal, bacterial, parasitic, and other infections. All marine fish will become ill if better water quality is not maintained, the temperature swings excessively, or the fish is agitated as a result of inadequate tankmates. A distressed fish appears to be more prone to sickness.

Be careful if you noticed the following Disease:

• Brooklynellosis, often known as Clownfish-Disease/Brooklynella hostilis (Brook)
• Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans/Velvet Disease/White Spot Disease Crypt

• Uronema (Uronema marinum)
• Oodinium ocellatum (Synonyms: Amyloodinium ocellatum, Branchiophilus maris)

These are mostly parasitic infections.

Treatments of Allard’s ClownFish

The easiest to treat is crypt (saltwater Ich), and they’re all treatable if caught early enough. The parasitic skin flagellate Marine Velvet is one of the most common problems in marine tanks. It’s a fast-moving disease that mostly targets the gills. Brook takes 30 hours to kill, but Uronema is one of the shortest, taking as little as 24 hours to kill. When a fishkeeper decreases salinity to treat other conditions Uronema develops, but remember don’t lower it far enough. This parasite thrives in saltwater with a dry density of 1.013 to 1.020. If you’ve had a disease, be sure to treat it with a regular salinity of about 1.023 or a lesser salinity of about 1.009.

Faster Treatment and other 37 percent Formaldehyde solution preparations will work for both salinity levels, however, the lower 1.009 will help with the oxygen content. The percentage of oxygen in the water increases as the salt level decreases. 

“When fighting Brook or Crypt, I realized that if I utilized the proper hypersalinity of 1.009, no higher, my clownfish just seemed to breathe and were less frightened”… Carrie McBirney.

FAQs

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can agree that having Three-band clownfish at home is a simple task for novices. The tank set-up, water parameters, and equipment are all simple to keep clean and maintain. It is important that you educate yourself first, as feeding Allard’s Clown is not an easy chore. Your twobar clownfish will suffer health problems if you don’t know how much and how often they should be fed. Tankmates should be chosen carefully so that your Allard’s Clownfish does not become a victim of other fish or grow aggressive enough to harm the tank’s environment. The Twobar can live as long as they can in captivity if they are properly cared for.