Clownfish breeding

[Hotrod324]

As of today i am purchasing my first clown. Its a new setup and hes gonna cycle it. Eventually i would like to get a couple more clowns and a couple other fish. My question is, what would i have to do to mate these clowns? If they did mate what would have to happen for their babies to survive and would that be possible with other fish in there? New to sw so if mating them is possible but it would require an expert, lemme know so i can stop dreaming :)

[Travis L. Stevens]

There is a lot of factors that go into this. You might want to visit the Anemones & Clownfish Forum (http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=36) here on Reef Central. They have many very informative stickies at the top of the board for new and potential owners and breeders.

[Kathy55g]

OK, don't mean to discourage you, but you don't need a live fish to cycle a tank, and in fact it is both cruel and expensive to do so.

A tank can be cycled with a daily pinch of flake fish food. Take that clown back to the store while it is still alive, and ask them to hold it for you until your tank is cycled.

Every few days over the next couple of weeks, measure ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in your water and write down the results. When the cycle is over (o ammonia, 0 nitrite, and some nitrate), do a 20% water change to bring down the nitrates, and go get your fish. You can have 2, and it is best that you get them together, one slightly larger than the other, so they won't fight too much(best not to get marroons or tomatoes, too aggressive).

The larger one will become female and the smaller one will become male if it starts out in your tank as a juvenile. If you are very good, they may begin to spawn for you. Clowns are social animals and appreciate the company of another clown of the same type. There are exceptions to this "rule" .

Please read the stickie at the top of the clownfish and anemones forum. It has lots of good info on clownfish.

For breeding, read Joyce Wilkerson's book Clownfishes. Also has great info for a beginning saltwater hobbyist. She does say to cycle the tank with the clowns, but I think it is cruel and unusual punishment for a $25 fish that is now your pet. And completely unnecessary!

Welcome to the fish breeders forum, and good luck with all your saltwater endeavors!
Cheers,
Kathy

p.s. Breeding clownfish is not hard. Raising clownfish from larvae to adulthood is not hard, once you know what you are doing, but neither is it simple. The learning part is hard, though, and you kill a lot of fish before you can raise a bunch. Learn to keep a marine tank first, that's the first step.

[mako56]

Kathy the Maroon basher :lol: :lol: you know everyone always says that but I have never seen that kind of stuff with my two.