Do you prefer designer or normal Clownfish?

[elorablue]

I love my frostbites. They’re active and explore the tank all the time.

 

[KK's Reef]

Hi all, how many of you prefer designer Clowns, and how many prefer the original wild strains? Personally, I would pick one that looks like a wild fish any day over a designer Clown.

Maybe I’m being paranoid but sometimes I’m worried that even captive bred ones that look like wild Clowns carry these designer genes due to attempts to breed designer Clowns.

Wild ones all the way for me.

I’m aware some varieties occur in the wild, and I admit I can find a wild type Picasso Percula pretty attractive, but a lot of the others like Snowflakes, Gold Brick Maroons, Gladiators, “Zombie” and “Longfin” I’m just like….. ugh, give me a break.

Agree. Designer clowns remind me of glow in the dark guppies or tetras. It just. ain't right.

 

[salty joe]

I like wild clowns way better. My three blue striped clowns move around the tank mostly hanging together. One of these days, I'll get an anemone for them.

 

[Crotalus]

I have 4 clowns and they are boring.

 

[saltnut]

I am a big fan of the original clowns. I do now have a snow flake simply because that is all the store had the day I went to replace a jumper. He is a cutie but had the store had ocellaris percula I would have purchased one of those.

 

[Reef Obsession]

I absolutely hate designer clowns. It’s so wrong. Get them out of the hobby! Nature knows what’s best let keep it that way.

 

[Gup]

I love Picasso’s. They can be found in nature though.

Example of a WILD Picasso. Look how beautiful and perfect the shape of its head is. This is an example of the ultimate clown to me. Perfect shape Mother Nature created but with a little flare.



Most important thing is the body shape. Plenty of pinched heads, pug noses, etc in both the original colors and the designers. ORA seems like a big offender of not culling properly.

I've never seen any Clown that looks exactly as the image you put up here. It looks a bit like a Picasso with a pinch of Gunshot Clown.

I would purchase that exact Clown in a heartbeat

 

[Zionas]

Agree!

 

[Appoloreefer]

Hate clowns, whether its designer or normal, there is no point to them.
Would you have a dog that sat in a corner all day and night and when you went near it it bit you? Thats all a clownfish does. I just do not get the fascination with them, I'm sure Finding Nemo was made purely to annoy the heck out of me, they should have let Bruce eat the little jerk and finished the film there.
But each to their own.

I have had different types of clowns and never had any bite me when I was cleaning the tank and they would swim around. maybe I am one of the lucky ones. I love clowns and think they are a staple to any reef tank

 

[socalfishy]

I have and love my black onyx pair, but i really like those designer white ones. It looks like it has a ski mask on. LOL

 

[MartinWaite]

To me all these designer clowns are absolutely horrible and shouldn't be sold. You can't beat good wild caught clowns.

 

[Miami Reef]

Can someone please insert a photo or 2 of the ugliest “designer” clown. Asking for a friend.

 

[jfoahs04]

Happy with either, but I love some of the designer patterns. Mocha Storms are gorgeous (little cows), but I love most of them except the all whites - looks like the printer broke.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

While I must admit I do like a few of the cultured clown strains (picassos mainly), there is a massive issue that has yet to be addressed in the industry: There's no way to keep watch of health issues that arise with the color morphs. With dog breeding for example, you keep a close eye on the pedigrees and lineages of the dogs and do frequest genetic testing to make sure nothing's gone awry. And when something does go wrong, you stop using that dog. The problem is, there just aren't ways to test for genetic issues or immune problems in these clownfish. Many of the deeply ingressed cultivars (storms, gladiators, nakeds, etc) have waeker imune systems and fall victim to Ich very easily. We also don't know if there are any mutations of the internal organs either, which means that some captive strains may be ticking time bombs, destined to die of heart failure before their lives are up. There's also the issue of mental problems that I have recognized in many designer clowns, such as complete lack of fear and inability to properly find refuge in anemones. Though these issues aren't that big of problem on the surface, they very well may be tied to other issues under the skin that just haven't popped up yet.
There's a reason you don't find "Ultimate Frostbitten Dragonstorm Bloodray" in the wild.
I am by no means saying that selective breeding shouldn't be done, if anything I encourage it, but the lack of care put into monitoring the genetics of these fish is something I really find stupid. I realize that this is a very recent industry, but anyone who breeds animals for a living will see the issue.

(Side note, my family has been in the dog breeding business for the past decade so I do have some understanding of the issue)

 

[czoolander]

Original all day ! Like the classic look and his bold personality literally has no fear of anything haha

 

[Tamberav]

While I must admit I do like a few of the cultured clown strains (picassos mainly), there is a massive issue that has yet to be addressed in the industry: There's no way to keep watch of health issues that arise with the color morphs. With dog breeding for example, you keep a close eye on the pedigrees and lineages of the dogs and do frequest genetic testing to make sure nothing's gone awry. And when something does go wrong, you stop using that dog. The problem is, there just aren't ways to test for genetic issues or immune problems in these clownfish. Many of the deeply ingressed cultivars (storms, gladiators, nakeds, etc) have waeker imune systems and fall victim to Ich very easily. We also don't know if there are any mutations of the internal organs either, which means that some captive strains may be ticking time bombs, destined to die of heart failure before their lives are up. There's also the issue of mental problems that I have recognized in many designer clowns, such as complete lack of fear and inability to properly find refuge in anemones. Though these issues aren't that big of problem on the surface, they very well may be tied to other issues under the skin that just haven't popped up yet.
There's a reason you don't find "Ultimate Frostbitten Dragonstorm Bloodray" in the wild.
I am by no means saying that selective breeding shouldn't be done, if anything I encourage it, but the lack of care put into monitoring the genetics of these fish is something I really find stupid. I realize that this is a very recent industry, but anyone who breeds animals for a living will see the issue.

(Side note, my family has been in the dog breeding business for the past decade so I do have some understanding of the issue)

Lots of dog breeds have many genetic issues that are not being fixed because purists don't want to bring in outside breeds so some are riddled with cancer for example. I am not sure this is the best example tbh... some dog breeds are even bred to have health problems like short nosed breeds because it is cute.

I guess you could say good breeders try to keep eye problems and hip dysplasia and such out of the breeds but many breeds are a bit of a mess with other problems.

I also am pretty sure that SOME breeders do try to bring in wild genes when able. A lot of our morphs are also crosses between clowns that do not meet each other in the wild. The black occy is a great example of a clownfish that is likely not pure and you need to track down true darwin black occy through specific breeders who have been tracing the lines. Yes, some breeders are tracking lines and not every place you buy a clown from is equal. I haven't looked recently but used to be able to purchase certain "F" generations of clowns from breeders.... so like first generation from wild, second, and so on. Maybe this is fallen out of favor. Not sure.

 

[elorablue]

While I must admit I do like a few of the cultured clown strains (picassos mainly), there is a massive issue that has yet to be addressed in the industry: There's no way to keep watch of health issues that arise with the color morphs. With dog breeding for example, you keep a close eye on the pedigrees and lineages of the dogs and do frequest genetic testing to make sure nothing's gone awry. And when something does go wrong, you stop using that dog. The problem is, there just aren't ways to test for genetic issues or immune problems in these clownfish. Many of the deeply ingressed cultivars (storms, gladiators, nakeds, etc) have waeker imune systems and fall victim to Ich very easily. We also don't know if there are any mutations of the internal organs either, which means that some captive strains may be ticking time bombs, destined to die of heart failure before their lives are up. There's also the issue of mental problems that I have recognized in many designer clowns, such as complete lack of fear and inability to properly find refuge in anemones. Though these issues aren't that big of problem on the surface, they very well may be tied to other issues under the skin that just haven't popped up yet.
There's a reason you don't find "Ultimate Frostbitten Dragonstorm Bloodray" in the wild.
I am by no means saying that selective breeding shouldn't be done, if anything I encourage it, but the lack of care put into monitoring the genetics of these fish is something I really find stupid. I realize that this is a very recent industry, but anyone who breeds animals for a living will see the issue.

(Side note, my family has been in the dog breeding business for the past decade so I do have some understanding of the issue)

Interesting How would you address the fact of “hybrid vigour “.
Also do you have any scientific studies to support your claim of ich susceptibility in the strains you have mentioned?

 

[elorablue]

Lots of dog breeds have many genetic issues that are not being fixed because purists don't want to bring in outside breeds so some are riddled with cancer for example. I am not sure this is the best example tbh... some dog breeds are even bred to have health problems like short nosed breeds because it is cute.

I guess you could say good breeders try to keep eye and hip dysplasia and such out of the breeds but many breeds are a bit of a mess with other problems.

I also am pretty sure that SOME breeders do try to bring in wild genes when able. A lot of our morphs are also crosses between clowns that do not meet each other in the wild. The black occy is a great example of a clownfish that is likely not pure and you need to track down true darwin black occy through specific breeders who have been tracing the lines. Yes, some breeders are tracking lines and not every place you buy a clown from is equal. I haven't looked recently but used to be able to purchase certain "F" generations of clowns from breeders.... so like first generation from wild, second, and so on.

Don’t forget poor bulging eye breeds that are bred that way because they look more like babies.

 

[bevo5]

I got a pair of wisconsin that I think are pertty dang cool. They're almost all white but with a clownfish 'face.' I think I like those better than normal ones, but they're all pretty great.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Interesting How would you address the fact of “hybrid vigour “.
Also do you have any scientific studies to support your claim of ich susceptibility in the strains you have mentioned?

Most clownfish breeds are not hybrids, to my knowledge there aren't many hybrid clowns but I may be wrong.
And no, I do no have any written claims of this, I am going off of experience alone. Thanks for pointing that out.