Breeding Clowns??

[FishboyBT]

My dad has a 65 gallon SW tank with 2 clowns a Blue Tang, A Purple Tang, a Domino fish a full grown Damsel, a chocolate -chip Star, and 2 hermits. I was wondering if I could breed the clowns. I am getting a 30 gallon Oceanic Biocube and I could keep the fry in there.

They have not spawned yet, and are about the same size. Will they mate?

They have pebble substrate, and lots of fake coral.

What will be needed to breed them? Thanks-Blake

 

[Princess Di]

what kind of clowns? How long have they been together? There are just too many factors. If you are serious, buy Joyce Wilkersons's book, Clownfishes.

 

[FishboyBT]

They are perculas and have been together for at least 8months....maybe a year.

I'll try to get that book.

 

[chris.hampton]

One should be larger (the female) than the other (the male), they might not be quite ready yet. I'm no expert though!!

 

[FishboyBT]

Oh, one is definatly bigger, and I saw her rush at him and he turned his belly tword her which is a sign of submission according to a site I found.

 

[chris.hampton]

That’s right it is a sign of submission. Sounds like your on the right track reading up on things. The book that Princess Di recommend is a really good read IMO! It could just be there are too many other big fish in your dads tank for them to feel comfortable enough to breed, you might have more luck if you stick them in your tank and see what happens

 

[FishboyBT]

Thanks for that positive reinfourcement!!

 

[FishboyBT]

I got a question- Could I move the parents to the 30 gallon biocube let them spawn, wait for the fry to hatch, and then move the parents to the 65 gallon and breed them again later?
(2-4months)I would raise the fry in the 30 gallon.Is that ok?

 

[mwp]

I think initial larval rearing in a 10 gallon would be easier - of course you can run the 30 with 5 gallons of water in it to start off with. Moving the pair to the 30 would be helpful too, although in time I'm pretty convinced the pair could spawn in the 65.

Just my thoughts.

Matt

 

[tanglovers]

Moving pairs will typically cause them to stop spawning, sometimes a short time couple cycles, other times I have read it can be a year.

 

[FishboyBT]

I haven't really been monitoring the 65 gallon....They could have spawn. What are some signs of spawning? I don't think they did. The Blue Tang is about 2-3x their size. He intimidates everyone.

 

[FishboyBT]

Hello? Anybody?

 

[Kmiec123]

My perculas breed in a tank with a blue tang, yellow tail damsel, 6 line wrasse, yellow tang, and tons of clean up crew. you should be ok. what type of light cycle(on time, off time) do you have and what type of lighting?

 

[chris.hampton]

I could be wrong with that post! I just thought with the 2 tangs in the 65 they might not be able to get away!

 

[Princess Di]

I have a pair of clarks in a 150g with tangs and a clown trigger. They have been spawning for almost 3 years.
I have a pair of maroons in a 540g with MANY other fish and they also spawn regularly.
Key factors are stable water conditions, regular light cycles, proper and regular feeding, and familiar surroundings. You don't want to move the parents back and forth. That would definately disturb spawning. A very good sign of pre-spawning is the clowns will use their teeth to clean a surface for the eggs to be laid on. It's very possible that they have laid underneath a rock and you have just never seen them. Within a few days of cleaning a site, the female's stomach becomes large as eggs ripen. You should then see her ovipositor right before and during spawning.

 

[FishboyBT]

The ligh goes on at 4pm and goes off at 1am.It is a flouresant light. I'll try to get a picture.

 

[FishboyBT]

The ligh goes on at 4pm and goes off at 1am.It is a flouresant light. I'll try to get a picture.

 

[FishboyBT]

Hello???

 

[FishboyBT]

What is needed in terms of breeding setup, chemical levels and foods to feed to encourage breeding?

 

[keefsama2003]

Feed foods high in omega 3 and hufas i feed mine a mixture of flake food / frozen form 1 & 2 / squid / scallop / table shrimp / new life spectrum pellets / spirulina pellets / i add garlic fresh / selcon / vitamin c / nori. i throw all that in a blender and mush it up then freeze it and i feed that to my whole tank every other day aand on non frozen days i just feed some flake ( omega 3 ). i have my clowns in a 300 and they are more distracted with chasing my queen and passer angel and my bar gobies away from their rock and they arent concentrating on what i want them to do so im moving them into a 30gal cube by themselves im just waiting for that tank to cycle.