Mocha Storm Clownfish For Sale? The 135 Top Answers

Previously, the holy grail of clownfish breeding was an all-white morph, but since this has already been achieved in three species, breeders had to aim higher and for an even more exotic color. A true blue clownfish is still just a wink in the eyes of clownfish breeders, but each year we see just a little bit more of this unusual blue trait in an ever-increasing number of domesticated clownfish.

Before you think that clownfish should be orange, black, and white, remember that there is at least one species, the blue-striped clownfish, that has a lot of natural blue coloring in its bars. So it’s not far-fetched to imagine that this pigment could be selectively bred in a number of clownfish species and strains, although fixing this trait was a godsend.

Today’s pictures are from a Thai aquarist named Nattawut Chotsuwan and show one of the bluer clownfish we’ve seen so far. As with other bluish clownfish we’ve seen before, the blue coloration is most noticeable where the white bars are outlined in black.

This specimen shows a lot of bluing, but does not even cover half the area of ​​the white bars. However, this blue trait is very strong in this clownfish and it would not be surprising if this specimen were chosen for further line breeding to enhance the blue coloration. However, as long as the blue-edged trait exists, it will likely be a good number of generations before we see a species of clownfish that can truly be called blue.

SA Black Snowflake Clownfish

species information

Scientific name: Amphiprion ocellaris

Amphiprion ocellaris Family: Ocellaris

Ocellaris Origin: Bred in captivity

Temperament Bred in Captivity: Semi-aggressive

Semi-aggressive Maximum size: 3″

3″ Ideal tank size: >15 gallons

The black snowflake is another species of A. ocellaris with a color similar to the black clownfish, but instead the white barrage comes in a variety of snowflake patterns. Like the Orange and Fancy Snowflake varieties, the Black Snowflake pattern is different for each fish.

distinguishing features

They are offered in three different designs; Standard (one bar snowflake), Extreme (2 bars touching), Special (all bars touching). The unique patterns make this type of clownfish an elegant addition to almost any aquarium.

ideal environment

These clownfish should only be housed in fish or reef aquariums 15 gallons or larger; as they can grow up to 3 ½ inches long. If you want to set up a harem, we recommend 1 fish per 2.5 gallons.

Diet – A mixed diet of frozen foods and dry pellets or flakes is recommended to ensure adequate health and nutrition. As with all captive bred fish at Sustainable Aquatics, the dry hatchery diet is highly recommended. These fish are used to the food and will accept it willingly!

Thank you for stopping by and visiting our website! Sustainable Aquatics is a marine and freshwater fish breeder based in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Sustainable Aquatics’ history and mission is to serve all of its components; Customers, partners, vendors, employees, suppliers, the environment and future generations by driving processes and practices that benefit everyone and make things that little bit better in terms of quality, service, delivery and value.

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Clownfish were popular saltwater aquarium fish even before Pixar immortalized Nemo on the big screen, and have inspired many of us to create a tiny slice of the reef in our own aquariums. This article is a guide to the different species of clownfish to help you choose the right clownfish for your aquarium.

There are several scientific classifications of clownfish species called complexes (Ocellaris, Percula, Maroon, Tomato, Skunk, etc. are considered complexes). Within each of the complexes there are cultivars, strains or types that arose as a result of several generations of selective breeding by aquaculture organizations.

List of the 19 best species of clownfish

Here is a list of the most popular clownfish species:

Ocellaris DaVinci Black (aka Darwin) Wyoming White Snowflake Black Ice

Percula Picasso

Maroon Lightning Maroon Gold Striped Maroon

Tomato-cinnamon-red saddle tomato

Skunk Pink Skunk Orange Skunk

Clarkii

saddleback

Common Name Genus and Species Aggression Level Adult Size Minimum Tank Size Reef Safe Ocellaris Clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris Low 3 in 10 gallons Yes Percula Clownfish Amphiprion percula Low 3 in 10 gallons Yes Maroon Clownfish Amphiprion biaculeatus High 6 in 30 gallons Yes Tomato Clownfish Amphiprion frenatus Moderate 5 in 30 gallons Yes Cinnamon Clownfish Amphiprion melanopus Moderate 5 in 30 gallons Yes Pink Skunk Clownfish Amphiprion perideraion Low 4 in 10 gallons Yes Orange Skunk Amphiprion akallopisos Low 4 in 10 gallons Yes Clarkii Clownfish Amphiprion clarkii Moderate 6 in 30 gallons Yes Saddleback Clownfish Amphiprion polymnus Moderate 4 in 30 gallon Yes

Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

The clownfish species that started it all, Nemo is one of the most popular clownfish species and a staple among local fish shops. Within this Ocellaris clownfish complex are several very popular clownfish species. Taxonomically, these clownfish species are the same species, Amphiprion ocellaris, but they have different coloring and stripe patterns.

The main Ocellaris clownfish species are:

DaVinci

Darwin (Black Clownfish)

Wyoming white

snowflake

black ice

DaVinci

The popular DaVinci clownfish has the classic orange, white, and black coloration, but where they differ is in the design of the stripes, as you can see below.

Black Clownfish aka. Darwin (Ocellaris variant)

Also known as Darwin Ocellaris, the black clownfish retains the classic 3-ring stripe pattern, but the entire rest of the body is black. These fish are born orange and will darken over time.

White Ocellaris from Wyoming

Covered almost from nose to tail in a large giant white “stripe,” the Wyoming white clownfish is popular for its unusual stripe pattern.

Snowflake Ocellaris

The snowflake clownfish type is also an Amphiprion ocellaris species that appears to be a sort of mashup or intermediate version of the common clown and the Wyoming White. They get their name from the irregular patterns (like a snowflake) on either side of the edge of their central stripe.

Black Ice Ocellaris

The Black Ice Clownfish type (pictured below) has more black pigment than most other orange varieties, as well as a “snowflake”-like midsection.

percula

The Percula, or True Percs as they are sometimes called, are another popular group of orange and black clownfish. Pictured below are two color morphs living on these mushroom corals.

Picasso Clownfish

The Picasso clownfish type is a true Percula species (Amphiprion percula). As you can see in the image below, this variant features a Picasso-inspired abstract arrangement of the stripes.

Maroon

The Maroon Clownfish Complex has some of the largest and most aggressive clownfish species. The traditional maroon clownfish has white stripes on a dark maroon body.

Auburn clowns also have a distinctly different shape from their ocellaris and percula counterparts, and they also have a ridge of cheeks on the outside of their gill cover.

Lighting maroon

The Lightning Maroon has a less traditional stripe pattern that includes small red bubbles as well as stripes/markings that extend beyond the traditional clownfish rings.

Gold striped maroon

The gold-striped chestnut clownfish initially looks like any other juvenile chestnut fish, but over time the stripes change color and become golden yellow.

tomato

The tomato clownfish complex features a large, rounded body with a single white stripe (for many varieties) on the head going most of the way.

Cinammon

The cinnamon clownfish, as you can see below, retains the classic tomato shape and stripe pattern, but the body is naturally much darker.

Red Saddleback Tomato Clownfish

If the red saddleback tomato clownfish below hadn’t been swimming in a bubble tip anemone, you might do a double take to even decide if it’s a proper clownfish or not.

Skunk Clownfish Complex

The skunk clowns are generally docile, even for a clownfish type. Taking their stripes in a new direction, these adorable fish have skunk-like markings running from their nose to their tails along their dorsal fin.

Pink skunk

The Pink Skunk Clownfish is pink in coloration (my wife says it looks like raw chicken…), a thin white skunk stripe, and white stripes along the gill plates that don’t go all the way around the head.

Orange Skunk

The Orange Skunk Clownfish is not quite as orange as the Ocellaris or Percula Clownfish, but features a much thicker skunk stripe than the Pink Skunk, stretching from the lips to the tail

Clarkii

The Clarkii clownfish complex is a relatively large species of clownfish. Their markings combine bumblebees such as yellow, black, and white.

saddleback

The saddleback clownfish is probably the least known species of clownfish in this article. They have a distinctive stripe around their head that’s quite thick, and the second and third stripes seem to have migrated away from their stomach creating a saddle-like structure, right where a tiny underwater cowboy would place a saddle, I suppose on.

Lifespan of a Clownfish

The longest recorded lifespans of a clownfish ranged from 9 to 22 years, depending on the species, with the oldest known Clarkii clownfish being 9 years old (and still alive at the time of the survey) and an Ocellaris clownfish being 22 years old (and still alive at the time of questioning alive).

My personal experience is that some individuals you get from the store will be extremely short lived while others will stick with you for years if not a decade or more.

Source: Sahm, A., Almaida-Pagán, P., Bens, M. et al. Analysis of clownfish coding sequences reveals molecular convergence in lifespan evolution. BMC Evol Biol 19, 89 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-019-1409-0

Clownfish Prize

The price of a clownfish varies significantly based on perceived availability or rarity, particularly among the designer clownfish species. I was at a local fish store the other day and saw beautiful and large Red Sea clownfish for $9.99 and designer fish for hundreds of dollars.

The price of the rarer designer types tends to fall over time as hobby growers enter the market with the next generation.

Clownfish tankmates

Clownfish are great saltwater community fish and generally get along with any saltwater aquarium fish that get along with them. Generally it is best to keep only one species of clownfish per tank, but they can be kept in a tank with different species of seaweed, dwarf angelfish, cardinalfish, gobies, reef safe wrasse, blennies and other popular saltwater fish.

A good place to start is with this list of the 26 Best Saltwater Fish for Beginners

How many clown fish in one tank

You should only keep one clownfish species in your tank. Within this species, you can mix clownfish species and keep at least two individuals, which should mate, as long as you meet the minimum tank size requirements.

references

Michael, Scott W. Marine Fish: Over 500 Important Aquarium Species. TFH Publications. Neptune City, New Jersey: 2001.

Sahm, A., Almaida-Pagán, P., Bens, M. et al. Analysis of clownfish coding sequences reveals molecular convergence in lifespan evolution. BMC Evol Biol 19, 89 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-019-1409-0

Wilkerson, Joyce D. Clownfish: A Guide to Their Care, Breeding, and Natural History in Captivity. TFH Publications. 2001. Neptune City, NJ

description

The Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish is the largest clownfish species and can reach 6 inches in size. It has a chestnut brown body coloration with three broad yellow body stripes. There is another variety of Maroon Clownfish called White Stripe Maroon Clownfish. This variant looks similar to the Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish except it has three narrow white stripes. Maroon Clownfish belong to the genus Premnas and are therefore distinct from all other clownfish species that belong to the genus Amphiprion. Premnas is Latin for “prickly cheek” and if you look closely you can see the spikes protruding from each side of the head below the eyes. When Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish are early juveniles, their stripes are white. The yellow color develops when they are around 12 months old. In adult fish, the larger female often turns a darker red color while the smaller male retains its orange hue. Females are much larger than males – typically 3-4 times larger. Maroon Clownfish become very territorial as adults and it is best not to mix them with other clown species.

distribution

Maroon Clownfish have a wide distribution in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are found west to Sumatra, east to Vanuatu, north to the Philippine Sea and south to New Caledonia.

Temperament & Care in Captivity

The largest known species of clownfish, the maroon clownfish has earned a reputation for its brave behavior. Females can grow to 6 inches and are very territorial, especially when defending a nest of eggs. It’s best not to mix chestnut clownfish with other clownfish species in your tank and only keep a pair or a single fish. Captive-bred bay clownfish are generally less aggressive than wild-collected fish.

feeding

Maroon clownfish have a healthy appetite. Most clownfish are omnivores, meaning they consume a variety of different food types. In nature, clownfish diet consists of crustaceans (such as copepods and amphipods), algae, polychaete worms, and anemone food scraps. Our captive bred fish are conditioned to eat a variety of aquarium foods including pellets, flake foods, frozen Mysis shrimp and frozen Artemia.

Natural host anemones

In the wild, maroon clownfish are very picky and are almost always found in the Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor).

Aquarium host anemones

Clownfish do not require host anemones to survive or thrive. In most cases, however, they will readily accept them. For Maroon Clownfish we recommend the popular and hardy Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor).

In the wake of the Nemo phenomenon, the clownfish has become the flagship of saltwater aquaristics. Most are great, but here’s what you need to know.

Clownfish, also known as clownfish, are the most popular fish in saltwater aquaristics. They are brightly colored, show interesting behavior and are among the toughest saltwater fish (especially aquarium bred ones). With many more Clownfish available to today’s aquarist than ever before, this group of fish truly represents everything from a beginning aquarist’s entry-level species to a more advanced aquarist’s collectible. This article will break down some of your choices when choosing a clownfish.

Clownfish for beginners

While most clownfish are fairly hardy, the following from the genus Amphiprion all cost under $20 and make great beginner clowns:

Cinnamon Clownfish (Amphiprion melanopus)

A slightly aggressive clown, this five-inch long fish is a good choice for the beginner, despite being smaller than the:

Clarkii Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkia)

Sometimes called the Sebae Clownfish, the Clarkii grows to six inches and is semi-aggressive, but still a great starter fish. However, no clownfish compares to:

Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

You’ll see these guys later in this article, but it’s hard to say too many good things about this most well-known saltwater fish!

Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus)

Both the Ocellaris clownfish and this type are commonly available as aquarium fish, making them two of the toughest clowns for the beginning aquarist.

Most Peaceful Clownfish

While most clowns are at least semi-aggressive, there are a few peaceful clowns like these:

White-crested Clownfish (Amphiprion leucokranos)

This tiny (up to three and a half inch) little beauty is the most peaceful of all clownfish in the eyes of many aquarists. Unfortunately, its price (up to $200) puts it out of the reach of most aquarists. Fortunately, there are a few other peaceful clowns like these:

Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

A great peaceful beginner fish, with these affordable characters (ranging from just over $10 to around $60 for a pair) it’s hard to go wrong. However, if you’re a clownfish snob (and who isn’t), you might want to go for this next beautiful, but tricky, specimen:

Maldives Clownfish (Amphiprion nigripes)

Although quite peaceful, this little fellow is generally considered an expert-only species from Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The Maldives Clownfish has a more aggressive price tag ranging from $25 to $50.

Most aggressive clownfish

You want to take a walk on the wild side, right? Then consider these aggressive clownfish:

Clarkii Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkia)

Far from a true bully, this burly clown can reach six inches and is considered semi-aggressive, although it pales in comparison to the aptly named:

Fire Clownfish (Amphiprion ephippium)

While smaller than the clarkii (the fire clownfish rarely reaches five and a half inches), the fire clownfish can be a minor scare. Who says clowns aren’t scary?!

Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus)

About the same size as the Fire Clownfish, don’t let the cheerful tomato nom de plume fool you. This guy is sometimes called the Red Clownfish, and he sure can see red!

Gold-striped Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus)

Measuring a whopping seven inches tall, this clownfish has a more sinister name — Spinecheek Clownfish — and is both quarrelsome and hardworking when it comes to rearranging your aquarium. This is the largest clownfish you’re likely to see, and due to the fact that it likes to be the top dog (or clown), it’s not uncommon for the White Stripe Maroon Clownfish to kill any other clown it comes in contact with. Yes – it’s aggressive.

There you have it – the good, the bad, and the ugly (actually the toughest, most peaceful, and most aggressive) clownfish. Choose wise.

The problem with pods is that they are usually not suitable for large broods of wild eaters such as amphiprion larvae. Brachionus and Artemia must always be the staple food for them, ideally supplemented by pod nauplii and adults. Tigriopus would be the most economical pod species here as they can be cultivated outdoors in non-aerated tubs or ponds and fed pretty much anything (I feed mine powdered adult rat chow).

Pods become more important when raising fish with smaller larvae or larvae that only respond to the movements of pod nauplii or inverted larvae (sea urchin larvae appear to be a staple food for reef fish larvae in the wild).

For hobby growers, Apocyclops panamensis is probably a better fit than Pavocalanus as they can be cultivated on a variety of feeds, live or dead, while Pavocalanus requires live Isochrysis.

description

Maine Mocha Clownfish is a color variation of the regular ocellaris clownfish. We created this unique color variation by mating a Black and White Darwin Ocellaris with an Ocellaris Clownfish. With a perfect blend of orange tinge and freshly brewed coffee brown, the Maine Mocha Clownfish is a sight to behold. Our hatchery staff agree that one of the Maine Mocha Clownfish’s favorite features is the dark outline that develops on some fish’s lips and looks like a French moustache. Each Maine Mocha Clownfish is unique and has a slightly different color and pattern variation. As they age and mature, they tend to darken in color. Some individuals turn almost entirely black but always retain their orange-brown nose. As we say in Maine – “similar to a black bear”.

Temperament and care in captivity

The temperament and captive care requirements for Maine mocha clownfish are very similar to those of the normal ocellaris clownfish. It is relatively peaceful and hardy. They thrive in saltwater aquariums with or without an anemone.

feeding

Most clownfish are omnivores, meaning they consume a variety of different food types. In nature, clownfish diet consists of crustaceans (such as copepods and amphipods), algae, polychaete worms, and anemone food scraps. Our captive bred fish are conditioned to eat a variety of aquarium foods including pellets, flake foods, frozen Mysis shrimp and frozen Artemia.

Aquarium host anemones

Like the normal Ocellaris, Maine Mocha Clownfish will readily accept a variety of host anemones, and many hobbyists keep Maine Mocha Clownfish with the popular and hardy Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor). For reference, the natural host anemones of the regular Ocellaris clownfish are the Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica), Giant Carpet Sea Anemone (Stichodactyla gigantean), and Merten’s Carpet Sea Anemone (Stichodactyla mertensii).

Do you currently have a clown fish farm in your tank? Or maybe you want to learn how to breed clownfish and raise clownfish eggs so your baby clownfish can survive and thrive. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy learning about clownfish breeding, egg laying and some of the lessons I have learned from breeding them.

Has your clownfish laid eggs?

Raising baby clownfish from the eggs laid in my reef tank is one of the coolest things I’ve experienced in this hobby. If your clownfish pair has laid eggs in your aquarium, congratulations! I’m glad you can share this experience.

Of all the saltwater fish species kept in aquariums, clownfish are probably the most likely candidates for breeding. But raising baby clownfish from eggs to adults takes patience, perseverance, a bit of luck, and some extra equipment. (Woo-hoo! I know you were looking for an excuse to get new gear)

When my clownfish started breeding I was a super nerd. (Okay, I’m still an over-nerd) I wanted to document what’s happening. So I wrote down my observations and I add them here for your consideration.

Clownfish farming isn’t the shortest topic in the world. And while I hope you’ll stick with me throughout the process, I acknowledge that things might get tedious with this post. So I’ve provided a handy table of contents for anyone who wants to jump to the section you want to focus on. Otherwise, we dive right into everything you ever wanted to know!

Table of Contents

Clown Fish Eggs: Fast Facts

How long does it take for clownfish eggs to hatch?

With regular spawning, clownfish spawn about every 10-14 days. The clownfish eggs then hatch between 8 and 10 days later. The larvae hatch on consecutive evenings – something that will drive you crazy trying to collect them from a breeding tank.

Will Clownfish Eggs Survive?

Yes! When properly fertilized and cared for by the male, clownfish eggs survive until they hatch – around 8 days after fertilization. After that you will see tiny clown fish larvae about three millimeters long. However, the newly hatched larvae require special feeding and care to continue surviving.

How many eggs do clown fish lay?

A female clownfish will lay between 100 and 1,500 eggs (roughly) every two weeks.

Where do clown fish lay their eggs?

Clownfish will clean up a small patch of rock near the area where they spend most of their time and lay their eggs on that rock. In aquariums, aquarists who breed clownfish sometimes provide clay pots or tiles as an easy-to-remove and practical substitute for more natural stones.

Feed clown fish to encourage hatching and egg laying

If you want to breed any of the clownfish species, you need a happy, well-fed pair. So what did I feed my clownfish? I feed them regularly at least twice a day (during the week) and three times a day on weekends. I like to feed them live blackworm and brine shrimp (if available at my local fish store), frozen Mysis shrimp, freeze dried Mysis shrimp, Ocean Nutrition pellets, and Spirulina 20 flakes.

Not all at once (of course). i mix it Since the black worms are fresh live food, I feed them when I have them. (They get uncomfortable in the fridge after a few days, so I feed them as much as they eat them.) Otherwise, I rotate through the other foods depending on how much time I want to spend feeding them and what they’ve been eating. I try not to leave it on the menu for too many days with the same food.

The most important thing, in my opinion, is to feed with lots of calories several times a day. You want your clownfish to grow quickly, get fat, and have enough calories to sustain them through breeding. Then they won’t be tempted to eat the eggs.

So, depending on your schedule, try feeding a variety of quality, high-calorie foods 2-4 times a day.

clownfish lifespan

How long do clown fish live? According to certain sources, such as National Geographic, the average lifespan of a clownfish in the wild is around 6-10 years. While I haven’t seen any scientific article examining clownfish lifespans in home saltwater aquariums, I suspect it’s not far from average. I’ve certainly kept my fair share of clownfish, which sadly have lived shorter than average lives.

I’ve read posts online announcing individuals or couples who have lived well into their teens (I’m pretty sure Gary Parr from Reefs is one of the lucky teen owners). So what to keep in mind about the average lifespan and how to apply it to your reef aquarium is that there is certainly a chance of surviving the average lifespan if we do our job well.

Currently the oldest clownfish in my system is a black ocellaris which is around 6-7 years old (depending on how old it was before I got it). Over the years I’ve had three who lived about within that range.

How old do clownfish have to be to breed and lay eggs?

Clownfish have the potential to reach sexual maturity at 1.5 to 2 years of age. I say “have the potential” because some environmental factors will affect that.

All clownfish are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female organs. They begin life as immature males. If they stay together as a group, all but two of the fish in the group remain immature males. One fish becomes the mature breeding male and the other changes sex from male to female and becomes the breeding female.

When she dies, the breeding male changes sex from male to female. Then one of the immature males is “promoted” to become the mature, breeding male. That’s why I said they have the potential to mature at 1.5-2 years of age.

But as you can see from the example above, depending on group dynamics, they can be much older and still immature. The good news here, however, is that hermaphroditism makes it relatively easy to establish a clownfish breeding pair.

How many eggs does a clownfish lay?

A clownfish lays between 100 and 1,500 eggs in a single clutch or spawning event. An average pair produces around ~400-500 (Wilkerson 2001). Please note that this is an affiliate link to Amazon. The book is currently out of print, but if you’d like to check it out on Amazon (or see if you can buy it at your local fish shop), be my guest. Please note that if you buy something from Amazon because you clicked on this link, I will receive a small commission on your purchase. (no pressure at all)

The number of eggs a clownfish lays at any given time will vary depending on:

species

Relative age and health of the couple

nutrition/feeding

Larger species of clownfish, such as the chestnut clownfish, can lay more than 1,000 eggs at a time. Smaller species, like the common clownfish, or even a designer species like the snowflake clownfish, may only lay a few hundred.

Still, that’s a lot of baby clownfish if you can raise them all!

What is the best salinity for clownfish?

Clownfish best salinity (the amount of salt in saltwater) is 35 parts per trillion (ppt) at 79 degrees Fahrenheit, which could also be measured as a specific gravity of 1.025 to match the natural salinity of their native reef ecosystems.

Journal of clown fish farming

The Ocellaris clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris, is probably the most popular saltwater aquarium fish in the world. Breeding clownfish and raising the larvae from eggs laid on the glass pane in my marine aquarium is one of the coolest things I’ve experienced with this hobby so far. Some people think clownfish need an anemone, like the bubble tip anemone, to spawn. But I’ve had clownfish spawn without anemones several times, and I’ve gotten them to pick up corals as surrogate anemones, including a toadstool coral, Happ

When I first observed clownfish breeding, I regularly posted observations. While the information has been captured in its raw state, the posts need to be cleaned up and organized. Two years have passed since those first days and I have learned a lot in that time.

This post is the culmination of the information shared in these previous blog posts and in my clownfish breeding journal. To use the word “comprehensive” (wordy?) is an understatement. Big disclaimer here: if you don’t want to agonize through a long post, bookmark it and come back later.

My two hopes for this post are:

You will learn about clownfish breeding and the development of the eggs. If you can help add to the content here, leave a comment and help everyone

Above is a picture of a female clownfish after they have laid their eggs on the aquarium glass. The peach-colored eggs attach to the aquarium pane below their tail. I know she’s a little blurry in the picture, but what I found cool about this photo is the clear view of the ovipositor, the tube that clownfish eggs go through as she lays them.

Overview of clownfish breeding

When I first saw clownfish breeding in my tank, the pair spawned in the front right corner. One day, while observing, I discovered the clown fish eggs on the aquarium pane. Of course, clownfish don’t always spawn on aquarium panes. Instead, they could choose a rock, tile, clay pot, or aquarium decoration.

My attempts to persuade her to use a substrate of my choice often failed. I placed tiles, a glass pane, and clay flower pots in their breeding corner and tried to persuade them to use something I could remove from the tank on hatch day. But they moved on and found other patches of glass to lay their eggs on.

Clownfish breeding pattern

Watch this video on YouTube

I’ve had some success breeding clownfish in a separate tank with another pair of clownfish by getting this pair to lay their eggs in a clay flower pot. You should try to get your clownfish to spawn on a removable substrate. It is much easier to hatch the eggs in a brooder than to catch the larvae after hatching and then move them.

Day 2: Keep the clownfish eggs clean

On the second day, the male began caring for the eggs. And this is where he spent most of the entire 8 days. The pecking seemed a bit excited or nervous at times, especially when I got too close to the aquarium. At first it looked like he was trying to eat the eggs (he doesn’t). I knew that was normal behavior; He kept the eggs clean. Though I wondered if he’d gotten a taste of caviar each time.

The picture above shows the eggs on day 2. Note the color of the clownfish eggs: still a very similar pale peach/orange color to the day they were laid.

When not biting the eggs, it would hover in front of them, flapping its pectoral fins or swimming up and away with a slosh of its tail. Then he would return a moment later. After the eggs were laid, it spent most of its time pecking at the eggs with its mouth or fanning them out with its pectoral fins.

In comparison, the female was less attached to the nest. She circled the spawning area, but at a greater distance. Occasionally she swam closer to interact with the male. But I was surprised to find that despite his apparent attachment to the nest (dare I say obsession? Let’s face it: if these eggs had a Facebook page, he’d be crawling all over the place. But I digress) the male does would give up the eggs at feeding time. After eating his fill, he returned to the nest.

Day 3: Clownfish eggs turn silver

On day 3, the clownfish eggs changed color from the fleshy peach/orange color to a drab grey. Then, unfortunately, the number of eggs went down. Anecdotally, I’ve observed this in every clownfish breeding attempt over the past 2 years. The extent of thinning appears to vary from clutch to clutch.

Day 4: Clownfish eggs develop luster

On day 4 the number of clownfish eggs shrank. I found that the male was constantly guarding and cleaning the eggs. The color of the clownfish eggs continued to change, changing from a dull gray to a shiny/metallic gray by day 4. The larvae in the egg continued to grow and develop.

Day 5: Clownfish eggs develop eye reflexes

The most interesting change in the clownfish eggs began on day 5. About 5% of the clownfish eggs (about 1 in 20) developed tiny eyes that reflected light as the eggs swayed in the water current. Nothing is cooler than seeing little eyes through the egg shell. So that was a reality check that things were going much better than before. But it also let me know that I needed to prepare. So on day 5 I set up my equipment for breeding the fish larvae:

A black round tub

heating

air pump

Air hose with a valve to regulate the air flow

rotifer culture

Days 6-7: Clownfish eggs grow larger

By day 6, about three out of ten eggs had shiny, reflective eyes. By day 7, the majority had reflective eyes. The eggs appeared larger (or at least different) and visibly swayed back and forth in the current and in response to the male fanning them with his pectoral fins.

Day 8: Clownfish eggs prepare to hatch

Day 8, after the first clownfish breeding and egg fertilization, the clownfish eggs were hatched. They were large, reflective silver in color, and swayed in the wind. Eyes were clearly visible in each egg.

I could well imagine that they were ready to burst. And that night they did. Disclaimer: Having seen many clownfish breeding attempts from two separate Amphiprion ocellaris pairs, the day of hatch can vary from 8 to 10 days. Best advice I can give: prepare early for your full-grown tubs and edible crops and check on them from day 8 onwards.

Clownfish Breeding Journal: Egg Hatching

After eight days of waiting, nail-biting, and walking around like expectant parents, the clownfish eggs finally hatched. But not in the traditional way. Then, in the blink of an eye, I panicked and made a bone-headed movement.

I wanted to lure the larvae with a flashlight and get them out with a bowl (as Martin Moe suggested in his article on neon goby breeding). My backup plan was to keep a homemade larvae snagger I made (in case they hatched too late in the evening). But I got really nervous because the other fish in my tank seemed to be hovering around the nest in anticipation. (I wonder if I was projecting intuition onto the fish, or if they knew something was wrong.) Anyway, what I saw was enough to make me change my plan.

I’ve read a few forum posts about aquarists vacuuming clownfish eggs out of the tank before they hatch to eliminate the risk of predation. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I’ve done more harm than good with this approach. In the end, only FIVE larvae survived the extraction. It hurts me to experience that again and type those words.

I later tried using a DIY Larval Snagger – with mixed results. The snagger worked fine. The problem was that the other fish in the tank were eating more than their share of larvae while being caught. So I tweaked my Larval Snagger and wrote a post on how to make your own DIY Larval Snagger.

For what it’s worth, I’ve had more success using the Larval Snagger in aquariums dedicated to a breeding pair than in a community tank – where hungry mouths perform their own version of larval snatching.

Problems, problems and more problems

It would be disingenuous to say that my clownfish farming experience was easy from that point on. Success remained difficult. Many clownfish larvae died. The challenges of spawning and catching larvae were just the beginning. And unlike my reef tank, I didn’t have the benefit of cleaning crews or bristleworms helping me keep things in check.

Rotifer and phytoplankton cultures plummeted, starving some of the poor larvae. (I’ll cover the food cultures—copepods, rotifers, and phytoplankton—in the next section, but for now, be aware that you’re going to have problems. Expect crashes. The best thing you can do to protect yourself against crashes is To have multiple independent cultures Keep small samples of your cultures and replace them every few days over time because you never know when you’ll need them to feed some hungry larvae or restart a crashed culture. )

A cheap heater malfunctioned and cooked a batch of baby clownfish larvae.

Countless poor larvae have been harmed by clumsy (unintentionally clumsy) capture and transfer.

Only after making almost every stupid move possible did I finally have some success.

The good news is that hopefully your clownfish will breed about every two weeks, giving you plenty of opportunities to get things right. The larvae that survive will be fine with the special kind of rearing that only you can provide.

(Feel free to post a comment here with any challenges you may be facing. You are not alone in this. Someone out there probably had the same issue.)

How to feed clownfish larvae

When the larvae hatch, baby clownfish look like tiny pieces of glass with big eyes. They are usually colorless, and a flashlight bounces off the eyes with a metallic sheen. The MOFIB thread on breeding clownfish states that the larvae are 3mm when hatched. I haven’t measured them but can agree it seems about right. (It’s really quite small when you see it in action)

The really amazing thing is how small the mouth of something is when the total length of the entire larva is only 3mm. See how small they are compared to their parents in this video:

DIY Larval Snagger Clownfish Hatch

Watch this video on YouTube

Because they’re so small, if you want to be successful at breeding clownfish (or any other saltwater fish), you’ll need to know how to rear (cultivate) live copepods, rotifers, and phytoplankton.

The basic process of providing for the dietary needs of clownfish is to create a culture of phytoplankton, a culture of rotifers, and a culture of copepods (if you can find them). Essentially, you need to create a miniature food web. First you grow the phytoplankton to feed the rotifers and/or copepods. Then breed the rotifers and copepods to feed the clownfish larvae.

I fed the clownfish rotifers until day 10 when I started introducing baby Artemia (just hatched). Rotifers are the right size for clown larvae, but they don’t have much nutritional value. The low level they have comes from the phytoplankton in their gut.

Artemia is a dense feed in comparison. So you have to feed the clownfish a lot less. When introducing Artemia for the first time, it is also important to add small amounts of Artemia babies – less than 12 hours old. According to Wilkerson’s book, brine shrimp molt and grow after 12 hours and can reach a size that will actually choke your clownfish.

After feeding both rotifers and baby artemia for several days, I stopped feeding rotifers altogether. Similarly, when the fish only ate baby brine shrimp, I started feeding them crushed flakes and crushed freeze-dried food. I’m pretty sure all the fish ate kibble and live brine shrimp by day 20. I wrote a short post on this subject and linked it to a YouTube video of the juvenile clownfish eating live artemia.

How to raise baby clown fish

My first success in raising baby clownfish larvae came a few weeks later. The fish in my show tank were quite adept at catching the larvae before I could and making meals out of them. Success came on a night I didn’t expect. I must have missed the first day the eggs were laid because the eggs all hatched a night earlier than I planned.

My banggai cardinalfish greedily devoured larvae. That night I managed to save ten larvae. I had rescued baby clownfish larvae before but this time there was no disaster (unlike previous times). No phytoplankton or rotifer crashes, no failed heaters, no stupid decisions.

I wrote a blog post and posted a nondescript nine-second video of the clownfish larvae swimming in their spawning bucket three days after hatching. They didn’t look like tiny splinters floating through green water, but they represented progress.

Clownfish larvae in a black round tub

Watch this video on YouTube

Besides being fortunate enough to avoid disasters, I also made a few changes to my setup. Previously I used a 20 gallon black round tub. I bought it at a hardware store (the kind with the rope handles you might buy for gardening or to hold sodas for a cookout).

That turned out to be too large a volume to be practical. It is important to keep the rotifer density high in the beginning. The clownfish larvae shouldn’t have to swim very far to find a treat. And it was a challenge to keep the 20-gallon tub full of rotifers. So I found a pitch black 5 gallon bucket instead. Reducing my surgery really seemed to help.

Growth was slow for this batch. At the end of this ordeal, I had a tiny juvenile baby clownfish that survived. But hey, it was a start.

The clown fish continued to breed and I had other opportunities to improve my skills. So stay tuned, learn from the mistakes you make along the way, and eventually you’ll find yourself staring at a black circular tub full of baby clown fish.

For me it felt like an agonizingly long time until I got my first success. But after I broke through, I seemed to have more and more success. In the video below you can see the different growth rates of juvenile clownfish in a given batch.

Some of the baby clownfish are still dark with only one stripe. Others have two stripes. And some have turned almost entirely orange and grown to their third stripe. Again, this is related to how fast they grow. I’ve noticed that the slower-growing clownfish are also the slowest to adjust to the diet changes, or least adept at eating the new foods.

Black round tub for juvenile clownfish

Watch this video on YouTube

How Often Do Clownfish Spawn?

With two pairs of clownfish breeding on overlapping schedules, I was able to get a general sense of the general timing of spawning attempts and how long it takes for the eggs to hatch. Both pairs, in separate systems, proved regular with their spawns. Over the years, the clownfish have gone through periods of extreme regularity and other periods when no breeding activity seems to occur at all.

With regular spawning, clownfish will spawn about every 10-14 days. The clownfish eggs hatched between 8 and 10 days after laying. The larvae often hatch on consecutive evenings, which will drive you insane trying to collect them from the breeding tank.

It’s much easier to take care of the fish and save the baby clownfish if you set up a special breeding tank. The clownfish appear to be less fearful and generally leave the newly hatched larvae alone if you need to snatch the larvae from the breeding tank after hatching.

Learn about a specific clownfish species

A great way to learn more about clownfish, have a chance to form a pair, and eventually have your own clownfish eggs and babies is to read these great articles on some of the most popular individual clownfish species:

For more informations

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like the articles I’ve written about my experiences breeding the Banggai Cardinalfish and breeding the Neon Goby.

The place to go for you to learn more about clownfish breeding and to discuss the process with like-minded aquarists who share your passion for clownfish breeding is the Marine Fish and Invertebrate Breeders Forum.

If you are interested in purchasing a book on the subject, the best book I have cited previously, written by Joyce Wilkerson, is Clownfishes: A Guide to Their Captive Care, Breeding & Natural History. The problem is that this book is no longer in circulation. But if you see it at a local fish shop or from someone who is quitting the hobby, grab it. It’s easy to read, has great pictures, and is fun.

The best book on breeding saltwater fish is Matthew L. Wittenrich’s book The Complete Illustrated Breeder’s Guide to Marine Aquarium Fishes. Disclaimer: This is another affiliate link through Amazon. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. (I like the Amazon links because you can read reviews and even browse the book online.) If you think it sounds interesting, pick up your copy at your local fishmonger or bookstore of choice. If you buy something through this link, Amazon will know you’re from here and the blog will get a small credit. For what it’s worth, Wittenrich’s book is my favorite aquarium book, period.

The only reason I’m putting it on the list alongside Wilkerson’s book is because the Breeder’s Guide covers a lot more than just clownfish farming. The book contains everything you need to know to get your hands wet and try clownfish farming. If you’re a nerd like me, you’ll end up sleeping with this book under your pillow.

A third option is Frank H. Hoff’s book, Conditioning, Spawning, and Rearing of Fish, with an Emphasis on Marine Clownfish. It’s not really a fair rating because I read (and was biased by) the other two books first, but I found Hoff’s book less of a page turner. I have read the Wilkerson and Wittenrich books cover to cover several times while skimming Hoff’s book.

Also trivial, but the edition I have of Hoff’s book isn’t as nicely bound as the other books. The pages are filled with graphs and tables, making it read more like a research paper than a mass-market book. If that’s your thing, do it. This book is also harder to come by than other books. (Also an affiliate link)

Learn more about clownfish farming

How to breed clown fish.

Watch this video on YouTube

Do you have clownfish breeding and laying eggs in your tank?

If you’ve ever had clownfish eggs in your aquarium, please leave a comment and let us know. Link to a picture if you have one!

Written by Albert B. Ulrich III.

Description: The Black Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris), also known as Black Percula or Black and White Percula Clownfish, is very distinctive with its jet black body and three white stripes down each side. It has grey/orange irises. Juveniles of this color variant may be light brown until maturity.

Size: This fish reaches a maximum size of 8 cm.

Behaviour: Can be found singly, in pairs or in small groups within the same anemone. Like other clownfish, the black ocellaris has a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones. In exchange for bringing food to the anemone, it receives protection.

Diet: The black ocellaris clownfish is omnivorous, eating crustaceans (such as copepods and amphipods), algae, polychaete worms, and debris from the host anemone.

Reproduction: Black ocellaris clownfish are oviparous, laying eggs on a flat surface near their host anemone. The parents will defend the eggs and will ventilate them by fans. The eggs usually hatch in 6-11 days, depending on the temperature.

Habitat/Distribution Area: It is usually found together with anemones on the reefs in parts of the Indo-Pacific.

Status: The popularity of clownfish and their demand for the aquarium trade has reduced population size. The species is not classified as threatened or vulnerable (IUCN); However, they may be threatened as coral reefs recede.

Description: The Black Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris), also known as Black Percula or Black and White Percula Clownfish, is very distinctive with its jet black body and three white stripes down each side. It has grey/orange irises. Juveniles of this color variant may be light brown until maturity.

Size: This fish reaches a maximum size of 8 cm.

Behaviour: Can be found singly, in pairs or in small groups within the same anemone. Like other clownfish, the black ocellaris has a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones. In exchange for bringing food to the anemone, it receives protection.

Diet: The black ocellaris clownfish is omnivorous, eating crustaceans (such as copepods and amphipods), algae, polychaete worms, and debris from the host anemone.

Reproduction: Black ocellaris clownfish are oviparous, laying eggs on a flat surface near their host anemone. The parents will defend the eggs and will ventilate them by fans. The eggs usually hatch in 6-11 days, depending on the temperature.

Habitat/Distribution Area: It is usually found together with anemones on the reefs in parts of the Indo-Pacific.

Status: The popularity of clownfish and their demand for the aquarium trade has reduced population size. The species is not classified as threatened or vulnerable (IUCN); However, they may be threatened as coral reefs recede.