Breeding a mated pair of clownfish

[sdeluca10]

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 house them in a 12 gallon nano tank with live rock and corals. With the intention on them pairing up and breeding. Well one of them is larger than the other, which leads me to believe1 isthe female.Problem is,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 live 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, 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 thought on what I could/should do, please let me know.

 

[mr. limpid]

They need a stable environment and good quality food. Brine shrimp is like feeding potato chips, use mysis shrimp instead. Some flake actually pollute your tank i would switch to Spectrum marine pellets, I use it and really brings out the colors in the fish. They need to be feed often little meals at a time. Are you set up to raise fry with a separate tank and rootifers?

 

[sdeluca10]

I do have another tank and am prepared to raise rotifers, but like I said I'm having a tough time getting then to lay eggs. I need to go one step at a time. Live misis shrimp are hard to come by. I can get live brine shrimp from the local fish store and I do use flakes but more often I feed frozen foods.

 

[bang guy]

They do not need live food but they do need (especially the female) a variety of a LOT of high quality food.
I would suggest making your own frozen food. There are a lot of recipes here "Homemade food". Otherwise Frozen Mysis, Cyclop-Eeze, krill, etc. Meaty seafood. Also supplement with algae sheets. Stay away from flaked food and brine shrimp.
Feed the female many times a day. As much as she will eat.
Since you are feeding more you will probably need to change the water more often.

 

[sdeluca10]

So it seems as tho everyone I talk to agrees on just make sure that they are eating well and that the water quality stays in check. So in your opinion the 12 gallon tank with live rock and coral wouldnt be a reason for them to not breed? What do you think, if I change up my feeding habbits and change the water once a week, how long do you think before they would start to feel comfortable and "get frisky" so to speak lol. Like I said, ive been at this for like 2 years now and really want to have to opportunity to try to raise clownfiah of my own. If they are a mated pair (male and female) with the proper feeding habbits and water quality, how long before they lay eggs? Days, weeks, months...?

 

[mr. limpid]

If they don't breed in three years that is how long mine took. I would look into putting them in a 30gal or larger tank. Min. size for your clowns is a 30gal. tank, in salt, bigger is always better.

 

[bang guy]

Just opinion but I think your tank is fine for A. percula. If they are A. ocellaris then it's on the small side and a 20+ gallon might be helpful.

 

[sdeluca10]

So I have gotten a time and I have changed up my feeding to about 3 different times a day. Sometimes more. I lowered my salt level and I do my best to keep the water parameters perfect. And I still don't have any luck with them laying eggs.
My next question is, in my 150 gallon I have 3 percula clowns that have been there for 5-6 months now. What would happen if I put these two mated occelaris clown in there.

 

[mr. limpid]

Clowns should not be mixed and no more than 2 per tank. Unless you want to try in a 200gal+ tank. In your 150 two of the clowns will mate and the odd man out will be picked to its death.