When your clownfish babies are ready to go

[NicoleC]

It seems like only yesterday, but my clown babies are 3 weeks old now and bigger than some that I see for sale in stores that are wild caught. Just in the last week, they have suddenly become much stronger swimmers are are a stout 3/4" long. And goodness, they are growing fast now!

Soon, they will be ready for new homes. So I am thinking of preparing them for higher flow with a bigger filter (adjustable) and teaching them to eat Formula One (that will take all of 2 seconds) so they may color up a little. On the Otohime, they are a rather drab orange. When they were on CE, they were bright red!

Anything else I should do to prep them for a high flow reef tank? Should I prophylactically treat for parasites?

 

[Kathy55g]

You must mean 3 months, not 3 weeks. Yes, mine look good to go, too. I agree about the Otohime color. It is not as attractive as the Forumula 1 or the cyclopeeze colors. I am going to fatten mine up with these foods. I do think they are healthy, however on the Otohime. A little flow is a good idea. I have mine on high flow from the time they are 1 month old. If they have not been exposed to wild caught fish, I would think that they would not need parasite medication, and it is not clear that prophylactic treatment would work in any case.

Tank bred fish are generally recognised as safe!

 

[NicoleC]

Sure, but the eggs (and the parents) have been exposed to other potential pathogens... no signs of illness, but a little caution never hurts.

Yes, 3 months!

My babies are not interested in anything bigger than the B2. I guess my C1 and C2 will eventually end up in the homemade fish food.

 

[gunnwong]

HEY
Do you ever breed any black and white clown fish?
thanks

 

[David M]

I sell some of mine as early as 3 months, I have great disparity in size in a given batch. The fastest growers are ready a 12-14 weeks but others take a bit longer. Out of 60 I have from a Jan 01 hatch 25 will go the store next weekend at 14 weeks.

As for acclimation to high flow tanks for me that depends on "space available" but certainly they are in the high flow growout tanks by 6 or 8 weeks old.

 

[NicoleC]

Hmmm. Mine were not taking well to flow until just recently. Maybe I was babying them too much. But suddenly one day, they started swimming around on the side of the tank under the filter without a concern... and before that they only went over there if there was food.

It will be sad to see my first batch of clowns go. Do you think a 3 page adoption application and tank inspection is a bit excessive?

 

[RP]

I just found out my pair of Tomato clowns is a mated pair! There are eggs in the corner of my tank! What do I do?

 

[David M]

Do you think a 3 page adoption application and tank inspection is a bit excessive?

Excessive? Naw, your'e really not even in the game I know a seahorse breeder who's requirements are WAY beyond that, basically I think you have to be a senior aquarist at an approved public aquarium or something like that. There is a list of qualified institutions.

 

[NicoleC]

Well, seahorses are seahorses. Too many idiots kill them. At least clowns are, if not quite idiot-proof, at least idiot-resistant.

 

[David M]

I just found out my pair of Tomato clowns is a mated pair! There are eggs in the corner of my tank! What do I do?

First you start your own thread Then people will tell you:
1) read all the stickies in the clownfish forum
2) go out and buy Joyce Wilkerson's Clownfishes book
3) search this forum for similar questions

And btw, WELCOME to the fbf