by Tammy L Mahan

Created on: June 03, 2010

Clown fish became a popular aquarium fish after the blockbuster “Finding Nemo” came out. Of course in the movie, Nemo was orange in color but a Clown fish is not limited to the color orange. The can also be yellow, black, red, and some Clown fish have white patches while others may have white bars.

Clown fish are also called Anemone fish. There are roughly two dozen different species of the Clown fish.

Breeding Clown fish is usually not difficult. One of the most important things for success is correctly sexing the mating pair.

Clown fish change genders. For example, a hierarchy of sorts takes place. If the largest female in the aquarium dies, the largest male will become a female and take her place. A juvenile (which are gender neutral) will then become a male. Once a Clown fish becomes a female, they can not turn back into a male.

Therefore, the most difficult part of breeding Clown fish is determining the sex of the fish. The female Clown fish is larger than the male. However sometimes, it is difficult to tell because the female and male may be fairly close to the same size.

Tip number one for breeding Clown fish is to purchase a healthy pair from an aquarium store. This will almost guarantee that you are getting a male and a female.

Tip number two for breeding Clown fish is to allow the pair(s) to live together and get settled into the community aquarium. Beware, the females do have a tendency to kill the males. Many people suggest buying one female and two or three males and letting the females choose her own mate.

Tip number three is to make sure you have the breeding aquarium set up correctly. You will need a twenty to thirty gallon aquarium, depending on the size of the Clown fish you are trying to breed. You will also need a light with a timer so the fish can follow a normal day/night routine. You will also need a heater and a clay pot is recommended for spawning.

Once the eggs are laid, they are a bright orange color. A few days the later the color will fade. The male stays with the eggs. They hatch about eight days after spawning. You can leave the larvae in the tank or move them to a larva tank.

The first ten days are the most important. If they make it to day ten, they will most likely survive.

Breeding Clown fish is very rewarding and there is no reason why you should not be successful if you do it properly. This article covers the basics only. You should purchase a book on breeding Clown fish for all of the specific details you will need to know.

Source www.animalworld.com

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