Breed Clownfish | Saltwater Fish

[biscotti]

Hi everyone, my name is scott and I'm very interested in trying to breed clowns. I run a 50 gallon reef tank at the moment and I'd like to start a new setup in the hopes of successfully breeding clowns.

I wanted to get some input on my plan as of now as I'm about to set up a dedicated clown tank for my bedroom. The tank will be 20 gallons and I have a 65w powercompact fixture although I'm debating adding one more so a bubble anemone can be added. I'll keep just one pair in the tank.

I'm trying to make a very quiet main tank so I'm thinking of starting a 20 gallon with just a canister filter and a good 1-1.5" of livesand.

I wanted to find out, do you have more success with the siphon method or with the egg removal method?

Do you find that an anemone is worth the trouble to encourage breeding?

I'm looking forward to starting the tank.

[admin]

An anenome is not needed and can be difficult to keep alive in such a small aquarium with limited lighting. If the fish are the only thing in the tank they will already feel pretty safe and not need the anenome also (IMHO). I have had best success with the siphon method. I think this is because I never could get the proper flow on the eggs to keep them well aerated. Best of luck to you and welcome to the forum.

--Scott

[Randazzle]

For the past few days, I have noticed that my male clownfish, "Ernie" has been very aggressive towards me. He has been biting my fingers and hand when I last cleaned three days ago.

Last night I noticed that he and "Lulu" have been hiding out in the back of the tank near the sand. I immediately noticed little eggs attached to the aquarium wall. I've never seen clownfish eggs before but just knew they were eggs. Desperate to find out what to do, I stumbled upon your site and read nearly everything you've all posted.

I'm a bit sad now for "Ernie and Lulu" because it sounds like rearing the fry is a huge task. I would love to give it a go, but doubt I can remove the eggs from the glass.

Do you have any of the directions for beginning a culture posted on YouTube in video form for folks like me who may may not get it exactly via the written explanations. I admit, I'm a visual learner!

By the way, will Ernie and Lulu keep laying eggs, or give up once they learn that they're just not developing, maturing?

I have a 70 gal reef tank with live rock,leather corals, frogspawn coral, ruby bubble tipped anemone, 3 green chromas fish, and Ernie and Lulu my clowns. If I place a tera-cotta pot on its side or upside down with a portion cracked off in the back of the aquarium with a tube fastened into drip feeding rotifers do you think they would make it in the aquarium?

[alanna]

I do not think the babies will make it in the big tank due to the flow and they will make a nice meal for your other fish. The fry need their own tank with lots of rotifer due to poor vision. Don't forget about the brine shrimp for day 5 or 6.(fresh hatched B.shrimp)

[miamiangler]

It is probably to late for this batch of eggs ,but set up a small rearing tank . A 2.5gal or 5gal just with air stones . in your main tank , since you know exactly where your clowns lay their eggs ,put a small piece tile in the same exact place your clowns have laied the eggs and see if it works . Then it would be easy to remove the eggs to the rearing tank when the eggs are ready to be hatched .

[Randazzle]

Well, sure enough... 30 minutes after the lights went out this evening, I checked the aquarium with a flashlight and BINGO! there were fry swimming all around! How freaking exciting!!!!! There must be about 20 of them so far!

I was so bummed about bringing my 70 gallon tank home from my kindergarten classroom due to the school being shut down and staff not being allowed in because of major construction, but now I am so happy to have this cool experience! After having a saltwater tank for 20 years!!!!

I have the rotifers ready to go and fingers crossed!

[Randazzle]

Well, sure enough... 30 minutes after the lights went out this evening, I checked the aquarium with a flashlight and BINGO! there were fry swimming all around! How freaking exciting!!!!! There must be about 20 of them so far!

I was so bummed about bringing my 70 gallon tank home from my kindergarten classroom due to the school being shut down and staff not being allowed in because of major construction, but now I am so happy to have this cool experience! After having a saltwater tank for 20 years!!!!

I have the rotifers ready to go and fingers crossed!

[archdunk]

Marine and Reef tanks:
This is the easy way of them all, and is meant for the lazy. Due to the fact that the specific-gravity in
Marine and Reef aquariums is suitable for hatching BS, you can hatch them directly in the aquarium.
There are two ways to do so- in a mesh compartment or by spreading the eggs straight to the aquarium.If you hatch the BS eggs in a mesh compartment, you should place the compartment where it gets medium salt water tank movement.