Clownfish are small, light-colored fish that will make a delightful addition to any home saltwater aquarium. Raising clownfish can be fun and clownfish can easily be bred at home with care, attention and knowledge of how. Here are some basic steps that can help you successfully breed clownfish in your own aquarium.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparing to Breed a Pair of Clown Fish
Step 1. Make sure you are very familiar with the basics of maintaining a saltwater aquarium
Breeding fish is a project that should be undertaken by people with experience setting up and maintaining a saltwater aquarium. While breeding these fish is not very difficult, it requires knowledge of feeding fish and the fish life cycle, as well as setting up the right equipment to ensure proper filtration systems and ecosystem development.
If you want to start setting up your own aquarium, you can check out the articles How to Set Up a Seawater Aquarium or How to Set Up an Aquarium Marine Coral before you start breeding fish
Step 2. Purchase paired clownfish from an aquarium store
Clownfish fertilize externally, which means the female fish lays eggs, then the male fish fertilizes after the eggs come out. To make this possible, you'll need a paired pair of clownfish, bonded to each other.
Many aquarium shops will sell clownfish that have been paired specifically for breeding clownfish. If your store doesn't have it in stock, they may be able to order a pair of fish specifically for you. Don't be afraid to ask for it
Step 3. Develop a pair of clownfish
Another way you can get a pair of clownfish is to grow two young clownfish yourself into a pair of fish. Started buying two clownfish when they were little. One great thing about clownfish is that the babies are neither male nor female, so you don't have to worry about getting one female and one male. Whatever you buy can work.
- Clown fish develop into male or female fish as they get older. The sex of your fish will be determined by the dominance of the fish when fighting each other. The dominant fish will become female and the non-dominant fish will become male.
- If you keep many clownfish in the same tank, only one pair will develop into a pair. The most dominant of all will be the female and the second dominant will be the male. The rest will remain genderless.
- If you want to minimize fighting between them and make a sex change as quickly as possible, you can take one clownfish that is bigger than the other, so it's clear from the start which one is dominant.
Step 4. Keep the water in the aquarium clean
Clownfish are not as sensitive as other fish to water cleanliness, but keeping the aquarium water clean will increase their chances of breeding.
Step 5. Place plants and corals in your aquarium
Placing the anemone in the tank will make the clownfish more comfortable. While this doesn't have to be done, it will increase the chances of your pair of fish breeding. You should have live coral in your aquarium. Living corals are corals from the sea and are the foundation for coral growth. Live coral will be a hiding place for fish and will be a surface for clown fish to lay and maintain their eggs.
Step 6. Adjust aquarium lighting with timer
Turn the light on during the day and turn it off at night regularly. This regularity will make the clownfish more relaxed and this will increase its chances of breeding.
Step 7. Recognize the change in attitude of the clown fish that is a sign that it is about to lay eggs
The female fish, which is larger, will have a thicker mid-body, indicating the fish will be ready to lay eggs. Both fish will probably start cleaning the coral with their mouths and fins to get ready to lay eggs.
Step 8. Keep an eye on the clownfish eggs
After the eggs are released, they are orange in color and stick to the coral. The male clownfish will nurse the eggs, swimming around them and waving their fins to circulate the air. He will also get rid of the dead eggs.
Step 9. Watch for changes in the clownfish eggs
Clown fish eggs will go through several stages of development. As already mentioned, the color is initially orange but then changes
The eggs will hatch in 7 to 10 days. You will need to feed the baby rotifers live in their first week. Rotifers are plankton that are eaten by many types of animals. After that you can start introducing live brine shrimp. Baby clownfish will only eat live food
Step 10. Set up the baby fish care aquarium after the eggs come out
It doesn't need to be very large, a 37.8 liter aquarium will be enough to care for the eggs. Make sure the tank doesn't have a large filtration system but has an air stone that releases tiny air bubbles or another device that provides gentle oxygenation. Too much filtration can kill all your baby little fish easily.
You should also prepare good lighting because the baby fish will be looking for food but their eyesight is not good yet. The light should not be too bright, one light bulb should be sufficient, and the light should be as diffused as possible
Part 2 of 2: Raising Baby Clown Fish
Step 1. Transfer the baby fish to another aquarium
Some breeders move the eggs before they hatch, but most wait for the baby fish to come out of the eggs, because moving the baby fish is easier. Either way, you'll need to raise your babies in another tank, as clownfish are known to eat their own eggs and babies. Make sure the aquarium is set up in advance.
Step 2. Feed your baby clown fish
While still in the egg, the embryo will use the energy from the yoke to survive, but once hatched, the baby fish will quickly need food!
- Baby clownfish should be fed live rotifers, which are microscopic marine animals. Rotifers can sometimes be found in aquarium stores but you should check first to be sure.
- Many clown fish breeders find it easier to breed rotifers for baby fish food than it is to find them in an aquarium store. Make sure you have a steady supply before starting the breeding process, otherwise the baby fish will die at this stage.
Step 3. Change 20-50% of the water in the aquarium every day
This is important for keeping the water clean, as well as ensuring the water is clear enough for the baby fish to see the rotifers they need to eat.
Step 4. Some baby fish will not survive the transition from baby fish to fish
One of the toughest transitions in a clownfish's life is when it changes from the larval stage to a juvenile clownfish.
To give them a good chance to thrive, switch food from rotifers to live brine shrimp so they have enough energy to grow quickly. You can also add nutrients to the water, such as those sold to keep aquarium corals healthy
Step 5. Watch as the baby fish turn into juvenile fish
When the fish makes it through the transition, you will notice a clear change in color in the clownfish. They will continue to grow fast, so make sure you give them enough food and keep the water clear and clean.
