Clownfish Part 2 - Breeding - Podcast Episode 101

[Rob]

Part 2 in the clownfish series, where we dive more into behavior, breeding, the brood stock tank and such

Items covered are as follows:
* Brood stock tank
* complications from Anemones
* Spawning surfaces
* Feeding
* Co-Inhabitants
* acquiring your pair
* Mating behaviors

And we wrap up with some tips on getting reluctant clowns to start spawning


Here is a link to my main recommendation, the Clownfish bible
Clownfishes, by Joyce Wilkerson

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[Astrivian]

Is the podcast server down at the moment? I am having trouble downloading this, or any other, podcast. Both Firefox and iTunes say they server has timed out since they couldn't get a response.

[Rob]

There had been some intermittent issues, but tis loading ok for me

[Astrivian]

Oh there it goes. I paused the download and started it again and it worked. This is a fortuitous timing for the show, at least for me. I was looking to get a pair of clowns for my new tank with the hope they will make a little home on one side. I am glad you made the note about how to purchase a pair; those "mated pairs" are quite pricey (like $300 for the one place i saw).

one quick question regarding other fish. You mentioned damsels might scare them, but would Comets (Calloplesiops altivelis) or an dispar anthias (Mirolabrichthys dispar) harem scare them as well?

[neno1717]

hi
Is the podcast server down I have try'd to play are downloade for 2 days now

[CarmieJo]

I finally got it to download tonight.

[Rob]

Oh there it goes. I paused the download and started it again and it worked. This is a fortuitous timing for the show, at least for me. I was looking to get a pair of clowns for my new tank with the hope they will make a little home on one side. I am glad you made the note about how to purchase a pair; those "mated pairs" are quite pricey (like $300 for the one place i saw).

one quick question regarding other fish. You mentioned damsels might scare them, but would Comets (Calloplesiops altivelis) or an dispar anthias (Mirolabrichthys dispar) harem scare them as well?

its not so much scare them as threaten them, what you want to stay away from is anything that is aggressive. i am not familiar with Comets, but anthias should be ok.

[MMaz]

Hi Rob,

Congrats on going over 100 podcasts. I just discovered them a few weeks ago and have already listened to about 25 (in the car, in my office, cleaning my tank, etc.). It has made such a huge difference to me, finding this community. Thanks for that!

I have two follow-up questions on clownfish. First, I know that you can only put one species of clownfish into the aquarium unless the aquarium is "really big". How big is "really big"? I used to have two tanks, one with a pair of perculas that I was hoping to breed (but having listened to the show I know now the conditions weren't right), and a tomato clown paired with an anemone in another tank. I've combined the two tanks into a 500 gallon one; I've put the percula in (yes, it's now singular, see my second question), but I'm waiting on the tomato-and-anemone combination until I figure out whether it's big enough. I figured at least if I put the smaller, younger fish in first it would have a chance when I put the larger one in. What do you think?

Second question is about getting another percula. When we bought the pair, they were extreme juveniles - so small we had to shred food for them. As they grew, one became larger and dominant so we figured that became the female. The larger (female?) one died during the tank-moving-adventure So here's our question - does the male now become female because there's no female? What should we look for in buying another one? My daughter is really interested in this one too, she'd love to have a mated pair (although if we want to breed them, we know we'll have to move them back to another aquarium).

Thanks again for the show,
Martha

P.S. I'm glad you mentioned the prices of clowns. That's the first aquarium-related item I've heard of that's actually cheaper here than in North America. My clowns were my cheapest fish other than damsels, and I think I paid the equivalent of US $ 20 for each. I feel much better now!

[Rob]

Hi Rob,

Congrats on going over 100 podcasts. I just discovered them a few weeks ago and have already listened to about 25 (in the car, in my office, cleaning my tank, etc.). It has made such a huge difference to me, finding this community. Thanks for that!

Thanks, its been fun making them

I have two follow-up questions on clownfish. First, I know that you can only put one species of clownfish into the aquarium unless the aquarium is "really big". How big is "really big"?

well "really big" might have been a bit over board on my part, i have seen people doing in tanks of 150 or more, which is "real big" to some, but not others

I used to have two tanks, one with a pair of perculas that I was hoping to breed (but having listened to the show I know now the conditions weren't right), and a tomato clown paired with an anemone in another tank. I've combined the two tanks into a 500 gallon one; I've put the percula in (yes, it's now singular, see my second question), but I'm waiting on the tomato-and-anemone combination until I figure out whether it's big enough. I figured at least if I put the smaller, younger fish in first it would have a chance when I put the larger one in. What do you think?

the Tomato is definitely the more aggressive one so you choice on the introduction order is good. as for mixing them, in a tank that size you should be ok, however as with anything, i would monitor closely.

Second question is about getting another percula. When we bought the pair, they were extreme juveniles - so small we had to shred food for them. As they grew, one became larger and dominant so we figured that became the female. The larger (female?) one died during the tank-moving-adventure So here's our question - does the male now become female because there's no female? What should we look for in buying another one? My daughter is really interested in this one too, she'd love to have a mated pair (although if we want to breed them, we know we'll have to move them back to another aquarium).

Thanks again for the show,
Martha

it is very possible that the remaining Perc moved to a female, but it might not have. the best thig for you to do, and safest, is to get another juvenile. then nature can run its coarse..

P.S. I'm glad you mentioned the prices of clowns. That's the first aquarium-related item I've heard of that's actually cheaper here than in North America. My clowns were my cheapest fish other than damsels, and I think I paid the equivalent of US $ 20 for each. I feel much better now!

[MMaz]

Rob thanks for this, my daughter was glad to hear it too. Unfortunately the questions are all moot now, it seems the percula died. At least, we haven't seen it for more than 10 days and when I put the tomato clown in yesterday there was no hint that it was competing with another clown. Now I have to think about whether I introduce a pair of perculas into the same aquarium as the tomato clown. I am thinking that once I have the tomato's anemone back (after the aquarium has settled down a bit more) and they're re-united and a stable pair, then perhaps I can introduce a pair of perculas and a second anemone. If I keep the anemones at opposite ends of the aquarium, maybe they will define separate territories for the clowns. What do you think?

Thanks, Martha

[CarmieJo]

In my experience the anemone(s) will go where it wants to. I've never kept more than 1 clown at a time so I will let someone with experience chime in about that.

[Rob]

its more like if they settle at opposite ends.. as Carmie noted, the anemone will go where it pleases which may be at the opposite end, or right underneath your other anemone

in a tank that large you really should be able to pull it off... but again, its a slight crap shoot