Likelihood of mating pair actually mating??
- Thread starter Putty
- Start date
rssjsb
New member
What do you mean when you say they're a "mating pair"? Were they spawning in someone else's tank or are they just a bonded pair that you bought or paired up yourself?
Clowns can take awhile to spawn and spawning behavior can be disrupted by changes in the tank or by being moved. If you've just added them, you may need to wait awhile before they get comfortable. I had a pair of ocellaris that spawned every few weeks. They stopped for a long time because I had to move them around a couple of times. Now, after six or seven months, they're back at it.
Clowns can take awhile to spawn and spawning behavior can be disrupted by changes in the tank or by being moved. If you've just added them, you may need to wait awhile before they get comfortable. I had a pair of ocellaris that spawned every few weeks. They stopped for a long time because I had to move them around a couple of times. Now, after six or seven months, they're back at it.
Tahoe Reefer
New member
They sound like a breeding pair that has stopped breeding. Heavy feedings and lots of water changes may entice them to lay again. Comfort is also important, the tankmates need to be peaceful. As an example i've seen an urchin stop a pair of clowns from breeding just because it decided to move into their favorite spot to sleep out the daytime, after moving him to another tank they returned to breeding with 2-3 weeks.
Reef1589
Anemones for life
also, just cause they were spawning in the LFS tank doesnt mean they will spawn in yours, for example they were at the LFS they got comfortable with their enviroment, so they spawned... then you take them out of the enviroment, throw them in a new enviroment, it could set back their spawning... and could take awhile before they get back into it.
average time for them to start spawning from a tank to tank trade is about 3 months. i have had clowns spawn after a month and had a pair shipped and they never missed a beat.
be careful with those tomatoes. they are one of the most aggressive clowns.. since they are spawning that might triple their aggressiveness.. but every pair is different.
post some pics!
be careful with those tomatoes. they are one of the most aggressive clowns.. since they are spawning that might triple their aggressiveness.. but every pair is different.
post some pics!
BonsaiNut
Premium Member
No one knows if or when they will start spawning again. Some spawning pairs that are moved can take years to get back in the groove - even when in a dedicated tank with perfect conditions. The only thing you can do is feed them heavily, keep them undisturbed, and maintain excellent water conditions. You didn't tell us anything about your setup, but if they are in a dedicated tank, you might consider dither fish. I am assuming they have a nice place to lay their eggs (like a terracotta pot, large shell, or something similar?)
