sassyfrassy
New member
How large do clowns have to be to mate? I have 2 clowns that are doing this quivering and shimmying up to each other in what looks like mating posturing. But they are still small 1 1/2". What do you think?
mating?
- Thread starter sassyfrassy
- Start date
sassyfrassy
New member
What do i keep an eye open for? Where do they lay eggs? I know nothing about what, if anything, extra i need to do or provide (in way of desirable egg site). Do you ever raise the fry or do they just get eaten?
MelloW33
Member
I don't think there is a certain size that clowns need to be in order to mate. Clownfish will lay eggs on rocks, the glass, a flowerpot, or a tile. Basically whatever they feel is clean and safe for their babies. It's a significant amount of work to raise the fry but if you have the time to do so, check the breeding forum. I just let the fry hatch and my other fish eat them.
Mike31154
New member
What species of clownfish are they? If it's a Maroon pair, then there won't be any spawning until the female is close to 3" in size. I paired my Maroons from juveniles myself and it took a good two years for regular spawning to take place. Don't know what the size or time is for other species. The book 'Clownfishes' by Joyce D. Wilkerson is a great resource for info on these fish, including breeding.
sassyfrassy
New member
ocellaris and they were about 1/2" when I got them so they have been together from the beginning. One is smaller than the other one.
nemoboy1
New member
Once you start seeing the female's tummy plum up and she starts cleaning a certain area they will do the dirty dancing... It might be close to 6 months or so... Don't revamp ur aquarium this will set them back... Keep everything the same as is and do water changes... Good luck keep us posted
WaffleWalffle22
Zoa Extreemist
To answer your question, there's no size limit. I have a pair of SA Fancy Ocellaris. They're two years old, yet the female is less than 1.5" and the male is barely 1". Recently they've been pre-spawning every week or so, which means they're only a few months away.
Before clowns start mating they have to establish dominance, hence the seizure-like submissive dance displayed by the male, common to only Amphiprion (and possibly Premnus if I recall correctly) species. Typically before they lay eggs one clown will become larger than the other. The larger is the female and the smaller is the male.
My wild-caught Black Ocellaris pre-spawned about 2-3 months before they laid eggs. During pre-spawning, the clowns will clean the surface they will lay their eggs on by rubbing against it and shaking.
Provide your clowns with an environment as close to their natural habitat as possible. Feeding them small amounts two to three times per day helps a lot. Giving them a variety of foods is good. Give them lots of places (live rock, tiles, etc.) to lay their eggs on. Keep your parameters stable and make sure your temperature stays stable. If you have any further questions let me know.
Samcro
New member
most of the time the female will be pretty big. most female maroons will lay when they get over 4" occ and perc are a little smaller. anything over 2" might lay. my onyx are laying and i know my girl is about 3". on average its about 2yrs for a cb female to maybe start laying if all goes well.
WaffleWalffle22
Zoa Extreemist
Size is not a good indicator of sexual maturity. Think of it like this... Snooki is like 4ft tall and she's perfectly capable of having a baby. It's only the sexual maturity of the fish that counts. As I stated above, I have a pair of SA Fancy Ocellaris (well over two years old) where the female is less than 1.5" and the male is half that size, yet they pre-spawn often and are due for eggs in a few months.
jbax
New member
when you see them doing this. then they are close to spawning.
<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid27.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc174%2Fmtange1%2FVIDEO0014.mp4">
<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid27.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc174%2Fmtange1%2FVIDEO0014.mp4">
WaffleWalffle22
Zoa Extreemist
The female looks fat. Did she lay the eggs shortly after? My two pairs of Ocellaris start their multiple pre-spawnings a few months before they lay eggs. I guess it varies from pair to pair.
WaffleWalffle22
Zoa Extreemist
Oh didn't see the breeding tube (I call it a breeding tube lol).
jbax
New member
jbax
New member
i think your clowns are dwarfs,lol.
WaffleWalffle22
Zoa Extreemist
I personally believe it's because they are housed in a 14 gallon tank, but many people say that tank size won't stunt their growth. I hope they stay this size because they're really cute. :lol:
Similar threads
