this is me
Active member
I really like the female. It would be on "my" perfect list.
Defining the "perfect" onyx percula
- Thread starter BonsaiNut
- Start date
I really like the female. It would be on "my" perfect list.
MelloW33
Member
Agreed
I agree with having all black on the body between the stripes of the fish. Fins don't necessarily have to be black though.
Trueblackpercula, it looks like yours aren't full mature yet. In your first picture it looks like there is orange just above the anal fin. Therefore, I wouldn't call yours true Onyx (yet). We have to remember that Onyx clowns tend to get more black with age. I'd be willing to bet yours will darken up into a full Onyx though.
Trueblackpercula, it looks like yours aren't full mature yet. In your first picture it looks like there is orange just above the anal fin. Therefore, I wouldn't call yours true Onyx (yet). We have to remember that Onyx clowns tend to get more black with age. I'd be willing to bet yours will darken up into a full Onyx though.
MarineBioHSU
In Memoriam
Creetin: I could tell that was a C-Quest Onyx from a mile away. Don't get me wrong, it has some nice black and is a cool fish in its own right, but I would not use that as a breeder.
I have owned over a dozen breeding pairs of C-Quest Onyx and sold them all, sure they have great black, but I am not convinced they are pure Percula, additionally they are severely inbred and it shows. Faces are smushed in, body confomity does not resemble a WC clown and stipes are also typically not great.
I love Onyx, in fact I am an Onyx freak, which is why I have gotten rid of all my Onyx and begun my own project on establishing an Onyx line. I have been working on it for some time, and anticipate that it will be a few more years until I am comfortable releasing them as an Onyx strain. But, the nice thing about my fish is that I will be able to track and show lineages back to the original broodstock, colleceted from four different locations. Additionally, there will be no sibling breedings what-so ever.
My goal is to produce a fish that looks like a WC percula in form and finnage, while selecting for fish that will darken up and stay dark regardless of lighting/diet/host etc.
Frankly, my personal feeling is that too many breeders have gotten some C-Quest onyx pairs, raised some babies and started selling them as their own Onyx, when in-fact they are still just C-Quest strain Onyx, which again can be spotted from a mile away.
That being said, I am happy for anyone that is pleased with their Onyx, however I do not think they should be bred unless they meet certain criteria.
I have owned over a dozen breeding pairs of C-Quest Onyx and sold them all, sure they have great black, but I am not convinced they are pure Percula, additionally they are severely inbred and it shows. Faces are smushed in, body confomity does not resemble a WC clown and stipes are also typically not great.
I love Onyx, in fact I am an Onyx freak, which is why I have gotten rid of all my Onyx and begun my own project on establishing an Onyx line. I have been working on it for some time, and anticipate that it will be a few more years until I am comfortable releasing them as an Onyx strain. But, the nice thing about my fish is that I will be able to track and show lineages back to the original broodstock, colleceted from four different locations. Additionally, there will be no sibling breedings what-so ever.
My goal is to produce a fish that looks like a WC percula in form and finnage, while selecting for fish that will darken up and stay dark regardless of lighting/diet/host etc.
Frankly, my personal feeling is that too many breeders have gotten some C-Quest onyx pairs, raised some babies and started selling them as their own Onyx, when in-fact they are still just C-Quest strain Onyx, which again can be spotted from a mile away.
That being said, I am happy for anyone that is pleased with their Onyx, however I do not think they should be bred unless they meet certain criteria.
If you can get a perfect onyx that you cannot tell from a wild caught i would buy a pair. As of yet i have not seen any bred clowns that are perfect as the wilds.
This was my last perfect onyx,(wild) Forgive the pic it was when the fish was a juvi. It darkened up very well. I don't see many fish like it, and i am still looking for a replacement since its death. The male is close to this way in markings. With age i would think it would be a close match. IMO
I am no clown authority so take my ramblings with a grain of salt,
This was my last perfect onyx,(wild) Forgive the pic it was when the fish was a juvi. It darkened up very well. I don't see many fish like it, and i am still looking for a replacement since its death. The male is close to this way in markings. With age i would think it would be a close match. IMO
I am no clown authority so take my ramblings with a grain of salt,
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phender
Active member
IME, these are not so much inbreeding problems as they are husbandry problems.
As far as my perfect onyx, I actually prefer not to have the black spill over onto any fins except for the first dorsal. To me the black on the fins makes them look dirty/messy. I guess I am a "color between the lines" kind of guy.
This is not a great pic, but I like the sharp contrast of the orange fins and nose, white stripes and black in between.
shabreeson
New member
that looks really nice phil, i if it was up to me i would label it as the perfect onyx and grade all others on how closely they resemble that photo.
would also like to say that the first dorsal should be all black as opposed to a brown
would also like to say that the first dorsal should be all black as opposed to a brown
trueblackpercula
New member
Dammmmm I guess my fish are less the perfect
this is me
Active member
Dammmmm I guess my fish are less the perfect
They are your fish. They're perfect at least to you. I hope.
this is me
Active member
These are my C-Quest line onyx(Rods).
Had them for over 2 years and they're the same size. Don't know which is the female or male. One of them has the full onyx coloring but the other one still working on it.
Might not be the perfect onyx for some people. But they're mine!
Had them for over 2 years and they're the same size. Don't know which is the female or male. One of them has the full onyx coloring but the other one still working on it.
Might not be the perfect onyx for some people. But they're mine!
Dug through some old photos to find some pics of percula clowns I have had over the years. I include some non-onyx types for comparison. "F" and "G right side" are the same fish.
I think "A" would make a decent color standard for A. percula (not onyx). Stripes not as straight as others I have seen, however.
"H" seems a good candidate to pick on for the onyx strain (breed). Still small in the photo (about 1.5 inches). The center stripe has good symmetry around a horizontal line. Straight tail stripe. I agree, a black dorsal fin really makes an onyx. I also like the onyx that have orange faces. It keeps the "clown" in clownfish. But just my taste.
"F" I would drop a few points due to the lack of a "knob" on the center stripe.
All stripes should connect on top and bottom. No headlights, tail lights, blue-eye, Montana Green, blah, blah, blah. And just to reiterate, nothing against Montana Green clownfish. Just not as a "standard'.
You folks have some seriously gorgeous fish.
Dan
I think "A" would make a decent color standard for A. percula (not onyx). Stripes not as straight as others I have seen, however.
"H" seems a good candidate to pick on for the onyx strain (breed). Still small in the photo (about 1.5 inches). The center stripe has good symmetry around a horizontal line. Straight tail stripe. I agree, a black dorsal fin really makes an onyx. I also like the onyx that have orange faces. It keeps the "clown" in clownfish. But just my taste.
"F" I would drop a few points due to the lack of a "knob" on the center stripe.
All stripes should connect on top and bottom. No headlights, tail lights, blue-eye, Montana Green, blah, blah, blah. And just to reiterate, nothing against Montana Green clownfish. Just not as a "standard'.
You folks have some seriously gorgeous fish.
Dan
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this is me
Active member
btw, they're usually in the gigantea. It just that I can't get a good picture when they're in the gigantea because the flow in that section is so strong. They tend to stay more still when they're in the haddoni where the flow is much less and is protected by a barrier of rocks.
this is me
Active member
I think this has to deal with breeders more than anything. IMO there are lots of captive bred fish that should be culled that are sold. Anyone who has bred more than a couple fish knows that culling is something you have to do. In order to preserve the best possible traits of the fish, you have to eliminate the fish who aren't perfect.
It kind of irritates me actually. People say that captive bred fish aren't as good as wild caught because they see fish that should have been culled. I guess this is a whole different topic though.
Everyone who has posted pictures has beautiful fish. I wouldn't hesitate to put any of them in my tanks, that's for sure.
I don't think we're going to come up with a standard for Onyx though. Some like lots of black, some like the areas near the anal and caudal fins to be more orange. We're never going to come to a consensus what the perfect Onyx clown is, but it's fun to deliberate and see everyone's beautiful clowns.
shabreeson
New member
i think defining a "perfect" onyx, or any other fish is very possible. sure, many have their own opinions but dog breeds have set definitions of perfect. imagine the strong opposing opinions they had to deal with.
posting top pictures and taking a poll could be a great start.
posting top pictures and taking a poll could be a great start.
MarineBioHSU
In Memoriam
Those were some gorgeous percs!
It is true that a lot of the issues seen in CB Clowns are a result of husbandry, however there are a handful where inbreeding is also a largely contributing factor....C-Quest Onyx being one of those.
It is true that a lot of the issues seen in CB Clowns are a result of husbandry, however there are a handful where inbreeding is also a largely contributing factor....C-Quest Onyx being one of those.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
gradings welcome!
gradings welcome!
gradings welcome!
MarineBioHSU
In Memoriam
The fish on the bottom in the first picture is amazing, one of, if not the best looking Onyx I have ever seen.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
thanks. That's the male. His dorsal was orange when much younger. For a long while I preferred the markings on my female :lolspin:
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