sjgsm
Member
I've had my 30gal Reef Tank for about 4 years now. I have been trying to get a pair of clowns to breed which they seem to want to do near the front of my tank.
I have seen them dart near each other which for the longest time I couldn't understand the aggression they showed. The more I watch the more i notice that my "male" shows a lot of interest towards the glass. Opening his mouth fully and biting at the glass multiple times per "attack". I've had other fish raise their fins towards the front glass as well as if they notice another possible combatant in the front. I know it is not me because I have stood further away from the tank, I've also noticed it almost seems like they can't even see me because the reflection is so bad. I can hover my hand around parts of the front glass that are near the places they like to protect. If I place my hand in the same spot but inside the tank they bite to the point that the larger one will draw blood. Yet, not any aggression towards me on the other side. My "male" is about a half inch smaller, in which I purchased them at the same time about 3 years ago. I have also seen "him" swim upside down directly underneath "her". Usually "he" swims right above and slightly behind "her".
Is there any way to stop this reflection or at least limit their interest in it. They have been in the tank so long I would have assumed they would notice its a reflection or what not by now. It seems though when they get into what seems like more of an egg laying ritual, wiggling in little nooks in my live rock or near a piece of slate I put in they tend to notice the pair of clowns right next to them in the glass. Is this stopping them from breeding or can it possibly be something else?
Could the issue be something else? My parameters are all in their respective ranges, temp 76-77,sg: 1.023,ammonia: 0,nitrate around the 5ppm,nitrite 0, ph is around 8.0. I give them daily feedings of finely chopped mysis, silversides, cyclop-eeze granules,veggie flakes,mixed with alittle bit of phytoplankton. They tend to go into the same Frogspawn coral at the same time so I assume they are paired but this has been a worry of mine as well. Hence why i say "him" and "her" lol. If they are the same sex they show minimal interest in scrapping with each other. Sometimes they dart near each other never bite or lock lips. Is there something else I should be looking into?Possibly one is sterile/unisex or not a pair?
In the photos she is the one on top and if you notice she actually has turned almost completely black over time(maybe started around the time she was at least 2inches long) only her belly,fins,and face are orange. He has a quite a decent sized patch of black right behind of his first line (near the head). Not sure if this has anything to do with it. I purchased them both as "ocellaris clowns" at the same time. While talking these pictures two nights ago they also seemed slightly confused as I turned the metal halide on shortly after switching it off for bed so maybe this contributes to her activity in picture two. I just wanted to get some pictures just in case I was going to post that night. Instead I decided to watch them a little more and see if the behavior continues. Now I am seeking all of your help.
Let me know if there is any other info you would like me to add if you would like to help me resolve this issue as I am about to go to bed so I may have left something out.Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you! Please excuse the algae on the glass, wasn't able to remove it before I took the pictures
In this second picture, "she" did a facestand for roughly 3-4 seconds. Not moving a single inch of her body (even the fins were still)
I have seen them dart near each other which for the longest time I couldn't understand the aggression they showed. The more I watch the more i notice that my "male" shows a lot of interest towards the glass. Opening his mouth fully and biting at the glass multiple times per "attack". I've had other fish raise their fins towards the front glass as well as if they notice another possible combatant in the front. I know it is not me because I have stood further away from the tank, I've also noticed it almost seems like they can't even see me because the reflection is so bad. I can hover my hand around parts of the front glass that are near the places they like to protect. If I place my hand in the same spot but inside the tank they bite to the point that the larger one will draw blood. Yet, not any aggression towards me on the other side. My "male" is about a half inch smaller, in which I purchased them at the same time about 3 years ago. I have also seen "him" swim upside down directly underneath "her". Usually "he" swims right above and slightly behind "her".
Is there any way to stop this reflection or at least limit their interest in it. They have been in the tank so long I would have assumed they would notice its a reflection or what not by now. It seems though when they get into what seems like more of an egg laying ritual, wiggling in little nooks in my live rock or near a piece of slate I put in they tend to notice the pair of clowns right next to them in the glass. Is this stopping them from breeding or can it possibly be something else?
Could the issue be something else? My parameters are all in their respective ranges, temp 76-77,sg: 1.023,ammonia: 0,nitrate around the 5ppm,nitrite 0, ph is around 8.0. I give them daily feedings of finely chopped mysis, silversides, cyclop-eeze granules,veggie flakes,mixed with alittle bit of phytoplankton. They tend to go into the same Frogspawn coral at the same time so I assume they are paired but this has been a worry of mine as well. Hence why i say "him" and "her" lol. If they are the same sex they show minimal interest in scrapping with each other. Sometimes they dart near each other never bite or lock lips. Is there something else I should be looking into?Possibly one is sterile/unisex or not a pair?
In the photos she is the one on top and if you notice she actually has turned almost completely black over time(maybe started around the time she was at least 2inches long) only her belly,fins,and face are orange. He has a quite a decent sized patch of black right behind of his first line (near the head). Not sure if this has anything to do with it. I purchased them both as "ocellaris clowns" at the same time. While talking these pictures two nights ago they also seemed slightly confused as I turned the metal halide on shortly after switching it off for bed so maybe this contributes to her activity in picture two. I just wanted to get some pictures just in case I was going to post that night. Instead I decided to watch them a little more and see if the behavior continues. Now I am seeking all of your help.
Let me know if there is any other info you would like me to add if you would like to help me resolve this issue as I am about to go to bed so I may have left something out.Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you! Please excuse the algae on the glass, wasn't able to remove it before I took the pictures
In this second picture, "she" did a facestand for roughly 3-4 seconds. Not moving a single inch of her body (even the fins were still)
