Clownfish breeding age?

[MadisonHarshbarger]

I have a pair of Ocellaris clowns that I picked up about 3 years ago as juveniles. They've bonded and changed sex (one is noticeably larger and more aggressive than her buddy, and has been for about 2 years). I have been patiently waiting for the day they breed, and I have not seen any sign of baby-making behavior yet, aside from some nipping and the shiver-dance they do to establish dominance. Is there a specific age they begin to reproduce, or does it simply happen after they have matured and changed from juveniles to adults? I have been feeding twice a day, water parameters are really good, and there is nothing in the tank to deter them (it is literally just them, a few crabs/snails, and about 30 lbs of live rock). At what point can I expect them to begin breeding? Is there something I can do (aside from clean water and lots of food) to encourage them to lay?

 

[mrjlopez731]

I'm in no way any expert but I do have two Snowflake clowns that have breeder already. I picked these guys up at the Manhattan Reef frag show in NYC and had them for less the 2 years now. This is their 4th X breeding in less then 2 months. Each time they have breeder, it's been about 70 to about 120 eggs sacks. To be honest I'm on the look out because it's due from tonight to tomorrow night to hatch. Again no expert because I don't have all the high quality things needed just yet to try and help them survive. I'm working on getting my Rotifer food to make sure I have that up and running. I have to feed my baby's, right? As for the other things needed, I do have most of it on hand. I've place my flower pot closer to the spot they been breeding at 3 of the 4 X's. The larger female has started to go into the pot and the smaller male is just to busy never leaving far from the batch, even when he feeds he is still close. They both will chase off anyone who gets to close. In reading more about this lately, I read some may pair up and just never breed or even some who do breed, just never get it right. They eat their own eggs or just don't know what to do, ect... I myself didn't do anything special to try and get this going with them. I feed my fish a small amount flacks in the morning and feed a mixture of frozen brine and mysis shrimp, pellets and a few flacks in the evening. When it comes to the frozen food I make my own. Brine and mysis shrimp with a paste I make out of shrimp, clams, scollop in a food processor. I add a large amount of very small pellets with Selcon, vita chem formula and garlic soaker for marina fish. Freeze that up and cut a piece off to feed. My fish, plants, coral and invertebrate all feed off this. For me breeding just happen, not sure if the things I do make them happier and want to breed. My advice is do your reading, ask some question and not everything everyone says works for all. Best of luck my friend and hope I helped in some way.

 

[Tahoe61]

Female around 2 yrs, male around 6 months, rough estimates.

 

[OrionN]

Age have nothing to do with it. How good of a condition you keep them is the question you should ask. I have clowns I raised from fry that breed at 14 months. The get feed twice a day all they can eat, and keep just as a pair. They grew really fast. I find that dry food can really add a lot of calory and weight to the fish, much more than frozen food. I feed both. I jus a pipet and release the a little bit a time and not add more until the swallow the last bit. It take me 5 mins or so twice a day, but they absolutly full twice a day without leaving excessive food to decay. This is how I feed and conditin my brookstock