Breeding virgin

[Larry M]

Ok, I know next to nothing about breeding fish. I have a pair of percula clowns that were bought together as juveniles. Of course one is now a female, and one a male. They have been paired up for almost two years. I recently moved them to the 135 gallon reef. They routinely go through the motions of mating; shimmying, sweeping aside sand, etc. I have never been able to observe eggs, sperm or any of that other mating-type of thing but then I'm not really sure what I'm looking for.
Is there any chance they would mate and produce fry in a reef tank with other fish? Or do they have to be removed to their own facility and given special attention?

I guess I already know what's coming--I should get ahold of a book on breeding.

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Larry M

"My Dad could build--or fix--anything. Just give him a hammer, a saw, a piece of wire, and a stick. Then get the hell out of the way."
In response to the question, "Where did you learn how to do that?"

See my tanks at Northern Reef (http://www.reefcentral.com/northernreef/index.htm)

[billsreef]

Moe recomends providing 14 hours of light and a temp of 80F in his first book. I believe Joyce Wilkerson's book is considered the current best one to have for info on breeding clownfish.

For most fish I find providing ample food and good living conditions is often enough to make them do what comes naturally ;) Of course raising the fry is another story :)

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Bill

If damsels grew as big as sharks, the sharks would run in fear!
My dive photos (http://hometown.aol.com/billsreef/)
ICQ 56222784

[hcs3]

IA still swears upon clay flower pots. in every tank they have paired clowns, you'll see a clay flower pot, cut in half, laid on top of the sandbed. i've never tried it, but supposedly, for some unknown reason, the clowns immediately head for the flower pot and usually spawn in the near future.

HTH

henry

[FMarini]

Larry:
I'm not as well versed on the clowns but I suspect you'll have little luck keeping the eggs, and fry in a stocked reef, eventually other tankmates will make short work of some of the eggs, fry, but on top of it, all the commotion will certain bother the adults.
In a most recent JoM (the breeders registry journal) there was a nice short article on clown breeding, and it mentioned not only Moes, and wilkersons book, but Faustins as well. It also mentions that wilkersons book is fully online free...(supposedly she had a fight w/ the publisher), any way read away. I can recommend the food, supplmentation, etc. But letting nature takes its course will be your first priority.
frank

[horge]

I've never heard of successfully rearing any Amphiprinid fry within a community tank. While one can argue that a bonded pair could theoretically defend the eggs from interlopers, once they're fry it's pretty much open season on them, hungry parents included among the hunters :)

I've always done it by removing the eggs to a parent-free container and then inducing the hatch there.