Sexing Clowns?
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papajt
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Well I found what I was looking for, figured I would post and share with others.
Breeding Clown fish
Several Clownfish species have been successfully bred in aquariums and some are today prolific enough in captivity to be bred in commercial quantities. This makes them one of the easiest marine fish groups to breed in aquariums. In the wild, clownfish will always choose an anemone as spawning site to protect themselves and their offspring.
In an aquarium without predators or aggressive tank mates, a Clownfish pair can feel safe enough to breed without an anemone. Their eggs are quite large and the newly hatched larvae are big enough to eat cultured live foods.
If you are interested in breeding Clownfish you will naturally need a compatible pair. Sexing clownfish is very different from most other fish species, since all Clownfish are born male! Male clownfish will form small groups and establish a strict hierarchy. The largest fish will be at the top of the hierarchy and eventually morph into a female. The second-largest male will turn into a breeding male, while all the others will remain non-breeding males. They are incapable of fertilizing the eggs even if they get a change to do it, since their reproductive organs are inactive. If the breeding male is killed or removed from the group, the second largest male will take his place and his reproductive systems will be activated. If the female is killed or disappears, the breeding male will morph into a female and take her place, while next male in the hierarchy turns into a breeding male.
Some people choose to buy an already established Clownfish pair, but this is typically more expensive than purchasing a group of immature Clownfish and let them form a group in the aquarium. Adult Clownfish should not be placed in the same tank, since they will most likely fight instead of forming a group. Many clownfish species can be quite violent toward other clownfish. Even fish from different sexes can be aggressive towards each other and the female Clownfish will sometimes kill the male instead of breeding with him.
A single Clownfish can be comfortably housed in a 30 gallon aquarium, but if you want to breed Clownfish you will need at least 50 gallons. Decorate the aquarium with a coral sand substrate and live rocks. You should also include some rocks with a flat surface. If you can keep an anemone it is naturally advisable to do so, since Clownfish spawn around anemones in the wild. As mentioned earlier, it is however possible to spawn Clownfish even without an anemone in the aquarium. God filtration and a protein skimmer are necessary in order to keep the water quality superb. Bright lighting is also recommended.
To make the Clownfish feel safe in the aquarium it is advisable to remove all aggressive tank mates. Housing your Clownfish in their own aquarium is even better. Keep in mind that breeding Clownfish are very aggressive.
Feed your Clownfish a nutritious diet that contains meaty as well as vegetable based food. Squids, mussels and prawns are three examples of nutritious meaty food. The meaty food should be raw and fresh. Feed your Clownfish small servings at regular periods.
How long it takes before a Clownfish couple spawns can vary a great deal. Some will never spawn, while other couples spawn after less than one month in their breeding aquarium. Generally speaking, spawning will occur after 1 to 12 months. As mentioned earlier, Clownfish will become very aggressive during the breeding period. The male will display himself in front of the female and perform a little dance known as “The Clownfish Waggle”. The breeding couple will pick a suitable breeding site and clean it by biting it free from debris.
The actual egg-laying will usually take place in late afternoon or early evening. It can take several hours before all the eggs have been deposited and fertilized. Once the egg-laying is finished, the male will care for the eggs while the female guards the spawning site from intruders. Do not remove the adult fish from the breeding aquarium, since they are usually capable and devoted parents. If you known that your specific couple has eaten eggs from several earlier batches you might however have to rare the eggs yourself. Newly deposited eggs will be vividly orange. After a few days you will be able to see the eyes through the shells. Depending on the water temperature in your aquarium, the hatching will occur after one to two weeks. Newly hatched Clownfish fry are quite large and can be fed cultured live foods, but they still have a high death rate during their first 10 days after being hatched. If you manage to make the fry survive their first 10 days in life, they might very well grow up and become large Clownfish. An established breeding Clownfish couple will usually spawn again at intervals of 12-18 days.
Breeding Clown fish
Several Clownfish species have been successfully bred in aquariums and some are today prolific enough in captivity to be bred in commercial quantities. This makes them one of the easiest marine fish groups to breed in aquariums. In the wild, clownfish will always choose an anemone as spawning site to protect themselves and their offspring.
In an aquarium without predators or aggressive tank mates, a Clownfish pair can feel safe enough to breed without an anemone. Their eggs are quite large and the newly hatched larvae are big enough to eat cultured live foods.
If you are interested in breeding Clownfish you will naturally need a compatible pair. Sexing clownfish is very different from most other fish species, since all Clownfish are born male! Male clownfish will form small groups and establish a strict hierarchy. The largest fish will be at the top of the hierarchy and eventually morph into a female. The second-largest male will turn into a breeding male, while all the others will remain non-breeding males. They are incapable of fertilizing the eggs even if they get a change to do it, since their reproductive organs are inactive. If the breeding male is killed or removed from the group, the second largest male will take his place and his reproductive systems will be activated. If the female is killed or disappears, the breeding male will morph into a female and take her place, while next male in the hierarchy turns into a breeding male.
Some people choose to buy an already established Clownfish pair, but this is typically more expensive than purchasing a group of immature Clownfish and let them form a group in the aquarium. Adult Clownfish should not be placed in the same tank, since they will most likely fight instead of forming a group. Many clownfish species can be quite violent toward other clownfish. Even fish from different sexes can be aggressive towards each other and the female Clownfish will sometimes kill the male instead of breeding with him.
A single Clownfish can be comfortably housed in a 30 gallon aquarium, but if you want to breed Clownfish you will need at least 50 gallons. Decorate the aquarium with a coral sand substrate and live rocks. You should also include some rocks with a flat surface. If you can keep an anemone it is naturally advisable to do so, since Clownfish spawn around anemones in the wild. As mentioned earlier, it is however possible to spawn Clownfish even without an anemone in the aquarium. God filtration and a protein skimmer are necessary in order to keep the water quality superb. Bright lighting is also recommended.
To make the Clownfish feel safe in the aquarium it is advisable to remove all aggressive tank mates. Housing your Clownfish in their own aquarium is even better. Keep in mind that breeding Clownfish are very aggressive.
Feed your Clownfish a nutritious diet that contains meaty as well as vegetable based food. Squids, mussels and prawns are three examples of nutritious meaty food. The meaty food should be raw and fresh. Feed your Clownfish small servings at regular periods.
How long it takes before a Clownfish couple spawns can vary a great deal. Some will never spawn, while other couples spawn after less than one month in their breeding aquarium. Generally speaking, spawning will occur after 1 to 12 months. As mentioned earlier, Clownfish will become very aggressive during the breeding period. The male will display himself in front of the female and perform a little dance known as “The Clownfish Waggle”. The breeding couple will pick a suitable breeding site and clean it by biting it free from debris.
The actual egg-laying will usually take place in late afternoon or early evening. It can take several hours before all the eggs have been deposited and fertilized. Once the egg-laying is finished, the male will care for the eggs while the female guards the spawning site from intruders. Do not remove the adult fish from the breeding aquarium, since they are usually capable and devoted parents. If you known that your specific couple has eaten eggs from several earlier batches you might however have to rare the eggs yourself. Newly deposited eggs will be vividly orange. After a few days you will be able to see the eyes through the shells. Depending on the water temperature in your aquarium, the hatching will occur after one to two weeks. Newly hatched Clownfish fry are quite large and can be fed cultured live foods, but they still have a high death rate during their first 10 days after being hatched. If you manage to make the fry survive their first 10 days in life, they might very well grow up and become large Clownfish. An established breeding Clownfish couple will usually spawn again at intervals of 12-18 days.