BREEDING  THE  CLOWNFISH  

This information is a compilation of both the authors ideas and the ideas from other articles written about clownfish. There are a few very important steps to breeding clownfish. These include setting up the tank, choosing the broodstock, feeding, spawning and raising the larvae. These points will all be discussed in detail below. SETTING UP THE TANK. A clownfish spawning tank should be as large as possible, and preferably not smaller than100 litres. If the purpose of the tank is to solely breed clownfish then it would be wise to avoid putting any other fish in the tank. Small non aggressive fish can be added, however once the fish start spawning anything that comes toward them is viewed as a threat and chased away.

As a rule the more natural a tank is the more at home the fish will feel and the more likely

they will be to spawn. This is not to say that a tank with a flowerpot and a thin layer of coral

sand won't produce results. Its just that the more relaxed and stress free the fish feel, the sooner they will spawn and the healthier the eggs will be. An ideal tank would be a 3x2x2 filled with live rock, a layer of coral sand on the bottom, a few live rocks, a nice anemone, bright lighting and good filtration, preferably an efficient protein skimmer. As the bioload of the tank would just be the clownfish, the live rock and protein skimmer would handle the ammonia and organics from the fish. A trickle filter could be used providing regular water changes are performed to keep the nitrates low enough for the anemone to do well. In nature the clownfish spawning is linked to the lunar cycle. It is generally not practical to artificially simulate the lunar cycle in an aquarium. It is important however that the lights are connected to a timer so that the fish receive a regular day/night lighting cycle. This regular cycle of day night is all that is needed.An anemone is generally not required to breed clownfish however it certainly makes the

task much easier in the long run. In fact clownfish have been known to spawn on clay pots,

clam shells and even the aquarium glass in the absence of an anemone. An added benefit

of having an anemone is that it may release compounds that help protect the eggs or even

may chemically with apparent immunity that clownish have with the anemone.

The key to your clownfish home is that it be STRESS FREE! That means good water

quality, no aggressive tank mates and an anemone.

CHOOSING THE BROODSTOCK There are three basic ways to obtaining a pair of clownfish. These include: (1) to purchase a naturally mated pair captured from the wild, (2) to buy a small group of at least four fish and (3) to buy two fish of greatly differing size.

(1) Obtaining a naturally mated pair of clownfish is always the best option. This is because the pair of fish will be a naturally mated pair from the time you put them into the aquarium and will not have to go through the territorial and aggressive struggles that happen in an aquarium when fish are first introduced. Also the fish will not view each other as aggressive rivals as they are a pair. The best news however is that by introducing a mated pair to the aquarium spawning will commence much sooner than by the other two methods.

(2) Buying a small group of clownfish, preferably from different sources, is the next best option. This is because it gives the clowns a chance to form a hierarchical structure in the tank with the two most dominant fish naturally pairing off. It also lowers the chance of the other clownfish becoming overly stressed due to aggression from the dominant fish as the aggression is spread out over a number of individuals. This option will produce a pair but it will take longer for them to start spawning than if they were a mated pair as soon as they were added to the aquarium. (3) Putting two fish of differing size in together is an extreme way of obtaining a pair of fish. The reason for this is that often the larger fish will be very aggressive toward its own kind and if there is only one other clownfish then that aggression can cause the other fish to become very stressed and more prone to disease. This problem will persist until the larger more dominant female fish accepts the smaller male. This task may take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. FEEDING

Once the tank is setup and the fish have been introduced its time to start feeding them. Believe it or not feeding is probably the most important aspect of whether you will have success with breeding clownfish or not. If your broodstock do not attain the correct amounts and types of nutrients then they will not be able to develop good quality eggs. If the eggs are of bad quality then no matter how hard you try, you will not have much success in raising the larvae.The key to nutrition in clownfish is a mixed diet of fresh raw seafood and vegetable matter.A good diet for clownfish includes, mussels, prawns, squid and green vegetables. These can be mixed together and made into a mash and frozen or can be just fed separately. The amounts of food to feed the clownfish depends on their size however it is always best to feed small amounts at regular intervals. Remember clownfish will take large bits of food to their anemone so its a good idea to feed them small bits! SPAWNING

Once the clownfish have settled into their new home, anywhere from 1 to 12 months,

spawning will commence. The first indication of possible spawning are when the male clownfish dances up and down in front of the female. The male will dance in a head up fashion and will thrust toward the female. This is known as the clownfish waggle. This is a pretty lose indicator but generally means that spawning will happen soon! The next indication is when the male and often the female also start to clean a patch of rock near the foot of the anemone. This is a good indication that spawning will commence within a day or two. The last indicator of spawning is the sight of the both the male and female clownfish’ s genital tubes. This usually means that the fish will be spawning within the next few hours.

Spawning starts when the female swims over the cleared patch of rock and deposits a small line of eggs with her ovipositor. The male follows shortly after and fertilizes them. The process of laying eggs often takes from 2 to 3 hours. The eggs look like little capsules about 2 to 3 mm long and 1 mm wide. If the adults have been fed well then the eggs should be a bright orange colour. During this time the clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) may lay up to 600 eggs. More often than not however the number of eggs starts out small, around 200, and increases with each spawn and as the female increases in size. Once the fish have started spawning they re likely to repeat at intervals of around 12 to 18 days.

The eggs usually take from 6 to 15 days to hatch depending on temperature. One day prior to hatching the larvae within the eggs develop a silvery colour around their eye. This is the time when you must make a decision. Either you leave the eggs in the tank to hatch and you remove the larvae or one day prior to hatching you remove the rock upon which the eggs were laid.

If the eggs are to be removed on the rock then it is important that the eggs are kept under water at all times. The water in which the eggs will be placed must have also been taken from the spawning tank as small differences in water quality parameters may damage the eggs. Once the eggs are in the larval rearing tank then they must be provided with sufficient water current to properly oxygenate them. The easiest way to do this is via an airstone that produces course bubbles. All that is then required is to remove the rock after hatching.If the eggs are to be left in the main aquarium then some planning will have to be made. To make things easier the lights can be turned off earlier as the larvae will hatch within two hours of darkness. Once the lights have switched off all circulation to and within the tank must be ceased. This will ensure that the larvae are not sucked up and damaged by pumps and water currents. After the pumps have been turned off and the tank is still its time to wait! The eggs will hatch in waves and as the larvae hatch they will swim to the surface. Once at least a quarter of the eggs have hatched its time to use the (flashlight). The flashlight is turned on in the water, from above, and used to concentrate the larvae into a small group. Once this is done the larvae can either be siphoned into the larval rearing tank with airline tubing or dipped out with small plastic cups or containers. This is done until all the larvae are caught.

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Breeding Clownfish II

Breeding clowns is a very rewarding experience. Its not nearly as hard as you might think. The hardest part is raising the food to feed the larvae. And that is more a matter of establishing a daily routine. That is beyond the scope of this article.

Acquiring a Pair

Obviously the first thing you need is a mated pair. There are several options to getting these. First learn to sex them. In a group the female is the largest, with the male as the second largest. All others will be juv. and neutral. When one of the adults disappears the next biggest will take its place. Thus the male will become female and a juvenile will turn into a male.Once they are female they cannot change again. In certain species there are physical differences but its not a real good idea to use this as they may have changed sexes but not markings.

Buying an established pair

This is the easiest way, many stores have these or can order them for you. Sometimes you get lucky and get a pair that's spawning already. Look for a pair that hangs out together as this is a good sign that their a pair.

Buying a group of juveniles

and raising them is another choice. This takes a good deal longer as some species take quite a while to mature. Also certain species are more aggressive and you may have to remove unwanted extras. Basically you watch as the group matures and they will pair up by themselves. The female will be the largest will the male next biggest. The rest should stay juveniles.

Establishing an adult pair

This is little tricky and a close eye needs to be kept on them to make sure that the female doesn't kill the male. Buying a large adult and getting two smaller ones from a group and letting the female pick one has been done with a good deal of success. With maroons try introducing just one male at a time and keep a close eye on them.

Getting them to spawn

Male making a pass

over and

fertilizing the eggs.>This takes patience and there are a few things you can do to help.

•Good quality live food in combination with a well rounded diet. Fresh shrimp frozen and then grated is a good nutritional source. •Make them feel secure. Remove any aggressive fish that might make them feel threatened. •More patience

The Set-up

•The larger species will need a 29g and the smaller a 20g. •Some type of filtration that will not harm the larvae when they hatch. •A clay pot or a piece of ceramic tile is a favorite to spawn on •A heater •A light on a timer. regular day/night cycle is important.

Feeding the Larvae

This takes some preparation and is really beyond the scope of this page. I recommend reading the Plankton Culture Manuel from Florida Aqua Farms.

( http://www.aquaculture-supply.com/ )

Its tells all you need to know and more about raising nannochloropsis oculata, greenwater, and Brachionus sp., rotifers. They also can provide live cultures and starter kits. Rotifers are the first foods and must be fed immediately to the larvae. Depending on the species you'll need to feed them rotifers for the first 3days to 3 weeks.

Raising the food to feed the larvae.

The Day of Hatching

When the eggs are first laid they are a bright orange. After a couple of days the color fades and eyes appear. The male guards the nest and fans the eggs to keep them oxygenated. Depending on the temp. around day 8 the eyes will become silver. This means its time to hatch.

At this point you must decide to stay up after the lights go out and catch the larvae or move the eggs to the larvae tank. If you decide to leave them with the parents to hatch you can shine a flashlight in the corner of the tank. The larvae are attracted to the light and then you can either siphon the larvae out or scoop them out with a ladle. If you move them you must keep the eggs aerated gently with a airstone or fungus will set in.

The Larvae Tank

A group of 50 juveniles

in a 10g aq.>A simple 5 or 10 gallon works fine for a larvae tank. Add a heater and an airstone and you're set-up. No real biological filtration is provided. I have used live rock, but there's a chance of bacterial infection coming from it. Ammonia needs to be monitored. Adding Amquel or its equivalent when traces show up have been beneficial. Having a bare bottom makes it easier to clean. You may need to leave a light on the first few days til the larvae develop their hunting skills.

The first 10 days are the hardest. This is where the greatest number are lost. For some reason metamorphis is very stressful(about day 10). This is when they develop their stripes. After which point you're pretty much home free.

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