Clown Spawning Help Needed

[snafu38]

Hi, about 6 months ago I got a breeding pair of A. Ocellaris that surprisingly started breeding within 2 weeks. They kept breeding for a few months, when things changed. Winter hit & even with 600W of heater, the temp did drop a few degrees C.

Also my 'guru' who hasnt finished off my system yet & needs to raise the bio-balls completely out of the sump water, suggested I need to raise the bio load & that I should get some live rock & more fish.

After curing I added the 1/2 the rock into each tank (2 tanks run off one big sump) & put a pair of domino damsels in. The following day the damsels were put in the 2nd tank as they stayed too close to the Clowns breeding pot.

From that moment on there has been no eggs laid. It is now warming up down here so the temp is more stable & they have had several months to get used to the rock.

The ammonia always comes up at 0.1, but the Nitrate comes out between 20 & 60. I know this is not good, I do changes weekly, & use Cycle to promote Ntirifying bacteria growth & Prime to detoxify the nitrates.

At least twice a day, usually a lot more, they are both in their cave going through all the mating rituals & movements. It looks like everything is normal, though half the time she is 1/2 an inch from the pot surface when she does her passes. There just isnt any eggs being deposited.

My question is can anyone suggest what may be wrong ? I have the light on a timer, I try to feed them several times a day but they are getting really fussy now so I have cut back to once daily for a while.

I know these guys can breed as Ive nearly been able to raise their fry, it looks like they want to breed, just no eggs. Help greatly appreciated, thanks,

Stan
[email protected]

 

[MikeS]

Tell us as much as you can about your particular setup...How big, how old, livesotck, equipment, maintenance, ect....

Elmo is our clown guru, I'll drag him in here....

MikeS

 

[snafu38]

Clown Spawning

Hi Mike,

it is a 2 tank system, both are just under the average 3' tank (so they could fit on the metal stands I have) and are slightly taller than usual. One sits above the other & all up are some 7'+ high. I have esitmated the total volume, including the sump, to be about 280 litres.

They are run off a single sump, with the water overflowing into the sump, & being put back by the single pump. The water is fed into the tanks by long spray bars.

The sump houses the heater, pump, UV steriliser (though rarely run as its on loan), a removable bag of charcoal, with water sprayed over a heap of bio-balls. I know there is a problem with them as my'guru' hasnt finished installing the system, & 1/2 the balls are submerged. I now have what I hope are the materials to raise them all out of the water. This is where my 'guru' says the nitrate problem comes from.

Only the bottom (breeding) tank has a light which is on a 12 hour timer. I pull a sheet around the system at night so any light from the TV etc shouldnt disturb them.

Inside each tank is about 5kg of cured live rock. This seems very healthy, a sea urchin has come from nowhere, as well as worms & some corals seem to be making a start. The bottom tank also has a ceramic pot on its side for the clowns, which is where they have laid eggs & continue to 'practice' in daily.

Top tank has the rock, 2 domino damsels, plus a skimmer & its pump. Both tanks have lids etc.

The live rock & damsels arrived about 3 months ago. The clowns arrived about 6-8 months ago & bred within 2 weeks.

The entire system was set up over a year ago. It initially had several breeding pairs of Kuda seahorses, however they virtually boiled to death in the New Years heatwave we had (Sydney Australia), but this problem is now fixed by insisting the landlord install an A/C. Their temp does at times fluctuate by 2 degrees C, but over a period of days, & stays within their preferred range.

As the tanks are fairly bare, the weekly vacuum of waste is easy & I try to ensure I get inside any holes in the rock. I try to do between 20 & 60 litres per week. The replacement water is made with Coral Seas salt & tap water. Our dam is almost empty so its far from its best quality. I can smell the extra chlorine in it, but I have set up another spare tank where I mix the salt, use ager etc, & let it sit & mix (with a small powerhead) for a week or 2.

The sponge at the top of the overflow gets changed with every water change, & a thin foam mat on top of the bio balls gets changed & washed every couple of months, but possibly not enough.

I am sure the system is still establishing itself & I still have an annoying brown algae problem that comes & goes. My big question is, why have a good breeding pair suddenly stopped.

Thats all I can think of, if there is anything else or you want me to send some pics, my email is [email protected]

Anyhow, thanks for all this help, Ive spoken with Elmo before & if you come across him, any input he has will be appreciated also. Thanks again,

Stan

 

[Elmo18]

Hi there Stan.

Stress, whether it be temperature fluctuations, pH fluctuations, falling rocks, new water pumps/flow direction, can and do have effect on clownfish spawning.

If they are a mated pair (I use this term to mean "breeding pair"), then you already know that the female can lay eggs, and the male fertilizes them. I'm assuming you saw their eggs prior to getting them from your source, or at least saw photos of them with their eggs.

Clownfish can be picky on an individual basis. A stress factor can make them stop spawning for months (i.e. at least 3 months, or longer). Even moving them to a new tank prove to make them stop spawning.

Keep water quality up, dont let things wander, and feed high quality foods.

THen all you can really do is wait and be patient

Best,
Ilham

 

[snafu38]

Clown Spawning

Hi Ilham & Mike,

thanks for your ideas. 2 nights ago I noticed that one of their afternoon practice runs finally worked & she had laid a below average number of eggs.

I guess it was probably stress, with the rock being added. No rocks have fallen, the tank is very stable & constant in all regards, just the Nitrate being high, but apparently that isnt bothering them.

The only thing I really changed over the last week has been to reduce the amount of food they get, some days down to just a single small feed.

Thanks again & I'll let you know how it goes,

Stan