Breeding Clowns

[Warnberg]

Ok, I think I have tried just about everything to get my clowns to spawn, but maybe I am missing something here. Can anyone tell me what you did to trigger the breeding response in your clowns? My clowns are definitely paired, going thru there mating dance every day and every night, they have chosen there nesting site and are cleaning it regularly but no eggs yet, they have been at this behaviour now for about 2 months. I have increased (slowly) my photo period to 12 hours, let the water temp warm slightly (81) and still no eggs. What am I missing?
Also when the female is about ready to lay eggs does her stomach become distended or enlarged?

I have my rotifer culture going nuts and I am ready for them, but they don't seem to be ready for me.....

Thanks,

[David Thomson]

How long have you had the pair in that tank?

[Warnberg]

25 weeks now....

[David Thomson]

Well you may have to just wait a little longer. Mine had to be conditioned for 12 months. Waiting for me was the hardest part.
Also make sure you are feeding heavly with a quality food such as PE Mysis.

[jacob30]

Sounds like it may happen soon. Good luck!

[km133688]

yes, you doing good so far, photo period, temp increase.

I found my clowns spawned after something else spawned in the tank. think it was shrimp or crab spawning. In any event, they layed eggs the night after the spawning event. I suggest you flood your tank with BBS three nights in a row. This will simulate an algae bloom. Just be careful not to overload you biofilter. Make sure whatever amounts you put in can be consumed by what is in your tank.

Also, do you have an anemone for them. I know people say you don't need them and I witness many fish stores with mating clowns that have no anemones. But my clowns did nothing till they got their anemones. They actually have too and are clearly much happier than when they had none.

Good luck.

[Warnberg]

They do have an anemone but don't seem to like it much, they seem to be more and more interested in the nesting site these days.... My peppermint shrimp just let loose with another hatching and I'll feed brine along with the normal feeding and see if that helps...

Crossing fingers and waiting on Wilma and clowns.... Hehehehe

[km133688]

well then, I'd say you are doing about all you can do. Time will make it all right. Good luck.

[NicoleC]

I love clowns. Once you get them breeding, they are like clockwork.

I just finished cleaning the tank, plucking caulerpa off the rock, doing a water change and adding a little more sand. I wondered why my clowns were not hanging out watching me like normal. It turns out they were spawning while all this activity was going on! (Sorry, guys!)

[Warnberg]

Well my female has now turned into a PIG.... she eats EVERYTHING and is starting to get fat.... is this a sign of things to come?

[David Thomson]

That is a GREAT sign, but still could take some time. Keep feeding her until she stops eating at least once a day.

[km133688]

yes, I feed till they won't eat anymore, twice a day. Once in the morning before work and once at night when I get home. On weekends they get three feedings or more, depends on how much I want to watch.

I try to provide some variety but I have settled on three great foods for me:

1) mysis (mine like haikiri better than PE (PE too big?)
2) golden pearls (largest size they make)
3) frozen cyclopeeze (not the freeze dried, not the flake)

My clowns will eat just about anything but like all animals, they have preferences. They will eat these three items with gusto as does everything else in my tank. So these make for a good set of foods for all my eaters, not just the clowns. I suppose I should also look into some kind of plant based food item, make some flake food, we will see. I dont' use supplements at the moment but have done the garlic thing and selcon too.

Good luck, Kevin

[NicoleC]

A clown's natural, healthy state is ravenously hungry even if they are too fat to swim. :)

Formula One frozen is probably the best staple food for clowns. I rotate that in with my homemade food, Formula 2, spirulina flake and other miscellaneous items. The homemade food has cyclopeeze, so they don't get that by itself unless I am feeding the corals with cyclopeeze (and they get the excess) or as a special treat.

[jesusfreak316]

Any update on the clowns? Have they spawned. Any pics? I want to know, please!!!!!

[Warnberg]

Still the same...... so we play the waiting game.... she is eating like a horse and they are both defending there bowl like it's the only place on earth... but no eggs yet

[Warnberg]

Clown Update.... Well the pair has learned a new trick, clean the bowl then just lay there in it. They are very aggressive now toward anything that come close to their turf, female still eating like a PIG and has grown another 1/2 inch (length and girth). My peppermint shrimp spawn about once a week now and the clown have feast when they do.... so the waiting game continues..

[Atticus]

Sounds good. Don't change anything and you might get a surprise soon. Soon being months...

[SEA YOU LATER]

Please, Keep us posted as to the progress. If you can post some pics of your clowns.

[Warnberg]

Well here is an update. Yesterday for the first time the clowns have decided to take over the anemone I have, they have been in the tank almost a year now and just now figured they would nest in it. They no longer pay any attention to the bowl I placed in the tank for them. They are also chasing each other around a lot and they have run every other creature away from the anemone.

I will attempt to get some decent shots of them in the anemone this afternoon and get them posted.

But for now I am still waiting for some magic to happen, I figure I will give them a week or so and remove the bowl and place a small tile close to the anemone (smooth flat surface for them)

Any other suggestions? Is this a good sign?

Thanks

[tmays]

I had some tomato clowns that were together for quite a while in a 125 gal. tank. They were in with large triggers, lunar wrasse, a large angel, and a number of other fish that slip my mind. I got the whole set up, fish and all for a very good price. My plans were to get rid of these fish in order to make a nice reef. The clown were going to stay and become part of my new set up. These clowns only had a 6" tile as a home, but had no problem defending them selves against the other larger fish at all!!! A few weeks later a friend gave me another little tomato clown, but I did not want to put him in any of my other tanks, so I threw it in the 125. Again, the larger fish were not a real problem, but the other tomato clown were another story! I felt that they would work out the problem soon, but even a few days later the other tomato clowns were searching all over the tank to find this new fish. By the time I found a good home for the little guy I was amazed to say the least! The female and the new guy were now together beating the heck out of the old male. I ended up giving the old male to my friend instead. a few days later, the tomato clowns were spawning at least every two weeks. some times within a day or two of me taking the eggs out to hatch in the larva tank. The other fish could not even come close to the little tile they called home, although they tried all the time. Sometimes competition will trigger a pair to strengthen thier bond as with discus, but I never seen them change partners. I guess what I'm saying is you might want to experiment a little. Maybe the old male just did not have what it takes.

[Warnberg]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/59601IMG_1773__Medium_.JPG

Here's a pic of the female in the anemone.....

[KMatysek]

I had my pair for 5 years before they spawned. (Of course, lucky for me, I wasn't trying to get them to spawn and one day I just got lucky!). After I'd had them about a year, they adopted a bunch of 'hairy' mushrooms, but it wasn't until four years later, when I put some more hairy 'shrooms in the tank that they laid their first batch - still within the original site, but I'm sure the coral addition was what prompted it. Since they don't have the option of swimming from site to site until they find what they want, it seems like it could be tricky to get them to go for a compromise. Mine took a full year to adopt the 'shrooms. I think their behavior with the anemone is a good sign. It might just take a little while longer.

[Warnberg]

Wow, 4 more years.... lets hope not, they seem happy... I'm just stoked that they finally went to the anemone....

[Nagel]

Sometimes a large water change triggers a spawn. I had my ocellaris 4 years, and the previous owner had them 2 years, no spawns.

I added a 210 to my main system with new SW, and that acted like a large water change (total volume with the 210 is 1200g). Within a week they started spawning and are on an 18 day cycle ever since (7 days for the eggs to hatch, 11 days later they lay a new clutch).. You could now set your watch to it (on the 11th day they start spawning 2 hours after lights go on)..

[Kathy55g]

That is one beautiful picture!

[Evansbr]

Well, I just had my first nest laid yesterday. My clowns were a pair and I was feeding heavy, in their own tank, but weren't doing anything. the water is kept at 78 and lighting is 12 hours.
I put moonlighting over the tank a week ago. Maybe just a coincidence. I have three pairs, Perc, Osc, and gold banded. I hope to be very busy soon!

[Kathy55g]

My pair began laying eggs this month after a year of heavy feeding. That is the only thing I did. Same lighting, same temp.

Their spawning site is the busiest corner of the tank. They first laid eggs the weekend of my daughters' slumber party. 5 girls dancing to loud music in the room with the display tank. The spawning corner is right next to the hallway that everyone uses to go upstairs, downstairs, in, or out of the house. So much for stability and quiet....I think when they are ready, they are ready.

[Kathy55g]

Congrats on your pair laying eggs! It is a great event when it finally happens.

[NicoleC]

Depends on the pair, too, I think. Mine have often spawned while i am cleaning the tank, taking pictures, running video, vacuuming in front of the tank... whatever. The only thing that stops them is if I walk up to the tank, they check to see if I have food. :)