Onyx coloration development

jonnybravo22

jonnybravo22

New member
Hi All,

I recently became the proud owner of a juvenile pair of onyx clowns (from premiumaquatics, sourced from Rod's Reef). As I find these guys fascinating, I wondered if people would be interested in sharing their experiences / new pictures with onyx clowns. I'm particularly interested in before and after type pictures or comments so that we can all learn a bit more about how long it takes for onyx coloration to develop (if it will).

I'm sure many of us have been through the Rod's thread (and the split) and as he's stopped selling directly and the thread is quiet, I thought this might be a good place for those of us who just love seeing and reading about onyx clowns to keep the conversation alive.

My info: I bought juvis from PA at about 1 month after hatching as estimated by Luke (cool guy). They were tiny (like almost couldnt take the return pump current tiny). This was in the begining of November so they are about 2 1/2 months old now and have probably doubled their weight in that time (good eaters). They each had the first bar and probably as much of the 2nd as I would guess they'll get. 1 has full 2nd bars and the other has matching circular splotches. No hints of third bar yet.

Interestingly 1 of them looked to have the start of onyx btwn bars 1 and 2 when I first got it, and that has since faded. On the other (slightly larger, and dominant) clown I see new shadowing like the beginings of an onyx btwn 1 and 2. They are the only fish in my 29g nano and all I have in there besides the fish is live rock and a single hermit crab. Am waiting to see what happens.

Questions for the group: 1. Can you chronicle the onyx development of your clowns (at certain age, size, and/or barring milestones?
2. I know others have seen fading caused by anemones. Have any of those who posted about this seen the jet black color return?
 
Re: Onyx coloration development

2. I know others have seen fading caused by anemones. Have any of those who posted about this seen the jet black color return? [/B]
Click to expand...

Hello,
I'm one of the people who experience this fading with the clowns.
I've bought 5 juvis from the man Rod himself and when I received it, it has the onyx developing. But after about a month being in a RBTA, the color faded and still hasn't return. It has been three months now.
You can see it here on my Elos set up thread
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1457394&perpage=25&pagenumber=2

My tank crashed earlier in the week due to a 48hrs power outage. I lost most of the tank but manage to save all the onyx and their anemone. However, if I rebuild the tank, it will be an SPS tank and the anemone will be out of here. We'll see if the black comes back.
 
Hey- I was hoping you'd be one of the responses... Was specifically thinking of your post re: fading. Your tank is/was AMAZING by the way. So you kept them w/ the anemone? It was an RBTA correct? Read elsewhere about fading w/ that pairing.

Has anyone seen onyx/nem combos that HELP the onyx color development?

Nick what do your clowns look like 3 months in? Are they exactly like regular percs or is there any hint of color left? I don't know but have the sense that if they were able to make onyx once, they have it in them to do it again.

The other thing I was thinking is that maybe it has something to do w/ the social dynamic? Maybe the males develop or lose the color since they are being chased around and might begin to show onyx again once the roles are determined? Thoughts?

Would be great to hear from gsm or others who have had onyx for some time.
 
They were kept with RBTA. When I first got them, the black that they developed between the first and second stripe was jet black.
Now, they're more on the pale black/brownish color. But the color is still there. It's not like the black had suddenly disappeared.
This is a learning experience to me too. The clowns I got were really really small(only two stripe but the black are in between the stripes). They're grown quite a bit now and some of them are beginning to show their third stripe. It's very exciting to watch as they develop.
I have to have out the RBTA and replace it with something else. I'm thinking of using a frog spawn or something soft as a substitute. I think these guys are quite easy to host. When my tank was in its prime, I see the clowns hang around the hammer coral and my large squamosa. Some of them even rub their body against the clam. but at night they would go back to their RBTA.
I especially notice the color fading at night when they're asleep. But I think this happens to every fish though.

Rod's Onyx are special so take good care of yours. They're getting harder and harder to come by now since Rod's don't want people to harassed him anymore about the fish.
 
Nick mine have been without BTA for a couple weeks now, back in the froggy and they are not getting darker, but mine never faded as bad as yours.
 
I spoke to Rod via e-mail, and he indicates it is just the BTA/RBTA's. And it can affect any Percula.
 
Interesting. Thanks for the post Amanda!

I wonder what anemone people have the most success with.

Can anyone speak to the development of their onyx? Was it steady and gradual or did it seem related to reaching a certain size or number of bars? Anyone notice color changes related to partners?
 
hey just an update. in the past three days i have really noticed some color starting to come in on my clowns. very exciting (might try to post a pic later but my camera isnt a pro camera so i have to figure out how to get a decent shot).

color development note:

for both of mine it seems that the onyx starts really as the black border on the first bar. it got really dark there all of a sudden and is now spreading out. there's also a light shadow between 1 and 2. saw what to me seems a significant milestone basically overnight (still have a loooong way to go but before i was a little unsure how they would onyx - i still dont know how much it will develop but i see that they 'can do it' now).

i have been doing more frequent and better quality water changes in the past 2 weeks. oh and new skimmer is slowly trying to start skimming.

also on one of them this corresponds with the initial development of the black border at the end of the tail fin. the other one already has black border on tail (this is the one that faded and is starting to come back).
 
Last edited:
ok. do you take pictures through the glass/acrylic or just through the water? also if anyone knows how to work a kodak 8.2 mp digital camera for taking pics of fish pls let me know!
 
My Rods Onyx


2/22/07 (First day I had them)

Onyx0131.jpg





OnyxClown.jpg





As of 10/6/07

Onyx1.jpg



Onyx1.jpg



He looks the same now as he did from a year ago. Still real small, he must be a runt :)
 
I had mine with a H. magnifica since the first week of October, 2008, the color also fade, but not too bad. They are about 2.5 years old (got them 9/2006). They were great onyx with dorsal fins black, but now the dorsal fins are orange, with the black fade to orange, not clear border from black to orange like before.
I wonder if anybody else have their A. percula with H. magnifica. In the past I had A. ocellaris with these anemone, not Percula.
I know that a. percula are blacker with S. gigantea in the wild but have not heard that they fade with Magnifica (like BTA)
 
Hello to all.I own 7 pairs of onyx.3 pair of c-quest[Sisters and brothers to Rods}3 pair of Rods Onyx and 1 pair of wild caught onyx....all spawing.I have about 3 thousand onyx perc babies rangeing in age from, born last night to over 2 years old.Ther are five factors that govern the coloration of onyx.......#1 genitics If your fish are not from a long line of Onyx they will never give you the jet BLACK that we love....#2 lighting the brighter the light darker your fish.#3 Age It will take up to two years for your fish to reach full color...#4 Sexual Maturity This differs from age ,in that a fish keep alone will not be as nice as a fish with a mate.If I keep several fish together they stay juvi.it takes them much longer to color up.If i pair them, they color up much quicker.#5 Their host.Keep your fish out of BTA's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I hope this helps Mitch
 
There are many things that can affect coloration. Genetics, nutrition/food, what they accpt as a host, and lighting.

BTAs and Mags can cause them to lose coloration, but not always. I keep a pair in a BTA and they are as black as my main pair. OTOH, I have seen a completely black pair lose all coloration within weeks of being introduced to a BTA.
I also had a pair lose color in a Magnifica, but are slowly regaining their color.
As for them getting darker once seperated from a group.. I havent seen it at all.. I have seen completely black fish when kept in a group.

Mitch, According to Bill (C-Quest), he lost that pair that mine came from a long time ago, so I doubt that you have the brothers and sisters.. Maybe they are "kin" to some other fish that bill was working with. My pair is 14 years old.

I am also back at rearing these lil fish with more than ever before. I dont have 7 pairs, only six, but only 5 of them spawn.
 
I've decided to try a BTA with my Picassos. I will feed the best foods I can and hope for the best. I just love the black coloring on all Perculas; I didn't want to lose any on my Picassos, but I have made my mind up to try it.
 
These aren't Rod's onyx, but I thought you may find it interesting. These are wild caught Solomon Island perc's.

5 months ago when I first got them. The female was maybe an inch and the male about 3/4".
sn853369editedhr9.jpg


Here they are today. I just put them in with the carpet today. They haven't been hosted by anything but a clean spot on the glass the whole time I've had them.
onyxediteddo6.jpg

I wouldn't quite call them onyx yet, but they seem to be on their way.
 
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