Salinity stimulation?

[colby]

In Wilkerson's book one of the methods she listed as a way to encourage clowns to spawn is to severly depress the salinity...

My question is why? Has anybody found this to be a practice that results in spawning fish? (I am not saying the method has no validity I am just wondering why it would result in a spawn...)

It seems to be contradictory to the advice of keep the water params stable to encourage spawning...

Furthermore I cannot think of a single situation in which a wild clownfish would come across 1.017 water as Wilkerson recommends...surely this would result in the demise of the host anemone anyway...


So anway any input, experience brainstorming or whatever would be greatly appreciated (wish I could ask Wilkerson herself...lol)

 

[jpmcca01]

My clowns spawn regularly and I keep my salinity around 1.023 to 1.024. I find that if I feed them well, keep good water params and they arent stressed they spawn every month. Try feeding them foods that are rich in protein,If they are happy and mature they will spawn eventually.
Also mine are hosting in a BTA.

 

[colby]

My clownfish are spawning, my question remains....why would lowering the salinity help?

 

[MarinaP]

I think she meant that lower salinity requires less energy from the clowns to osmoregulate, therefore they should have more energy to spawn.

I never tried that approach. All my pairs spawn at regular salinity.

Aim for stability

 

[colby]

Marina,

Thank you. I bet you are probablly right. I have experimented raising the fr and have found that they seem to grow ever so slightly quicker in lower salinity due to less effort osmoregulating (This however was just simple eyeballing no actual measurements or "scientifically credible" methods of recording were attempted...)


And yes stability seems to be key....

Thanks Marina

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7930425#post7930425 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MarinaP
I think she meant that lower salinity requires less energy from the clowns to osmoregulate, therefore they should have more energy to spawn.

I never tried that approach. All my pairs spawn at regular salinity.

Aim for stability

Hmm, same here. The pair I take care of at work spawns every 1-2 weeks at full strength seawater. Good diet and stability are key here, IME.