spawning???????

[the budman]

I have a pair of maroon clowns hosting a large bubbletip. the female has taken to fanning the sand out of the little cave the anemone is in. she has even picked up snails and rocks and moved them of the area. i have a few questions. are they getting ready to spawn? should i worry about my rocks collapsing? if i put a flat rock in the divot she created would she stop fanning the sand out? thanks for any help
Budman

 

[agsansoo]

Normal activity for a female maroon. This is one reason I went barebottom. The sand storms will continue. She will move anything she doesn't like in her area. How big is she ?

 

[Lifes A Beach]

Yep, sounds like she's cleaning house getting ready for the spawn. She'll move anything she can to get things ready!

 

[cl2ysta1]

mine does the same thing... put a tile by her nem. if your lucky she will pick it to lay on!

 

[the budman]

shes about 3 inches. i have had them for 4 0r 5 years now and never had this happen before. when i got them they were tiny. started when i went to a bigger tank

 

[the budman]

do you mean like a ceramic wall tile? any special color? do i lean it on something or lay it down?

 

[Lifes A Beach]

I had my pair for over 4 years before they started spawning. Depending on the space you have near the area that she is cleaning, put a ceramic tile there. I prefer a "bullnose" tile because it's long and narrow. I also prefer a tile with clay bottom. Lean it securely in the area so that it does not fall and injure someone/something. Hopefully she'll lay her eggs on it.

Here's a video of my pair spawning on their tile:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1317074&perpage=&pagenumber=1

Good luck!

--Barbara

 

[the budman]

thanks for the help. think the tile will cure the sandstorms?

 

[Lifes A Beach]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12532537#post12532537 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by the budman
think the tile will cure the sandstorms?

Probably won't stop the sandstorms because they'll do it where they want to spawn. You could always go with a bare bottom tank!

 

[the budman]

thanks for all the help. we can end this now. i would not go bare bottom. i could get arrested and my nassarius's would hate me, as would my conch. i did put a blue bathroom tile in it. she didnt like the blue but when i flipped it over she was fine. the sandstorms have diminished greatly since she cleaned the tile. thanks again to all of you.