Anenome required to lay eggs?

[NewSaltyReefer]

I have had two clownfish, that I purchased from an LFS, about two months now. Recently the female has been wandering the tank, I think, looking for a place to lay eggs. She seems to have picked a spot at the top of my aquascape and lays there all day and all night!! She only leaves there when I walk by the tank (if she sees me!) and when feeding time comes around.

Is she going to lay eggs? I thought they would only do that with an anenome to provide protection?

She has been acting like this for a week now. First in a spot she dug in the sand and now at the top of the LR. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Joe

 

[dandandan]

Hi there,

Clownfish don't require a nem to lay eggs, in fact when they are aquacultered most of the time they dont use nems. Prividing a smooth surface for them to lay on such as an inert tile or something might help. Other things that help are regular saturation feedings 3 times a day and keeping the water very clean.

Dan

 

[dandandan]

Hi there,

Clownfish don't require a nem to lay eggs, in fact when they are aquacultered most of the time they dont use nems. Prividing a smooth surface for them to lay on such as an inert tile or something might help. Others things that help are regular saturation feedings 3 times a day and keeping the water very clean. reefcentral.com (Sorry to name drop another forum) has an article on breeding clowns that will be of help.

Dan

 

[stykthyn]

It just sounds like it has found itself a home. in the future this will likely be the spot that it will choose to lay its eggs. egglaying is usually preceded by cleaning/biting of the rock and surfaces around its nest. what kind of clowns are they?

 

[NewSaltyReefer]

Okay great,

Now my question is if she has chosen this as her home, what happens if I get an anenome (still months away) and it does not like the same spot as her will she move, or, not host the anenome?

The only reason I would get the anenome would be for the clownfish, so if she won't use it I won't get one!! I read in the FAQ's that they can get stressed about their "nest" fairly easily and I don't want to do that to her!!

 

[stykthyn]

I would hold off on the anemone, the fish dont need it. it sounds like they are happy where they are anyway.

 

[dantodd]

You should definately not buy an anemone just for the clown. There are a lot of threads right here on RC about people who never get their clown to host their anemone. You'd hate to spend $150 on new lighting, $100 on setting up a sump and adding more flow and then $50 on a BTA just to give the clown a home it doesn't use.

The happier she is in her home the less likely she is to move to the anemone.