Best source for non mutant/cull-worthy clownfish?

[MoparMike97]

Does anyone sell high quality clowns anymore? I'm trying to get a harem of wild type/normal ocellaris going in my tank, but my LFS only gets ORA clowns and the quality has frankly been horrific. It's pretty sad to see some of the stuff that gets sent out to be sold to the public: flared gills, pug noses, dented foreheads, misshapen fins, dull colors... I remember getting wild clowns years ago and these CB ones are a shadow of those fish.

I was going to ask my LFS and see if they could order from Sea and Reef Aquaculture, but I wasn't sure if their quality was any better. I'd also be open to ordering directly if there smaller breeders producing quality fish or selling WC clowns. Any tips would be appreciated!

 

[KrisReef]

Another data point regarding captive breeding and the oft sung durge; "My Frag Tank is Just Like Noah's Ark"
Someday it will supply the climate devistated reefs...
Sad song, but I'm hyjacking a legetemate Fred with my Capt. Bred spelzings and coment.

If I see a wild pair I'll rebump @NemReefer13 (Welcome to Reef2Reef)

 

[JonezNReef]

Could try here http://ibluewater.com/clownfish.html

 

[Jdadams]

Getting your hands on some wild caught is pricey these days. I have a pair of WC true percs and they are the most beautiful fish to me. Pointed nose, big fins and just a all around stronger and healthier looking fish. These captive bred trash these days isn’t worth looking at. Marine collectors can get them.

 

[Jdadams]

There is also “ the reef corner”. Search him on YouTube. He gets all his stuff wild and uploads videos of his new stuff there. He also has IG thereefcorner. He only ships airport to airport though

 

[Tamberav]

Does anyone sell high quality clowns anymore? I'm trying to get a harem of wild type/normal ocellaris going in my tank, but my LFS only gets ORA clowns and the quality has frankly been horrific. It's pretty sad to see some of the stuff that gets sent out to be sold to the public: flared gills, pug noses, dented foreheads, misshapen fins, dull colors... I remember getting wild clowns years ago and these CB ones are a shadow of those fish.

I was going to ask my LFS and see if they could order from Sea and Reef Aquaculture, but I wasn't sure if their quality was any better. I'd also be open to ordering directly if there smaller breeders producing quality fish or selling WC clowns. Any tips would be appreciated!

Check out Vossen aquatics. He is a small breeder and has sold harems before.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Honestly the clowns I received from Sustainable Aquatics are much nicer than what I've seen come from ORA, especially if you stick with the non-designer breeds. My saddleback clowns are gorgeous, and my percularis don't seem to have stubby noses, bad gill covers etc. They also have WYSIWYG singles and pairs available, so you can pick out the exact clowns you'd be receiving.

Their retail site is www.CoralReefTN.com

 

[MoparMike97]

Thanks for the recommendations! I think I'm going to give Sustainable Aquatics a try, seems like their fish are nice quality and they have quite the selection to choose from. I'll definitely report back with a quality review.

Also, I just want to say, I'm all for captive breeding efforts and don't want to single out ORA in particular (because they're far from the only ones with defect issues) but unfortunately it seems like some of these breeders are willing to let quality go down the crapper just to pump out more fish. I understand they need to be profitable, but I'd much rather pay $50-60 for a perfect, wild looking Ocellaris than $20 for something that should have been culled. Clownfish sadly seem to be heading the same direction as some freshwater fish (like Cichlids), where imbreeding/linebreeding for mutations and color morphs is the focus of most efforts, which is only exacerbating defect issues. To me, quality should be priority over quantity but until people make that clear to breeders, then I don't see these issues getting better anytime soon.