Bizarre Clownfish question       12/10/19
Hi, this has not happened to my clownfish but another reefer. However, I'm totally curious as to how this could have occurred and what you think about it.
I will paste his comments here with the pics. Such a strange occurrence!
What do you think? Thanks!
<See below>
"Help! Female Clown with burst belly!     
9:39 am
Well, I’ve had her for years. She lays eggs all the time and it seems like it’s catching up to her. I have no clue what to do. She is acting fine and eating, rubbing against her anemone. She has a belly full of eggs. I know there’s probably zero I can do and I’m hoping Mother Nature just does what she needs to do and she will be ok. She’s absolutely beautiful.
1:15 pm
I won’t get her out now. She needs to start laying those eggs ASAP so then I can better check the cut. Getting her our will stress her more since she will have nowhere to lay her eggs. Don’t want to do that. As far as a sharp object goes no. She’s on her anemone with her partner all day long. As far i can tell they’ll she will start laying them today. They’re already obsessively cleaning the base of the rock where they lay all the time.
4:04 pm
Update: she’s laying eggs right now. They have a pretty big clutch so far..
4:28 pm
She’s amazing. To be quite honest I’ve seen her day in and out for the past 5 years every single Day. She’s acting as normal as ever like it ain’t a thang. I don’t know what to make or her lol. I knew getting her out of her home would have been a mistake. She was going to start laying any minute.
I’ll keep y’all posted.
5:06 pm
She's a champ...laying her eggs like she has many times before.
Next day 8:15 am
Morning update:
she laid all of her eggs and her belly is back to normal size. The opening isn't stretching out anymore which Im hoping will heal soon. She's eating like a shark and acting 100% normal.
Something tells me this is a common occurrence with clownfish that lay eggs all the time. Ill keep a close eye on her.
Thank you all that chimed in. She's a little beast!"
<No images came through... I take it this was a report of a tear in the gut wall... likely due to external trauma. It reads like it will heal. Bob Fenner>
Re: Bizarre Clownfish question       12/10/19
Oh, my thought is an Isopod or similar but wanted a professional opinion.
Thanks
<An isopod? Does this show in an image? The ones that are parasitic on Clownfishes don't cut tears in their hosts. Bob Fenner>

What! Did I accomplish greatness?... clnfsh rep?      5/13/16 Dear Crew, Is this what I think it is? <Appears to be... eggs> If so what do I do and how do I try and save them all? <? Read... on WWM> How long till they hatch? <Depends on the temp.... 4 days likely... the reading. Bob Fenner> Also I'm sorry the pic and video is low quality it's all I have right now... Thanks, Jeremy

Black clown prolapse?     6/2/14
Hi can you please give me advise my clown fish laid her eggs two days ago as usual and for want of a better description it looks like her uterus has prolapsed it's hanging down still and she is clearly distressed taken refuge under the anemone and seems to be breathing quickly panting. Please can you offer me some advise I have had her mate for seven years and don't want to loose her :-(
Kind regards j x
<This "does happen"... and for the most part, most times, self-repairs in days... There are some folks who advance the use (addition) of Epsom Salt... you can find coverage re this on WWM (the search tool on every page). Bob Fenner>
J to Bob Fenner black clown prolapse     6/2/14
Thank you Bob for your quick response iv been so worried iv never seen this happen before so thank you again for your advise
Kind regards J x
<Ah, welcome. BobF>

Breeding Ocellaris.       5/15/14
Hi crew,
<Adam>
I have had a pair of Ocellaris clownfish together for about 9 months in a mixed tank of fish.
The other fish leave them alone and I purposely choose a slightly smaller one to add to the larger Clown.
<Good>
They don't really stay near each other except at night, the larger one sometimes swims up very fast to the smaller one but never hurts him in any way and he shakes quickly for 2/3 seconds and then the larger one leaves him alone. The larger one does "clean" the sand by fanning it with "her" fins.
My question is why do you think they have not laid eggs?
<Likely just not "mature" as yet>
How sensitive are they to temperature as my tank runs hot, 28C at night and 30/31C in the day, the chiller runs at 31. Sensitive fish like Majestic, Blueface Angels seem happy for 18 months at this temp but then I am not breeding them.
Any advise how to make them romantic? Do you get gay clownfish, lol.
<Perhaps the addition of another (small) individual of the same species... look up the term "whipping boy" in terms of fish ethology. Bob Fenner>
Adam. 

Baby Banggai Cardinal & Clowns; Artemia poss.         4/10/12
Hello,
We have become accidental fish breeders. We have been doing ok for the most part. Our first batch of babies was discovered 12/1/2013. There were 11. We put them in a separate nursery until they started eating frozen food. We only lost one during that transition. All along some of them would swim or kind of bounce at a 45° angle instead of swimming straight. Now there are two left that do that. One actually got beat up so I moved him back to the nursery with our second batch of babies. I did not think he would make it, but its been a month and he is healed up. However, he now bounces vertically. Pretty much all the time. The other guy in with the bigger tank is still at 45°. I was resolved to thinking they were my special needs fish as everything seems normal with both of them.
<Neurological?... perhaps poor development (lack of essential nutrient/s), foods/feeding related>
Today I bought 2 baby clowns. LFS said they were about 8 weeks and 5 weeks. I fell in love with them and figured I'm already hatching brine for my babies, why not? They swam normally at the store. They swam normally when I got them in the nursery. They swam normally when eating and seem to get along just fine with the baby cardinals. But before bed we noticed the little guy was swimming more vertically.
<Does happen; and very likely related to Artemia being used... shells, gas inside the fish... Switch foods; now>
Not exactly like the cardinal but its making me worry. The other babies are all swimming normally. My husband said that brine eggs and shells can constipate fish.
<This is so>
Would that make them swim weird? Could they live for a month constipated? What would make them swim at a 45° angle?
<Yes, yes, and yes>
What else should I be looking for? Any answers or guidance you can give is greatly appreciated!
Heather
Sent from my NOOK
<You may want to search, read on WWM re the use of Epsom Salt (MgSO4)... Otherwise; discontinue the use of Artemia.
Bob Fenner>

Clownfish pair behavior    3/24/14
To whomever this may concern,
I have a two Ocellaris clownfish that have been paired now since early October. The female is very large and about 8 years old now. The male was a juvenile when I got him and only about 1.25 inches now. The female has been showing pre-spawning behavior for a few days now, cleaning a spot and spending a lot of time with the male. She has been showing a lot of submissive twitching behavior as well. The male does not appear to be displaying this behavior nearly as much as the female. Anyways, I think I interrupted them yesterday afternoon to feed them, because both of their germ tubes were out at the time and I have yet to see any eggs. Today the female is constantly approaching the male and twitching and swimming over to her spot, while he seems to be somewhat unresponsive and is not really twitching back or following her. I am beginning to wonder if the male is even sexually mature yet. Can I assume that he is indeed sexually mature since I saw his germ tube yesterday? Thanks for the help, your time is always greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Gabby
<Mmm; I don't know for sure; but at this size... may well be mature. As long as there's no overt aggression on the female's part I would not be concerned... and try to be patient. Bob Fenner>

Snowflake clowns, supply/cost       6/1/13
> Bob
> The Indonesian breeders were asking me to find out   how much those fancy clowns sell in the US
<Mmm, variable... a few dollars to a few tens of dollars retail... a third or so to retailers... getting the animals FOB to other countries, counting shipping, box charges, customs, CITES, handling... tough... better to not produce in one's own country; more profitable . B>
> Regards
> Perry

Re: Clownfish eating eggs       12/5/12
Hi,
<Christopher>
Just to give you an update:  A couple months after posting my question to you guys, my clownfish stopped eating their eggs and the eggs have been hatching every time.
<Ahh!>
 The first few batches of babies they had, I tried to raise in a sanctuary tank with live food (rotifers), but I was unsuccessful and they only lived for a couple days.  I heard that raising baby clownfish is a part time job, in regards to producing live food.  So my clownfish parents continuously produce batches of babies every 3-5 weeks and its sad that I'm not able to raise them, but a least they're food for the rest of the tank inhabitants. 
I assume that the parents had been eating their eggs because they were not quite ready for fertilization and they were just reconsuming the nutrients as not to got to waste, and like you said just getting down the rhythm of spawning.
<Yes; do look for Joyce Wilkerson's "Clownfish" book, the culture works of Frank Hoff. Bob Fenner>

Female Ocellaris Clown Fat and Acting Weird - 10/15/2012
Hey Crew, decided to come to you guys with another question my so here's the deal my female clown is very fat she may be gravid or pregnant or whatever you want to call it but over the past couple weeks I've also been noticing that my pair of clowns won't go an 1" away from their anemone even during feeding time. Are these signs of spawning?
<Mmm, other than the heaviness of the female, no... Pecking at the hard/rock surface near the base of the anemone, some "dancing" behavior is indicative... Bob Fenner>

Q/T corals     8/16/12
Hello,  So i finally set up a Q/T for corals, better late then never right?
<Some times>
  I am worried about the stress from moving a coral from the LFS tank, then to my Q/T tank, then again to my Display Tank in a time frame of around 2 months.
<And avoiding, excluding pests, parasites>
 Each tank having different lighting, different flow and different parameters.  Is this something that i should worry so much over?
<Mmm, not worry; but be aware, plan accordingly>
   With the Q/T tank, since i will not be putting any sort of treatment in, i will try and breed a pair of captive bred clowns.  According to Martin A. Moe, Jr.'s book "Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to Breeder" He mentions on page 309 that temperatures are required to be at 80 Degrees F.
<Somewhere around this>
 My Display tank sits at 78 degrees.
<Is fine>
  Now that i am writing this i am starting to think that it is not a big deal between the two degrees but none the less, granted when the coral is moved to the display there will be a temperature acclimation but do you think the temp swing will be an issue, assuming the coral will be in around 80 degrees for about a month or two and then switching to a tank with 78 degrees?
<Not a worry, issue>
 or is the 80 degree even that necessary to breed clowns? Thanks for your time, Giancarlo
<Keep studying. Bob Fenner>

Clownfish pair unpairing?   4/8/12
Hi guys!
<Raquel>
I have a pair of tank-raised True Percs with an interesting color variation. Both have the exact same spotted markings so I must assume they are form the same brood.
<May be>
I obtained these from a local wholesaler and plan on breeding them.
<Ok...>
At the wholesaler, they were kept together in a coral display tank. The "female" is ~2.5", the "male" is a bit over 1". I am unsure of the age of these fishes.
They were in QT and were just moved into a dedicated breeding system 2 weeks ago. While at the wholesaler and in QT, they displayed pair-bond behavior - handing out together in a frogspawn, quivering by the smaller fish, cleaning of surfaces.
Now, it seems they are bickering.
<Very common>
 The female has been picking on the male and his fins are starting to look ragged. When she goes after him, he tends to run away rather than submit. I have observed him turning around and nipping back at her in retaliation for a fin-nip. In addition, both are kicking up loads of sand.
Is it possible this little male is becoming female despite the presence of a much larger clown?
<Not likely>
 ...Or perhaps that they are both actually still male and the little one is making a bid for female position?
<Most probable is that this is part of the pairing process... Do keep your eyes open and separate the two if too damaging>
The latter seems less plausible due to the size of the larger fish.
I could use your insight!
R
<A floating plastic colander in the tank for the male... Bob Fenner>
Re: Clownfish pair unpairing?   4/8/12
Thanks Bob! Most of my clown pairs are quite peaceful, with the exception of my GSMs... Was a bit perplexed by these little Percs. My mind is assured :) I've inserted an egg crate divider for the little male to hide behind and will certainly keep an eye on the little guy.
Thanks again!
R
<Ahh, welcome. Thank you for this response/follow-up. W/ patience, trials, most "duos" will/do pair in time. BobF>

male clownfish tending white spots   8/28/11
<Mmm, yes, or clearish...>
These white spots were not there in the morning when I tended to the tank and I noticed them around 3 p.m. The male has been tending these white spots for several days. Could this be the remains of eggs that were laid and then picked off by the other fish?
<More likely yes; and/or fungused... First batches often have "such difficulties"; don't be discouraged>
The male has not been overly aggressive when tank mates swim near. Your input is greatly appreciated as I have been unable to find any information on the internet. Thank you so much, your site has lots of information. Kellie from Florida
<Do peruse here: http://wetwebmedia.com/ClnfshbrdF6.htm
and the above linked FAQs files in the series. Bob Fenner>

The hot trends   6/20/11
We had an interesting discussion on our WetWebMedia Facebook last night and this morning. As captive breeding in marine fish becomes more viable on a large scale, we are starting to see an abundance of "designer" fish via selective breeding and unnatural hybrids...what some are calling the "guppy-ization" or "flowerhorning" of ornamental marine animals. It's not a subject we've ever really had to address as many of the animals on this side of the hobby are still collected in their natural habitats. However as it becomes more trendy I think I'd like to pen a piece (with some opinion) of how these processes relate to conscientious/responsible fish keeping for WWM, I've already ruffled a few feathers just by bringing the subject up for discussion (an employee at ORA one of the companies that sales these designer clowns for upwards of $500 at times). So my question if you think this is worth being addressed or discussed, as I've run into quite a few hobbyists recently who are confused about the price points (vs. "normal" clowns) and genetic history of these artificial hybrids (as some do occur in nature). One of the companies has even posted that "There is potential in utilizing artificial means of fish propagation to create hybrids, through the use of hormones or strip spawning, but we have yet to take such drastic measures." So I guess my question is if the risk/reward/backlash from people profiting off of this would be worth writing. And if this is a worthy idea, I'd like to even post this in the dailies so I can get responses from home/small scale hobbyists, an informal pole and get some quotes for the article.
> Hello Adam, Bob,
> I do think this is a worthy topic worth discussing -- perhaps as an article in WWM Digital as a way of launching a thread in the forums that people could chime in on. Actually, feedback on articles might be a great new category for the WWM Forum, so people could read the magazine or new WWM articles generally, and then comment on the forum. I'd like to see more synergy between magazine and the forum, to be honest. You'll have seen that TFH and PFK both do this. But I digress...
> I don't have any particular opinion on this, and do suspect that because most marine fish don't breed readily in captivity the scope for "fancy" varieties is fairly limited. That said, I have no doubt at all that long-fin, albino, and balloon clownfish are very likely going to turn up in the aquarium shops soon.
> Cheers, Neale
I do concur w/ your statements Neale. BobF

Baby clowns ?   6/8/11
Hello, I have a 150 gallon tank with a variety of fish , land mark angles, butterfly fish, some triggers fish, and invertebrates sally back crab, green emerald crab, urchin, large hermit crab, I believe my clowns have
laid some eggs and was hoping you could advise me of the best step to take to ensure their survival. Any assistance would be appreciated
<These eggs, perhaps w/ their parents, need to be relocated... put in another tank w/o predators. Either this batch or next if you want any to survive. Bob Fenner>

Orange/Pink Skunk Clown Pair?   3/19/11
Check this out,
<Oh what?>
I recently acquired a bunch of livestock from a guy scrapping his basement fish business on Craigslist. He had an Orange Skunk and a Pink Skunk sitting alone in the same 15 gallon tank together for months.
I now have them in a tank together and they are both hosting in the same medium size (4" maybe) anemone. The smaller Pink Skunk does the little tail twitching in front of the larger Orange Skunk.
Are they a pair? Is that possible?
<Mmm, yes>
I could not find any information that would lead me to believe a hybrid exists. Is there a possibility these two fish could breed and I would get to name my own new species? :)
<Mmm, no. Not a new species... and such crosses aren't necessarily good... looking or for sale...>
Thanks,
Aaron
<Welcome! Bob Fenner>

Newly Spawning A. percula Question   2/25/11
<Hi Robert,>
My A. percula clowns finally started mating. It took two years.
<Congratulations! You have done a very good job making them feel comfortable.>
The first clutch of eggs was mostly gone the second morning and all the way gone the next day. This is the first batch so maybe the parents aren't ready yet.
<It is common for newly-spawning clowns to eat their eggs in the beginning. With time they will get better at parenting/spawning, and more will survive to hatch. Nest size also appears to increase the longer a pair has been spawning, at least for the first certain number of years.>
This is a mixed reef with various fish and inverts. If I decide to take the plunge and rear these things is it best to isolate the clowns in a separate tank; or are there usual suspects that eat eggs. The female clown is very brazen so the other fish wouldn't be the first suspect. I do however, suspect my coral banded shrimp. He's older than the clowns, big, and only moves at night. He could live in the refugium if it would make a difference.
<I don't think this will be necessary. It would also reduce the usefulness of the refugium.>
Other suspects would be Astrea snails, peppermints, hermits, royal gramma, worm goby, and/or royal gramma. Also have a Kole and Yellow Tang, but they seem to hide until morning.
<I suspect it was the parents who ate the eggs, and not a tank-mate. However, if you noticed this continuing for more than a year, the probability of it being a tank-mate would be much higher. Eggs are tasty snacks. But, many people have luck with nests in their display tank.>
I'm not jumping into anything, but I'd like to keep the pair in the main tank if at all possible.
Thanks
<Slow is good. It will take a while before the pair lays nests which produce viable larvae, in my experience. Give it time, and let us know how it turns out. If the problem persists too long, something else may be the culprit.>
<Scott T.>

Nassarius Snail Repro. Question/Amphiprion Cross-breeding -- 08/30/10
Hi All!
<<Greetings!>>
Its Chris K. again - very excited as usual to be able to have a question and something to share!
<<Hey Chris--Eric here today'¦>>
Firstly - one of my Nassarius snails is laying eggs -- I understand that I should expect nothing from this
<<Not true necessarily'¦ I have had a breeding population of Nassarius sp. snails for about seven years that continually replenish their numbers>>
- but just out of curiosity - how long before they hatch?
<<Mine seem to do so rather quickly--perhaps 'days'>>
Are they in some sort of larval state before they develop a shell and enter the substrate?
<<I'm not really sure--though I suspect they 'do not' have a larval/planktonic stage else they would not reproduce so successfully in my system>>
The only reason I ask is because around April my queen conch began laying eggs - this went on for a few months. I didn't expect much - given that most likely they would fall prey to fish and other predators in my tank. However - one night I happened to walk past my tank long after lights out and noticed what appeared to be salt all over my glass. I immediately flipped on the light and noticed that they were very small snails (I am certain that they are not pyramid snails), I began to look closer and observed that there were hundreds all over my rocks and glass. Apparently they hide during the day and come out at night. Now I am merely implying the coincidence between my conch laying eggs and then a month or two later having an explosion of tiny snail like critters visible in my aquarium. I am trying to stay realistic.
<<Likely 'something' that came in with your rock>>
They are tiny and round (white and rather fragile looking - not the thick shelled specimen that I would expect) and I am hoping that if I can get a decent photo - you can help me identify them.
<<Some 35,000 species in existence [grin]>>
As a side note, they don't' seem to be attracted to any of my coral and nothing appears to be getting damaged - so I am in a wait and see mode.
<<They have probably been in your system for some time and are probably harmless, if not beneficial>>
Lastly - I have two black and white Ocellaris clowns in my tank along with two orange and white Ocellaris clowns.
<<Mmm--it is generally best to keep only a single pair, especially of these two similar species (Amphiprion Ocellaris and Amphiprion percula), as keeping more usually results in the exclusion/bullying/death of those individuals outside the primary pair-bond--unless the system is large enough for multiple territories>>
Initially they paired off according to their color and that was that. The dynamics have recently changed though.
<<Not to be unexpected here>>
One of the black and white clowns has exploded by almost double in size -obviously the female.
<<Yup>>
However they are "pairing off" by color less and less - the other three clowns seem to be following her around (even the orange ones) and doing dances for her. Presently she is spending most of her days with the two orange and white guys. Is it possible for a black and white Ocellaris to mate with an orange and white Ocellaris
<<Sure>>
- and if so - what kind of clown does that produce?
<<A hybrid thereof>>
Anything interesting?
<<That remains to be seen, perhaps small variations in color--or these parent species may be so similar as to not exhibit any obvious differences among offspring>>
Thanks again for all your help!
<<Quite welcome>>
As always you are a most valued reference!
Chris K
<<Happy to share my friend'¦ Eric R>>
Re: Nassarius Snail Question/Amphiprion Cross-breeding - 08/30/10
Thank you Eric for your response
<<You are quite welcome, Chris>>
- as always you make my day!
<<And it makes mine/ours to hear/know this!>>
If I were able to get a photo of the tiny snails rather than ask you to go through 35,000 species (wow) perhaps you would be able to give me the thumbs up or thumbs down as to whether by some shear miracle any baby conches survived
<<We can surely take a look--though I am skeptical that these are the offspring of your Queen Conch>>
(which you have undoubtedly figured out by now is my only real question anyway).
<<I had a feeling'¦ [grin]>>
Fortunately, or Unfortunately depending on your outlook, I have always taken the words "that can't be done" as more of a challenge than a rule.
<<Mmm, okay--and hopefully tempered with reasoning when it comes to the environmental requirements of your animals/limitations of your system>>
I did after all manage to find a beautiful blue fish with a personality that fits in perfectly with everything else in my aquarium.
<<A yes--indeed you did>>
It took a few years but in this instance being relentless paid off.....(grin). As for the clowns - I have had them for some time now and am quite fortunate that the black and white ones have claimed the territory near my corner over flow on the far left of my 90 gallon. The orange and white clowns claimed an anemone ornament which I moved long ago to the farthest right hand corner. Each "pair" is allowed within inches of the others territory before the obligatory charge or head but ensues - and can often be seen roaming freely throughout the rest of the aquarium all together.
<<Excellent>>
(Until recently - as previously stated - now the males just seem to follow the female wherever she feels like going).
<<Ahh 'Amore'>>
If my clowns should mate is there a chance that the offspring would survive?
<<Not likely--at least, not likely without some preparation for such (like a plan for removing the fertilized eggs to hatching/rearing tanks, feeding the fry, etc., etc.). If you are so inclined, there is an excellent book by Joyce Wilkerson on 'Clownfishes' that I highly recommend you obtain and read>>
I have no anemone
<<Is not needed>>
- I do not believe I have strong enough lighting to keep one (no metal halides nor the more recent and seemingly way cool LEDS)
<<Way cool and WAY expensive--and I am still not convinced they are equal to, much less better than, Metal Halide. But the day may well be coming'¦>>
Thanks again Eric and have a great day!
Chris K.
<<Cheers Chris! Eric Russell>>