very interested in breeding

[doubled50]

I have a few questions:

I have a 20 tall reef with only 2 clowns and a blue damsel and a skunk cleaner shrimp along with some hermits and astrea snails. I have several corals among them is a frogspawn the clowns have hosted. I believe the clowns have mated, they have been together for a year and are a little over a year and a half old.

When do they begin laying eggs? Too juvenile still?

Can they breed in my tank or do I need to set up a hatchery and nursery and all that?

I'm a bit overwhelmed and still reading through these posts, but since my tank is on autopilot now, just trimming back coral is all I can do, no more adding stuff will fit in my tank.

I have a spare 10 gallon tank, heater, PC lights, powerheads and a filter even. Any pointers?

 

[FB]

They may not be ready yet. Good water quality, heavy feeding and a consitant light cycle are all thing with may start them breeding. They should have no problem breeding in that tank. But once you have eggs you are going to have to setup a larvae system. You will also need a phtyoplankton cuture, rotifers, and brine shrimp to complete the food cycle.

Their is A LOT of information on these boards. READ READ READ.

You can also get Joyce Wilkerson's book Clownfishes.

http://www.amazon.com/Clownfishes-Joyce-D-Wilkerson/dp/1890087041

 

[doubled50]

Thanks, I will start reading. I have a consistant lighting schedule now and do religious weekly water changes and maintain very healthy water. I am not a heavy feeder, in fact I feed like once every other day. Should I up the food intake. Right now I rotate from pellets, flake and mysis.

Should I get rid of the blue damsel? Should I add anymore clowns? I was gonna just have like 4 clowns and only clowns in my 20?

 

[FB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13244717#post13244717 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by doubled50
Should I get rid of the blue damsel?

I don't think that is necessary, however the more comfortable the fish are the more likely they will spawn.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13244717#post13244717 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by doubled50
Should I add anymore clowns?

NO, If these two are "together" it is just a waiting period. If you add more it will cause fighting.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13244717#post13244717 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by doubled50
I was gonna just have like 4 clowns and only clowns in my 20?

This will not work and will cause fighting and stress.

 

[NirvanaFan]

I've had my clowns for about a year and 3 months. I would guess that they are less than 2 years old. They started laying eggs a couple weeks ago. So, yours could start laying soon if everything is to their liking now.

 

[doubled50]

Cool, I will wait it out and in the meantime continue reading. I will abort the other clowns idea and stick to the 6 line as my last purchase then!