Clown Questions had "pair" since 03 no spawns

[proboscis]

i have had a pair of false percs. since 03 they have never bred, female is nasty and mean she bites me all over my wrist any time my hand goes in tank, male is much smaller and submissive, should i try another male instead/ split up the pair? why could u guesstimate that im having no spawning? the clams were ORA stock from 03, i feed a mix of different flakes daily, cyclops, mysid evry other day nice growth on SPS and other corals my water params and quality aren't bad by any means, any thoughts thanks?

p.s. i have seen them twitching and rubbing and other strange behavior but never any eggs

[GSMguy]

feed more meaty food plankton, mysis, and formulla 1 that might help
also do you have a moonlight? are your lights on timers?

[proboscis]

yes tunze's have a moonlight with the multi controller, halide's on 9hrs. per day, should i try another small clown hoping it would be more compatible, "turn male"? or just leave them alone. i will increase food intake see what happens i guess

[GSMguy]

they are male and female now if they were not they would kill eachother

the meaty foods thing is really important as is low stress how many other fish in the tank with them

[Slakker]

Clowns, unlike most other dimorphous fish, do not change from female to male, but the other way around.

[Bebo77]

mine did not spawn for 4 years.. then i moved them from my old 60 gal to the mew 300 gal added an anemone and presto.. they spawned the next week...

[proboscis]

theyre in a BB 75 gallon 36 x 18 x 24 mostly SPS and LPS they host up in some zoo's, tankmates include a 1 yellow tang, 2 green chromis, 1 royal gramma, 1 neon goby, 2 peppermint shrimp, 1 large blue squamossa and 1 large tear drop maxima also various hermits/snails. i have this tank hooked up to a 30g sump with a ASM G3 skimmer, two little fishes PO4 reactor, i also have a 29g frag grow out tank with a 3inch sand bed plumbed into the sump. if the other fish are causing the problem i could move my clown pair to my frag tank where they would be the only fish. tank is well established for only 1 yr. i transfered everything from a 4 yr. old 29g tank that is now my frag grow out

[JHardman]

Feed to saturation at least once a day, twice is better, then move them to a new tank with the same conditions...

[enchie]

Try not feeding them so they get stressed.

I was out of town for a week, didn't bother feeding my fish. I figure 1 week is not a big deal.

When I came back I did about a 30% water change & then feed them mysis, and formula 1.

Shortly after I noticed some eggs. Since then my Tomato Clowns have spawned several times. I don't collect the eggs because they always spawn on the glass behind the anemone.

I read that water changes, change of temp. (higher), + good food can trigger them to spawn.

Or it might be that no one was around so they got their grove on.

I bought 2 small clowns & one slowly got bigger. And then all of a sudden it grew like 3 times the size of the other clown. I think I had them both for almost 2 years before they spawned.

I have had them in a 125 gallon tank with several tangs & other fish. My anemone has split 4 times. One died when it got sucked in a pump. One other died, just vanished. I have 3 anemones now. The clowns go between the two of them back & forth.

Lights are on a timer, (power compact) I also have moonlights. I only do water changes maybe once every 4-6 months.

I use RO water to refill what has evaporated.
Salinity is 1.025?
Temp is 80

Hope this helps

[Lunchbucket]

Mine have been in the same tank for 3-4yrs together and they have not spawned either.

I'm gonna read Clownfish by Joyce Wilkerson and see if that will help me out too

Lunchbucket

[proboscis]

Lunchbucket, i remember your 10 or was it 15 gallon tank with a 400watt halide haha talk about extreme for back in the day. i might have to purchase this book as well. its recomended all the time
or i might just get some rods onyx and start them out in my frag tank they look very nice

[Lunchbucket]

proboscis - Yeah a lot of people seem to remember that. Just makes me laugh. I ran the 400w on my 20H SPS and clam tank. I miss that tank and the corals in it.

I need to read it as it is supposed to be a great read

Lunchbucket

[GSMguy]

Originally posted by proboscis

i might just get some rods onyx and start them out in my frag tank they look very nice

[proboscis]

i miss my first tank too, its in my gallery had some crazy acro growth but only 1 colony back then but it did grow almost out of the water with a 150w de 20k ushio, now i grow frags in that tank, check out my post over in the tridacnid clam forum some clam eye candy to..... lol i sound like a salesman ......... but im not

[Rod Buehler]

hatching and feeding baby brine may also help them spawn along with saturation feedings like jhardman recommends