Breeding clownfish with a mated pair

Sdeluca10 · 10/24/2012, 10:05 PM

Hi, I was hoping someone could help me out. So heres the story. I bought 2 percula (or ocellaris, not too sure) clownfish about 2 and a half years ago. And i house them in a 12 gallon nano tank with live rock and corals. With the intention on them pairing up and breeding. The tang is very well established and has tons of microscopic organisms,.and the clownfish are the only 2 fish in the tank. Well one of them is larger than the other, which leads me to believe 1 is the female, Problem is, is that it has been this long and I'm yet to see any eggs. Is there anything that I can do to "encourage" them to breed. Do you think that having the liverock and corals in the tank makes them feel too cramped and stressed. Should I keep them in there with minimal like rock and just a couple corals? I feed them frozen and flakes and just started to feed them live brine shrimp every once in a while and intend on feeding them live food once or twice a week. I would really like to raise my own baby clownfish fry but can't seem to have the opportunity. If you have any thoughts on what I could/should do, please let me know.

Lukes_Reef · 10/24/2012, 10:09 PM

I would probably start by getting them into something larger than 12g

ClownfishSushi · 10/25/2012, 05:34 AM

Nah, 12g is plenty. Couple questions. What is the temp, what is the light cycle, what is the salinity, how often are you feeding and are they hosting anything?

Sdeluca10 · 10/25/2012, 07:03 AM

Thanks for the response. My temperature is set at 78. I feed them twice a day,.and I don't have an anemone but I have a torch coral that opens up pretty large and they host in that. I have noticed that they are very aggressive towards me, for instance if I sick my hand in there to fix a coral that they knock over or something, they both seem to attack me. And as for my light cycle, I turn it on st right around 2:00 and shut it off around 12 clock. Unfortunately my nano tank doesn't have a night light I can put on when I shut the light off so there is no light except light from the outside from 12am-2pm.

ClownfishSushi · 10/25/2012, 09:45 AM

I'd bump the temperature up to 80 degrees. 2 feedings a day won't cut it. Feed them 5 times a day. Smaller portions and sometimes back to back... we call that power feeding. They need a constant light schedule to set their internal clocks. Get a timer and I'd suggest putting them on something closer to the natural light cycle. 11am to 11pm should allow you to get most of your viewing time. It's a good sign that they are defending their territory. More food, increased temperature, predictable light cycle. Also you didn't mention your salinity but go ahead and drop it down a bit, like 1.022. It's better for the rotifers and a salinity drop can induce a spawn.

Sdeluca10 · 10/25/2012, 10:19 AM

Yeah i was keeping my salinity around 1.023-1.024 but I will drop that a lil bit and get a timer for the light, thanks a bunch for the help, ill keep you posted if anything changes. Thanks again.

NirvanaFan · 10/28/2012, 01:16 PM

Since you have corals in the tank, I wouldn't go any lower than what you have it.

10/24/2012, 10:05 PM	#1
Sdeluca10 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 5	Breeding clownfish with a mated pair Hi, I was hoping someone could help me out. So heres the story. I bought 2 percula (or ocellaris, not too sure) clownfish about 2 and a half years ago. And i house them in a 12 gallon nano tank with live rock and corals. With the intention on them pairing up and breeding. The tang is very well established and has tons of microscopic organisms,.and the clownfish are the only 2 fish in the tank. Well one of them is larger than the other, which leads me to believe 1 is the female, Problem is, is that it has been this long and I'm yet to see any eggs. Is there anything that I can do to "encourage" them to breed. Do you think that having the liverock and corals in the tank makes them feel too cramped and stressed. Should I keep them in there with minimal like rock and just a couple corals? I feed them frozen and flakes and just started to feed them live brine shrimp every once in a while and intend on feeding them live food once or twice a week. I would really like to raise my own baby clownfish fry but can't seem to have the opportunity. If you have any thoughts on what I could/should do, please let me know.

10/24/2012, 10:09 PM	#2
Lukes_Reef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: west seneca,ny Posts: 179	I would probably start by getting them into something larger than 12g __________________ Currently trying to be very patient!! Current Tank Info: 30g - 2 clownfish, 2 blue/green chromis, algae blenny, red leg hermits, lots of snails and some lps and softies... 65g RR currently under construction

10/25/2012, 05:34 AM	#3
ClownfishSushi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Wilmington, DE Posts: 204	Nah, 12g is plenty. Couple questions. What is the temp, what is the light cycle, what is the salinity, how often are you feeding and are they hosting anything? __________________ Jason Golden

10/25/2012, 07:03 AM	#4
Sdeluca10 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 5	Re:beeding clownfish Thanks for the response. My temperature is set at 78. I feed them twice a day,.and I don't have an anemone but I have a torch coral that opens up pretty large and they host in that. I have noticed that they are very aggressive towards me, for instance if I sick my hand in there to fix a coral that they knock over or something, they both seem to attack me. And as for my light cycle, I turn it on st right around 2:00 and shut it off around 12 clock. Unfortunately my nano tank doesn't have a night light I can put on when I shut the light off so there is no light except light from the outside from 12am-2pm.

10/25/2012, 09:45 AM	#5
ClownfishSushi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Wilmington, DE Posts: 204	I'd bump the temperature up to 80 degrees. 2 feedings a day won't cut it. Feed them 5 times a day. Smaller portions and sometimes back to back... we call that power feeding. They need a constant light schedule to set their internal clocks. Get a timer and I'd suggest putting them on something closer to the natural light cycle. 11am to 11pm should allow you to get most of your viewing time. It's a good sign that they are defending their territory. More food, increased temperature, predictable light cycle. Also you didn't mention your salinity but go ahead and drop it down a bit, like 1.022. It's better for the rotifers and a salinity drop can induce a spawn. __________________ Jason Golden

10/25/2012, 10:19 AM	#6
Sdeluca10 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 5	Yeah i was keeping my salinity around 1.023-1.024 but I will drop that a lil bit and get a timer for the light, thanks a bunch for the help, ill keep you posted if anything changes. Thanks again.

10/28/2012, 01:16 PM	#7
NirvanaFan Reef Ninja Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 4,280	Since you have corals in the tank, I wouldn't go any lower than what you have it.