By: Jenn Zamorsky
Tips for Breeding Clownfish
Pomacentridae, subfamily Amphiprioninae
Clown Fish, also known as Anemonefishes, are considered to be the easiest tropical fish to breed. Some fish breeders say that the Clown Fish is also the most sought after tropical fish to have in their home aquarium. Even though the this fish is the easiest to breed, you still have to be careful and considerate when housing these fish.
Here are a few tips to consider
SETTING UP THE TANK
It is very important for the pair of Clown Fish to be in a stress free environment. Therefor, you should consider keeping the 2 fish alone until after the babies are born. An ideal size tank should be approximately 200 L to give the fish room to roam. Clown Fish are used to traveling in schools, so once there are only 2 of them, they may tend to roam together.
When choosing items for the tank, the must have item is a nice anemone. This is important so that the transition from one tank to another is stress free. Other items to consider are a few live rocks and plants, and other rocky substances with a vertical surface. Other tank must haves are a layer of coral on the bottom of the tank, a bright lighting system, and a protein skimmer. Remember to pick up a great filtration system because clean water is very important to your fish's health.
BUYING FISH FOOD
Clown fish need to be fed a mixed diet of fresh and raw seafood and vegetables. For example, you may want to pick up some prawns, mussels and squid. Remember not to overfeed your Clown Fish because they may become unhealthy if they are overfed.
FINDING THE RIGHT PARENTS
An interesting fact about Clown Fish is that every fish is born as a male. So how do you find a male and a female to breed? Well, as adults, the largest and most aggressively dominant male will undergo a sex change to become the breeding female. The second largest usually becomes the breeding male. The rest of the fish in the school are called juveniles and will remain gender neutral. But, if the female disappears somehow, the breeding male will become female and a juvenile will take over the role as the breeding male.
It is always a good idea to ask a professional in the pet store to help you find a pair of Clown Fish to breed.
Although, it is possible for you to choose a pair by yourself. You should look for a pair of fish that tend to wander the tank together; these 2 fish will be comfortable with each other and you can consider them to be "pals" already. Once you get your pair of Clown Fish home, remember to keep an eye on them to make sure that the female does not