Breeding Log: Black & White Clownfish (A. ocellaris var.)

[Travis L. Stevens]

This will be an attempt at recording the behavior and process of spawning of my Black and White Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris var.). It all started about a year ago...... *dream sequence unfolds. Fog clears to see Travis deep in thought around some books*

I sat down in front of a large assortment of books to think of my dream tank. Over many weeks of planning I eventually decided that I wanted to focus on breeding fish, but work the tank around the fish. I came to the conclusion that I wanted a Black and White tank. I wanted a variety of pairs of fish that were black and white, and on the top of the list were Black and White Ocellaris. I remember seeing a pair of them years ago in a shop in Tulsa. The price at the time was outrageous, but the pair were definitely adults. The female topping out at a good 3.5". I was hooked on these guys, but never a huge fan of clownfish. I talked a lot with Lori (NewBeReef627) with her breeding efforts, and upon seeing her wide variety of clownfish variants, I began to warm up to them. Eventually, the day came where I found a seller here on Reef Central that was selling 80 juvenile A. ocellaris that he raised, and I actually had the money ready for them. I talked to Lori, and we went in on getting a pair each. On April 3, 2006 we bought the buggers, and had them shipped overnight. One night of tossing and turning with anticipation and $110 later, the Clownfish arrive at Lori's on April 4th. After work I drove up from Perry to Enid, stood bewildered at Lori's livestock, picked up my clownfish, and drove back home to Stillwater. Later on, things fall through and the Black and White tank never comes to be, but now the current tank is being used to hold breeding pairs.

April 4, 2006: The New Arrivals
After careful acclimation and sitting in front of the tank watching them acclimate, they are finally released into my 29g tank. They immediately went and hid, but had no problem with the two Green Chromis that were already established in the tank. Within the next couple of days, I got to inspect them more. They were about 1-1.5" long, and still so young that they had their orange face. That's fine by me, because I knew they would eventually lose it. They stayed together almost constantly which seemed to be a good sign for me.

Mid July 2006: A Change in the Winds
At about this point, I've got to watch my clownfish fatten up, grow, and their face start darken. By this time, the two have started to show differences in size and dominance. You can tell which one is the male and which is the female. The male's face by this time had quickly went from orange to completely black, but the female's face hadn't really changed much.

September 23, 2006: Get the Hint?
This was the day that COMAS went on a behind the scenes tour at the Oklahoma City Zoo's Aquaticus Center. After the tour, my family and I paid a visit to the Gift Shop and saw that they had light up Koosh Balls. I immediately thought of Kevin's (LotR Clown) thread that showed how he took one and used it as a surrogate anemone. So, I thought I would give it a shot since my clownfish never hosted in anything yet, and they were starting to show quite a difference and a lot of loving between them. We get home and later that evening, the fake anemone is complete and I add it to the tank. The Clownfish immediately inspect it, but don't do anything. About a week later I catch the male swimming through the tentacles. As the weeks go by, more and more action starts to happen. Eventually, they pay as much attention to the fake anemone, which isn't much, as they do to a variety of other corals. They often laid in my toadstool, poked their face in my Zoanthids, rubbed up against the Green Star Polyps, and much more. But, no matter what interest in hosting they showed, they always slept in a corner in my tank on the sand. As time progressed, the male and female started to court, shimmy, shake, and show other signs of effection.

Early December, 2006: Finding a Home
They have shown an increase in spawning behaviors between each other and in hosting. My family and I were shopping around Hobby Lobby when we saw a sale running on clay pots. We picked up a couple small pots for plants, and I picked up a few tiny pots for my Yellow Watchman Gobies, and a few plates for my clownfish in an attempt for them to find a place to lay eggs. Weeks past, and I catch the clownfish cleaning the plate. The male was the first to clean and rub on it, shortly followed by the female. Eventually they started to rub on other rocks as well. This started to get me excited. I'm beginning to anticipate a spawn at any time with their behavior.

December 26, 2006: My Babies Are All Grown Up
I catch both the male and the female digging in the sand. The female has nearly lost the orange in her face. Just a little patch on the bottom of the chin from the bottom of the bottom lip to the base of where the gills meet.

December 28, 2006: Change is Good
They've now been rubbing and digging quite often. I'm very surprised by now. But, I had to do some tank maintenance and cleaning. I was afraid that all the commotion was going to deter the clownfish. After getting everything cleaned, I move their plate from a near horizontal layout to an almost vertical layout after scanning across a thread mentioning someone had something like this. After all the maintenance was done, I sat back to enjoy the tank and to my amazement, I see both of the clownfish cleaning and fanning the vertical plate at the same time, rubbing on each other, dancing, and so on like they never did before. They went absolutely bonkers with their behavior towards one another. I guess I did something that they liked! As of this morning, there weren't any eggs on the plate, but who knows what I'll find when I get home. Needless to say, I'm expecting them to lay their first clutch any day now. I look forward to what the future holds, and I'm happy to see that these once little clownfish are now 2" and 2.5" long.

I'll keep everyone updated, and I hope to post and get more pictures soon.

This was the tank back in October. As you can see, we have the nice fake anemone in the middle of the tank. You can barely make out the clownfish. You can see the male at the top of the tank in the middle, and the female is above the pink plate coral facing the camera. You can see the outline of her white stripe and what is left of her orange face. You can also see the Yellow Watchman Goby pair out for a stroll.

[papagimp]

Travis, when you finally breed and raise these tykes, I want dibbs on a pair of them. I'll be getting rid of the orange ocellaris I have for some black and whites when I set up the 150 and would really really prefer captive bred and raised ones. I actually would prefer all my livestock in that tank to be captive bred by me, and eventually that'll be what i end up with....so many years down the road. So hurry up! LOL

[Travis L. Stevens]

How about a swap of a pair of B&W Clownsfish for a pair of Bangaii Cardinalfish?

[papagimp]

Originally posted by Travis L. Stevens
How about a swap of a pair of B&W Clownsfish for a pair of Bangaii Cardinalfish?

You got it!!! I was thinking the same exact thing. I'll have some ready in a few months....how bout you?

gunna have to start playing them clowns some barry white and a little candle light mysis dinner and get them in the 'baby makin' mood.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Originally posted by papagimp
You got it!!! I was thinking the same exact thing. I'll have some ready in a few months....how bout you?

gunna have to start playing them clowns some barry white and a little candle light mysis dinner and get them in the 'baby makin' mood.

No kidding. I've had to show them how to host and what to lay eggs on basically, might as well teach them to spawn, too. Anyone have any educational clownfish spawning videos and an underwater DVD player?

[papagimp]

Originally posted by Travis L. Stevens
Anyone have any educational clownfish spawning videos and an underwater DVD player?

like fish porn? LoL HAHAHAHA

Is there some kind of corelation between clowns spawning and them having a 'set' host? I mean, if they aren't hosting in anything particular will they still mate and spawn?

My male seems all ready for that big female ocellaris, but she doesn't and pushes him into the other frogspawn. But only when he's getting "fresh" with her, otherwise they share the froggie that she's claimed. Do I have a prude clownfish?

[Travis L. Stevens]

Hey, I said educational. You know, like the videos you see in school, or a how-to guide. Heck a Clownfish Kama Sutra would work. I'm trying to teach them

I've asked the same thing on a couple of occassions, and I get mixed answers. More commercial breeders report that they will spawn in tanks with just PVC in them and they won't host against anything. But, most of the hobbyists report that they will host before they spawn. And to top it all off, in a captive environment where a clownfish will host in about anything from corals to clams to tank equipment, how can you tell if where they stay is considered a place where they host? It's obvious their hosting in some things like anemones and corals, but when they just hover near a powerhead or MagFloat are they hosting it, or do they just like it there?

[Serra]

How old were your clowns when you got them? I have a pair of onyx clowns that I got in July of this year. They still seem so young. How old are clowns when they first show signs of spawning?

[zoomfish1]

Very Cool thing to attempt. I'll be keeping up with this thread. Nice start, Travis.

[ouspeedbump]

I'd also love to have a pair. That is what I have been building my tank for and why I only have a single goby/shrimp pair in there now. I wish you the best of luck, and if there are enough, I'd be glad to adopt two!

[papagimp]

sea horse!? LOL hahahaha, love the avatar speedbump!

[Travis L. Stevens]

Originally posted by Serra
How old were your clowns when you got them? I have a pair of onyx clowns that I got in July of this year. They still seem so young. How old are clowns when they first show signs of spawning?

I'll be honest Sheryl, I really don't remember how old they were when they were sold to me. I'm thinking that they were about 6 months old. They probably started showing this behavior at the 8-12 month of age range. I'm still quite impressed. I'm not at home right now, but it would sure be sweet to come home to the first batch of eggs.

[Travis L. Stevens]

April 16, 2007: Larger, but nothing
Not much new to report. The Male and Female hangout a lot more, and tend to host a lot in my Green Star Polyps. The female only has the faint markings of orange on her chin left.

[papagimp]

Ditto, mine are in the same boat, minus the GSP .

[ouspeedbump]

Mine still have some orange on the face, the female more than the male. She beats up on the male a lot too. Poor guy is all tattered.

[papagimp]

That's funny speedbump, I would think that the males would wind up with more orange on their faces, due to their smaller size and all 3 of us (travis, me and you) all have females with orange noses. How funny.

[Serra]

My pair has cleaned the side of the overflow box. They are fanning the sand like crazy and they both now host the anemone but I haven't see any eggs. I guess I should put a plate in there.

I need to read about raising fry. How often a day do you have to feed them?

[Travis L. Stevens]

Okay, I finally have a fairly good picture.


This is the male Clownfish's couch. When the female gets mad at him and kicks him out of the GSP, he lays on the couch


These Zoanthids are their bathroom. They wash their face and body in them on occassion

[Travis L. Stevens]

August 9, 2007: No news is good news
Nothing but a few really good pictures.

Female Clownfish


Male Clownfish


Both Clownfish

[peaceinusa]

Nice Thread.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Originally posted by peaceinusa
Nice Thread.

It'll be nicer when they start spawning. I promise.

[Little Bitty]

Maybe if you feed them some oyster eggs...lol

[Travis L. Stevens]

I think I'll play some Barry White first Honestly, I'm thinking that I don't feed them enough. They might get a cube of frozen food every day to every other day, but they have to fight off the watchman gobies and cardinalfish and the Ricordeas. They do a good job mind you; top of the food chain.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Eh, a miniscul update. I've been wanting to name my clownfish a clever name for a while, and I had decided on one. I couldn't decide on which one should get which name. I had forgotten what they mean. A little quick research, and now the female is named Yin and the male is named Yang.