The Mesmerizing Clownfish: A Comprehensive Guide to Breeding and Care (2024)

FAQs

What is the easiest clownfish to keep? ›

Tomato clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus)

It's suitable as a beginner fish, although it's important to keep in mind that it is considered moderately aggressive. A solo pair of tomato clownfish can be kept in a 30-gallon aquarium, but we'd recommend at least a 40 if you're thinking of adding tankmates.

Benefits: The benefits of starting with breeding clownfish in the first place are quite obvious. You know the pair is sexually mature, that they're fully bonded, and that they've bred. You can also often find out what the offspring may look like, if the previous owner raised any fry.

Develop a mated pair.

Begin by buying two clownfish when they are still young. One of the amazing things about clownfish is that they are all born neither male or female, so you don't have to worry about getting one male and one female. Any pair will do.

Clownfish breeding is possible with a little time and dedication. Breeding fish is a fun project for the more experienced aquarist, and it's very satisfying to successfully raise the fry! Keep reading for everything you need to know about raising clownfish fry.

On the positive side, Clownfish are ideal beginner fish, since they are easy-to-care-for, hardy, and don't require a huge aquarium to survive happily. Because wild clownfish always stay in or near anemones in a reef environment, they require very little space. They readily eat most fresh, frozen, and dried foods.

Clarkii Clownfish are highly adaptable and no other clownfish has a wider distribution in the wild. Furthermore, it is the only clownfish species observed in all of the 10 symbiotic sea anemones. Perhaps this adaptability is the reason why Clarkii Clownfish are so hardy and do exceptionally well in reef tanks.

Since the orange clownfish is relatively small, you might be tempted to get a few for your tank, but this may not be a good idea. Unless the tank holds at least 200 gallons of water, the most ideal number of ocellaris sharing an enclosed ecosystem should always be two.

The main transcriptional response driving sex change at the brain level was found to be completed 30 days after removal of the original female, while differential expression is still detected in the gonads 50 days after removal of the original female, although sex change is completed when males become immature females.

Clownfish males monitor and protect their eggs from predators. The eggs hatch eight days after they are fertilized, usually about an hour after it gets dark in order to increase the survival chances. The babies are called 'fry' and will eat baby brine shrimp several times a day to grow and mature.

Once the area is ready the female will lay the eggs during the day and then the gestation period is around 7-10 days. The eggs on the first day are bright orange and Page 2 progressively become darker. Once the silver eyes show, then the eggs will hatch after dark.

What eats clownfish eggs? ›

After they are laid, the male will fertilise them. Any damaged or infertile eggs are typically eaten by the male.

Yes, although these are the closely related Percula clowns. You could have one orange perc and one black, or one black and one designer clown like a Platinum, or two different designer clownfish together. Stick to just two though as three or four usually ends in bullying, with just two remaining, even in large tanks.

Banggai cardinalfish

These attractive fish are endangered in the wild. Fortunately, they're actually one of the easier marine aquarium fish to breed. Banggai cardinalfish are mouth brooders, which means one parent (in this case—the male) keeps the fry in his mouth until they're ready to fend for themselves.

Once you've acquired your clownfish pair and are confident they're both of breeding age (at least 2 years for the female and 6 months for the male), it's time to get them into the mood. If you're serious about breeding clownfish, the best option is to set up a separate breeding tank.

For beginners, I would suggest focusing on either Ocellaris or Percula varieties, as certain other Clownfish species can grow sizeable and display pronounced aggression. It's worth noting that Clownfish don't necessitate an anemone to thrive. Opting for a single Clownfish or a pair is ideal.

Ocellaris are one of the least aggressive members of the clownfish family, and usually tolerate other members of the same species in their tank. Friendly Ocellaris are easy to maintain in aquariums, they adapt well, and will accept a wide variety of aquarium foods.

The most popular clown in the aquarium fish trade is the ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris). They stay fairly small compared to other species and also have a mild temperament. Ocellaris clownfish reach up to 4 inches in size and come in dozens upon dozens of pattern and color combinations.