MarineTeng
Reef Padawan
my four clowns do this too, at night after the lights go off, and when they go on they're always sitting on the bottom waking up like little kids, though the bully took the heater...
Amphiprionidae (Clownfish) Workshop
- Thread starter Elmo18
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MarineTeng
Reef Padawan
What are clarkii's with just two stripes, not the back one, i saw large one's like 3" or more for $20 at fish gallery in renton, is that sebae? i couldn't remember for sure, also when's the next update?
Hi Andrew.
I am expecting the next section update to be on Tuesday (3/28).
Without a photo, a two-striped 'Clarkii-species' type clownfish or a 'Saddleback-species' type is hard to identify.
There are several species that may have two stripes as adults. In somewhat 'hard to get' circumstances, they may be Clarkiis from Vanuuatu (which does have only 2 stripes as adults). Or they are something else (which is what I'm leaning to) because the Vanuatu Clarkiis are not at all common.
Best,
Ilham
I am expecting the next section update to be on Tuesday (3/28).
Without a photo, a two-striped 'Clarkii-species' type clownfish or a 'Saddleback-species' type is hard to identify.
There are several species that may have two stripes as adults. In somewhat 'hard to get' circumstances, they may be Clarkiis from Vanuuatu (which does have only 2 stripes as adults). Or they are something else (which is what I'm leaning to) because the Vanuatu Clarkiis are not at all common.
Best,
Ilham
MarineTeng said:
Just trying to get caught up in questions I missed....
Hi Andrew. The thing is, there are a couple "color" variants within the Clarkii species. I am not talking about mutations that can happen, such as the blue/pearl eyes. So the two "color" variants are the regular Clarkii species and the black Clarkii.
Notice I also used the word "color" and not "geographic" variations. In other words, the black variant of Clarkiis will be black no matter what they host. In general, regular color Clarkii species will darken when in Merten's carpet anemones. They can get dark enough to be almost black. In other words, if you're looking for a black variant of Clarkiis, then look for one that is black even when not hosting. They are pretty easy to spot.
Best,
Ilham
elmo if ur not to busy could u answer this question for me
i have two black Os they are not mated but maybe bonded paired because they have been togeather for about 6 months althought the large (female) will leave the smaller (male) quiet often althougth when togeather they do "play" togeather the question is that the femal has started semi hosting a small bubble tip (being told she never would) i want to get a crispa for them but am not sure now if she will want to be in another anenome even if it is the "natural" anenome and if i did get this anenome would if help them bond and lead to spawing? or just having a mated pair any advice would be good thanks
Morgan
i have two black Os they are not mated but maybe bonded paired because they have been togeather for about 6 months althought the large (female) will leave the smaller (male) quiet often althougth when togeather they do "play" togeather the question is that the femal has started semi hosting a small bubble tip (being told she never would) i want to get a crispa for them but am not sure now if she will want to be in another anenome even if it is the "natural" anenome and if i did get this anenome would if help them bond and lead to spawing? or just having a mated pair any advice would be good thanks
Morgan
SECTION 7: Creating the Right Environment
SECTION 7: CREATING THE 'RIGHT' ENVIRONMENT
'Right' is such a subjective word. Often times (as I'm sure most of you have seen) the word comes up in so many reef forum posts. In most cases, it is used in a situation where one person asks if he/she should get a specific fish/coral and how to properly take care of such an animal. The most regurgitated reply is somewhere along the lines of the right environment--making sure you have 'good' water quality, etc. In my opinion, that is about the worst reply. We all strive for 'good' water qualities in our tanks. We are now back to another subjective term--'good'. In this section, I will outline what exactly is in my opinion a 'right' or 'preferred' environment for clownfishes for the goal of longevity and possibly mating. Others will have their own view, but I give you mine.
Water Temperature
Best,
Ilham
(post 15)
SECTION 7: CREATING THE 'RIGHT' ENVIRONMENT
'Right' is such a subjective word. Often times (as I'm sure most of you have seen) the word comes up in so many reef forum posts. In most cases, it is used in a situation where one person asks if he/she should get a specific fish/coral and how to properly take care of such an animal. The most regurgitated reply is somewhere along the lines of the right environment--making sure you have 'good' water quality, etc. In my opinion, that is about the worst reply. We all strive for 'good' water qualities in our tanks. We are now back to another subjective term--'good'. In this section, I will outline what exactly is in my opinion a 'right' or 'preferred' environment for clownfishes for the goal of longevity and possibly mating. Others will have their own view, but I give you mine.
Water Temperature
In my opinion this is one of the overlooked properties (a type of state property) of the water we keep our fishes in. Recommended reef tank temperatures will range from 76-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Can you keep clownfishes in such a range? Most definitely. In most cases, clownfishes that you will encounter most often at the LFS or online come from areas near the equator. Temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit or higher are normal. In other words, 76-80 degrees Fahrenheit tend to be towards the lower end of the spectrum. To this degree, knowledge of the geographical locations of where your specific clown originated from is important. If we take the species Amphiprion latezonatus which hails from E/SE Australian waters several things must be considered. First, with respect to location, the Lord Howe group of islands and SE Australian waters are part of the most southernly group of reefs. Knowing this tells us that the waters these clownfish live in must be colder than normal Indo-Pacific reef temperatures. In fact this is true, between the different seasons, waters there range from 67-74 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, if someone tells us to keep the clownfishes in a good environment, we may all think of regular generally accept reef temperatures of 76-80 Fah.
I keep my clownfishes in water temperatures of no less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit and no higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit. They tend to be higher than what you call 'reef tank temperatures' but then again I do not keep corals in my clownfish tanks. Higher temperatures also means higher metabolisms. It seems as though they are more eager to eat. However, higher temps mean lower dissolved oxygen levels. Aeration is key--both surface agitation, and water column movement. I know some of you have felt my tank waters and seem to say they are awfully warm. They are different than reef tank temperatures, but not too extreme to say the least.
..to be continued....I keep my clownfishes in water temperatures of no less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit and no higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit. They tend to be higher than what you call 'reef tank temperatures' but then again I do not keep corals in my clownfish tanks. Higher temperatures also means higher metabolisms. It seems as though they are more eager to eat. However, higher temps mean lower dissolved oxygen levels. Aeration is key--both surface agitation, and water column movement. I know some of you have felt my tank waters and seem to say they are awfully warm. They are different than reef tank temperatures, but not too extreme to say the least.
Best,
Ilham
(post 15)
Last edited:
Ilham, quick question. I have an Amph. Ocel. and I noticed two dark circular spots. One by his gill the other by his anal fin. He's eating like a hog but my concern are these marks left by blood sucking isopod or are these kinda like "birth marks" or the like, thanks, Mike.
MarineTeng
Reef Padawan
just curious when's the next update
so i dont know if u have adressed this and i know i asked u and u said not to but what clowns can u mix and why cant i put premmnas with occellaris? if i had a big enough tank? both sets of clowns would have there own anenomes to host?
Section 7...continued..
Alas....
Salinity/Specific Gravity of Water
..to be continued...
Best,
Ilham
(post 16)
Alas....
Salinity/Specific Gravity of Water
Keeping reef tanks means one must keep salinity/specific gravity stable. From this point on, I will use Specific Gravity (SG) readings instead of salinity (ppt). Similar to keeping corals and other fish healthy, stability is the key word. I have and am keeping different clownfish tanks at different salinities and witness pairs spawning in a wide-range of salinities. I know for a fact that I have a pair of GSMs (Amphiprion premnas)spawning in reef tank SG of about 1.025, while another GSM spawning pair is in a tank with a SG of 1.021. One fact that we as hobbyist must not overlook is where these clownfishes come from. If you acquire a wild-caught clownfish, knowing specific geographic location of its collection does help. For instance, the Bicinctus clownfish (Amphiprion bicinctus) from the shores of the Red Sea live in waters that are generally at a higher SG than waters than most Indo-Pacific waters. For this reason, one may want to place such a fish species in reef-tank SG such as 1.025-1.027. However, I have found that Ocellaris (both CB or WC) did fine under a wide-range of SG conditions.
So what is my recommendation? I recommend a SG reading of anywhere between 1.020-1.025 for any clownfish from the Indo-Pacific region, including Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji...Marshall Islands...and other locations thereabouts. For clownfishes hailing from African waters, I prefer to keep them at higher SG readings of at least 1.023 and upwards to 1.026. Remember to shoot for one reading, and strive to maintain that SG reading. I top-off water in my aquarium once a day (at night), and doing so will keep your SG readings constant day to day without so much variation.
Another concern are other inhabitants within the tank in which you are going to place these clownfishes in, or those that already reside with them. Corals do better in SG readings of 1.023 or above. In either case, if you going to plan on building a reef-tank with corals and such, I must say please adjust the SG reading to that of at least 1.023, and preferably near or at 1.025 or slightly above.
Lastly, I cannot stress the fact of owning a refractometer. IMO, this is a device that 'should' be purchased before setting up a tank. One that is calibrated regularly will prove to be more rewarding and can save you from failures due to equipment readings later down the road (i.e. inaccurate hydrometer).
So what is my recommendation? I recommend a SG reading of anywhere between 1.020-1.025 for any clownfish from the Indo-Pacific region, including Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji...Marshall Islands...and other locations thereabouts. For clownfishes hailing from African waters, I prefer to keep them at higher SG readings of at least 1.023 and upwards to 1.026. Remember to shoot for one reading, and strive to maintain that SG reading. I top-off water in my aquarium once a day (at night), and doing so will keep your SG readings constant day to day without so much variation.
Another concern are other inhabitants within the tank in which you are going to place these clownfishes in, or those that already reside with them. Corals do better in SG readings of 1.023 or above. In either case, if you going to plan on building a reef-tank with corals and such, I must say please adjust the SG reading to that of at least 1.023, and preferably near or at 1.025 or slightly above.
Lastly, I cannot stress the fact of owning a refractometer. IMO, this is a device that 'should' be purchased before setting up a tank. One that is calibrated regularly will prove to be more rewarding and can save you from failures due to equipment readings later down the road (i.e. inaccurate hydrometer).
..to be continued...
Best,
Ilham
(post 16)
Section 7...continued..
Oh I'm on a writing spree....sorry for the dry-humor
Continuing on.....
Security
..to be continued...
Best,
Ilham
(post 17)
Oh I'm on a writing spree....sorry for the dry-humor
Continuing on.....
Security
No, I am not talking about calling around for home-security systems (not that telemarketers never call....). Security is a term that I used within a term I coined earlier--the three S's: Stability, Security, Sustenance. Remember that in the wild, if anemones did not exist, there would not be any clownfishes today. Clownfishes use anemones for a safe-haven. Anemones are protectors of clownfishes. When clownfishes feel threatened they tend to make a fast dash or sudden swimming motion to a location within the tank that they feel most 'secure'. I have witnessed in certain situations where there were no such location in a tank with a clownfish pair, and that pair made a dash for the bottom corner of a tank. A spooked clown or one that feels threatened all the time results more often in a clownfish more prone to 'jumping' out of the tank. Therefore, it is key to provide or assist clownfishes in establishing their security so they feel safe.
What are some ways to provide them with some sense of security?
One thing to consider is that clownfishes prefer places where their surroundings are completely blocked off except for one opening. For example, if we take an anemone, clownfishes will dive into it, and peer out from between/under its tentacles. If they turn around, they are facing the anemone and cannot see anything else. Therefore, as hobbyists keeping clownfishes, several things to look for are surrogate hosts. Track records of anemones in captivity are rather low (I will refrain from quoting from recent surveys and studies, as stating the obvious fact seems to already make sense, rather than complicate it further with 'statistics') even with the recent explosion of so many bubble-tip and rose bubble-tip anemones (Entacmaea quadricolour).
Acceptable surrogates:
There are so many different options for surrogate hosts for clownfishes. I prefer inanimate hosts because they require the least amount of care. Where anemones require feedings time to time, tiles and pots stay there lifeless....In addition, one costs less than a dollar, while the other one varies in cost upwards of hundreds of dollars depending on anemone species.
These hosts also provide shelter and sleeping areas for clownfishes. Yes, indeed, clowns do 'sleep' near their usual host. In addition, having a safe-haven for clownfishes helps in clownfish pairing. They tend to sleep closer together, and more often than not, right in the surrogate host. This behavior strengthens pairing relationship, and assists in a pair that may eventually spawn.
What are some ways to provide them with some sense of security?
One thing to consider is that clownfishes prefer places where their surroundings are completely blocked off except for one opening. For example, if we take an anemone, clownfishes will dive into it, and peer out from between/under its tentacles. If they turn around, they are facing the anemone and cannot see anything else. Therefore, as hobbyists keeping clownfishes, several things to look for are surrogate hosts. Track records of anemones in captivity are rather low (I will refrain from quoting from recent surveys and studies, as stating the obvious fact seems to already make sense, rather than complicate it further with 'statistics') even with the recent explosion of so many bubble-tip and rose bubble-tip anemones (Entacmaea quadricolour).
Acceptable surrogates:
- Tiles (regular bathroom tiles, kitchen tiles from hardware store (4"x4" or larger sizes)
- Terra-cotta pots (those from any garden store, comes in varying sizes; many variants)
- Expensive antique-vases? For sure. Use the replicas...
- Rocks (formation of rocks made so as to resemble a cave-like structure; many variants)
- Other corals (these include....and not limited to..Discosoma sp...Clavularia sp...Xenia sp...and others)
There are so many different options for surrogate hosts for clownfishes. I prefer inanimate hosts because they require the least amount of care. Where anemones require feedings time to time, tiles and pots stay there lifeless....In addition, one costs less than a dollar, while the other one varies in cost upwards of hundreds of dollars depending on anemone species.
These hosts also provide shelter and sleeping areas for clownfishes. Yes, indeed, clowns do 'sleep' near their usual host. In addition, having a safe-haven for clownfishes helps in clownfish pairing. They tend to sleep closer together, and more often than not, right in the surrogate host. This behavior strengthens pairing relationship, and assists in a pair that may eventually spawn.
..to be continued...
Best,
Ilham
(post 17)
NaH2O
Well-known member
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I found your post on security interesting because I often wondered why my clowns don't use the coast to coast overflow (the top back corner of it) as their secure spot. It seems like a logical spot (at least for a human ), and they've wandered there before, but never stayed. Instead, they feel most comfortable on the front of the overflow, near the top. Whenever I work on the tank, they just slowly swim down the overflow box to the lower level of the tank.
Looking forward to the next installment!
), and they've wandered there before, but never stayed. Instead, they feel most comfortable on the front of the overflow, near the top. Whenever I work on the tank, they just slowly swim down the overflow box to the lower level of the tank. Looking forward to the next installment!
northstaraquatics
The Lone Reefer
Ilham,
Thanks for the great talk tonight. Sorry for any lame questions or comments, but it has been 16 years since I had a breeding pair, although I had bonded pairs for many years. I will read through your posts with more effort and see if anything jumps out at me.
Take Care,
Jon
Thanks for the great talk tonight. Sorry for any lame questions or comments, but it has been 16 years since I had a breeding pair, although I had bonded pairs for many years. I will read through your posts with more effort and see if anything jumps out at me.
Take Care,
Jon
Rod Buehler
Well-known member
some good reading here . Nice job Elmo!
. Nice job Elmo!hey elmo did sumthing u advised aganst me doing
i but a small maroon that was getting bashed baddly by a large maroon and was going down hilll fast in to my main tank put it straight in to a bubble tip on the other end from the black O's took 3 days for the O's to ventuer further across the tank then they ever had and strated picking on the little feller but to my suprise my blue yellow damsel came and saved the day many time chasing the two clowns away back to there anenomes
everyone seems happy now glad there was no blood bath in the tank keep u posted on it
i but a small maroon that was getting bashed baddly by a large maroon and was going down hilll fast in to my main tank put it straight in to a bubble tip on the other end from the black O's took 3 days for the O's to ventuer further across the tank then they ever had and strated picking on the little feller but to my suprise my blue yellow damsel came and saved the day many time chasing the two clowns away back to there anenomes
everyone seems happy now glad there was no blood bath in the tank keep u posted on it
WOW...what a project. Thanks for some VERY valuable information. I'm setting up a 29 Gal reef tank for my daughter's high school graduation gift. Currently, it's got live sand and live rock, nothing else. I'm planning on 2 Perculas or false perculas. I've read so much confusing information about them recently. Eventually, I would like to add an anenome but am unsure what species to get as the tank is a lil' small for most species. I'll also eventually add a gobie of some kind and maybe a fire fish and a couple green Chromis. Any comments??
james734
Well-known member
Returnofsid. How do you hide a 29g tank from your daughter? ... Good luck with it.
... Good luck with it.LOL Well, it's not a secret. It's been in the process for almost a month now. She doesn't live with me but will be moving in after she graduates. There won't be any fish in it until a few days before graduation, so she's seen it and knows it's coming but will still be a bit surprised when she shows up the day after graduation to see a couple of her favorite fish swimming around.
The Apprentice
Well-known member
Thank you Ilham for the updated postings I am still keeping up and just wanted to post Thanks for starting this Thread...Jeff
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