opinions on the perfect clownfish breeding setup

[RyanSweatt2004]

Hey, I would just like to get some Ideas and pics of some clown fish breeding setups.
I've had clown fish breed for me before in my display but I want to try and get a pair to breed in a separate tank so that its easier to monitor and remove the young after they hatch. I was thinking a 30 gallon bare bottom setup with pc lights overflow, skimmer ect... basicly this tank would be plumbed into my display tank with all the same equipment running both tanks. As far as tank decor I want it to stay simple, easy to keep clean, do I need to have live rock or will something like a clay pot be fine for egg laying. Also, is an anemone nesisary to breeding clown fish? I'm just in the planing stage right now and I want to get it right so any opinions are welcom

 

[patriots81]

you do not need live rock. and anemone is not neccessary to breed clowns.

 

[reefstew]

You want to use a clay pot. Buy more than one since if they spawn you want to be able to replace the pot when you remove it for hatching. A 30 gal will be good . I'm breeding them in 10 gal tanks plumbed into a main system.

 

[NirvanaFan]

A 30 gallon tank will be definitely be large enough. There is no need for an anemone or even PC lights. Regula normal output flourescent lights are fine. Get a few clay pots. The night they are going to hatch, pull the pot out and put it in a 10 gallon tank away from the parents. If you haven't read "Clownfishes" by Joyce Wilkerson, pick up a copy and read it. It has some great information in it.

 

[Sistom]

I just received Joyce Wilkersons' "œClownfishes" and I agree, it has a wealth of knowledge for anyone even considering rearing clownfish.

Not to hijack this thread, but does anyone know how long it takes for a clownfish pair to start spawning? My pair of juvenile True Percs just matured into a true male/female pair over a month ago and I was wondering when I should expect them to start? I thought I saw 1-10 months stated somewhere but I would appreciate any input.

 

[NirvanaFan]

It totally depends on the individual fish. Sometimes they can breed in less than a year from birth, other times they take a few. My ocellaris pair took about a year from when I got them. They weren't paired up at the time though. It took them roughly a month and a half to be inseparable.

 

[kerusso316]

Dont move your fish.They can take a long time to start spawning again.....Simply, slowly move a tera cotta tile closer and closer to them in the tank until they accept it.They will spawn on the tile.Then use the 30 to raise the fry.Do not plumb the tank into your main.

 

[Sistom]

If your clownfish aren't under any real stress in your display tank and they are spawning regularly I would leave them in your display tank and concentrate your efforts on setting up a larval rearing tank and your greenwater and rotifer cultures. By providing a terra cotta tile (as kerusso316 suggested) near their preferred laying site you should be able to convince them to lay their eggs on it making for easy removal.

As far as the larval rearing tank goes, you should be fine with a smaller 10 gallon tank. By keeping the tank small, it will be easier to keep a high rotifer concentration for your newly hatched larvae.

Again, I would highly recommend Joyce Wilkersons' "œClownfishes". It is basically a how-to guide for breeding clownfish. Chapters on setting up a larval rearing tank and greenwater/rotifier culturing were especially helpful. It's definitely a great read for anyone interested in clownfish breeding.

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

I've actually don't have a breeding pair anymore, but I'm working on a pair of black ocellaris clowns, They have not yet established which is male and female yet but have excepted each other so far. I want to separate them from my display for ease of removing the eggs prior to the them hatching. My eventual goal is to pair up a black ocellaris with a naked ocellaris and try to raise the young. I would love to see a naked black ocellaris and I bet this would be the best route to geting one.

 

[reefstew]

A lot of time things don't turn out as planed. I paired 2 misbared ocellaris clowns which are spawning & not I misbar in 8 batches.I curently have 6 pairs of ocellaris, 1 pair of tomato, 1 pair of black ocellaris which are all laying eggs.