REDMOND, OR -- The number one movie in America is inspiring Central Oregonians to become fish owners. But, Gena George, owner of Oasis Tropical Fish in Redmond, suggests doing a little research before stocking that tank with a new “Nemo” and “Dory.”
She tells KBND News clownfish can be a good start to a saltwater tank but the blue hippo tang are not so simple. "The little ‘Nemo’ clowns, they get to be about 3”, some get a little bit larger. Then, the tangs, like Dory is, is quite large. You can get them as small as quarter size, and over a few years they’ll grow to 8” and beyond." And, she says they can easily get stressed and need a lot of space, "Ideally, at least a 125 – a 125-gallon [tank] – but, you can start them off in 50 gallons when they’re small. And then, as they grow, you’d want to graduate. You want to eventually have at least 6-foot of swimming room for them, if not more."
But, George says Nemo-like clownfish can be a little easier. "Especially if they have a little anemone, they just want to stay with it, they don’t venture out very far- just like they do in the movies. They come out and get food, then they’ll take their food back to their anemone and feed it, so they don’t need all that room like the tangs do." George says they can live well together, just like in the movie, but aquariums need to be properly prepared beforehand and she says it’s important to get good advice from a reputable dealer.
She suggests researching the right species for your space and budget. "I’ve started off a bunch of customers – couples, with toddlers - and they want a little saltwater set-up. It’s really easy to do a couple clownfish and an anemone in a small tank, like maybe a 29-gallon tank; it’s not too hard. The hippo tang is going to be the tougher one."
The two can live happily together, just like in “Finding Dory,” but George says it’s important to get good advice from a reputable dealer. She says the movie is bringing in new clients, some end up choosing an easier to care for fish to start a saltwater tank – like green chromis.
