Keeping a breeding pair of clownfish in a 15-gallon tank

[oceanlover]

I recently made the switch from an 8 gallon to a 15 gallon, and I'm really hoping to get my clownfish to breed. I've been thinking about trying a male and female pair in a live rock 15 gallon - do you think that's doable?

[whetu]

Honestly, I'm no expert on Marine fish, but I'd advise against it. To keep clownfish happy enough to breed, I think you'd need a lot more space - probably around 50 gallons.

[Bryntil]

I'm not familiar with saltwater, but I've got a 65L tank, which is roughly the same size as a 15G. I've had success with a mix of fish in my 65L, but I'm not sure if that translates to clownfish. I've seen people keep two clownfish in smaller tanks, but I'm not sure that's suitable for breeding.

[Bryntil]

I'm on the same page as whetu, bigger is indeed better, but 50 gallons for just two fish seems excessive.

[cavallo]

I think you'll figure out if they're comfortable enough to spawn, but really, a 50 gallon or larger would be ideal, especially with a reef or other fish. They lay their eggs on live rock, so a reef is necessary. I'm setting up my first saltwater fish and reef tank, a 32 gallon nano tank with a built-in sump, perfect for a newbie like me. I'm not planning on breeding my clown fish, I just want about 5 fish and mostly reef since I'm really into corals. Fish will breed when conditions are right, I've only had gourami breed once, and I had to give away all the fish because it was too many for my 30 gallon tank.

I'm currently cycling a 90 gallon tank for my huge Dojo loaches, they've grown from 3" to 15" in just 6 months. I love these friendly fish. Once that's done, I'll work on my 32 gallon reef tank. Some people think I have too many rocks, but I want mostly coral, so I'm not sure if 30 lbs of rocks is too much. I only plan to have 5 or so fish and larger invertebrates.

Save up for at least a 50 gallon tank, and don't be disappointed if they still don't breed. If they do, they can lay up to 1000 eggs, so be prepared to move them to a small tank before they're all eaten. The babies only eat live food, and a lot of them die, but you'll likely end up with more clown fish than you can handle. They're born sexless, but if two bond, the stronger one will turn female and the smaller one will turn male. Some fish stores sell bonded pairs, or you can start with two young fish and let them pair off naturally. It's an interesting process, but make sure you know what you're getting into.

[oceanlover]

I think you'll figure out if they're comfortable enough to spawn, but really, a 50 gallon or larger would be ideal, especially with a reef or other fish. They lay their eggs on live rock, so a reef is necessary. I'm setting up my first saltwater fish and reef tank, a 32 gallon nano tank with a built-in sump, perfect for a newbie like me. I'm not planning on breeding my clown fish, I just want about 5 fish and mostly reef since I'm really into corals. Fish will breed when conditions are right, I've only had gourami breed once, and I had to give away all the fish because it was too many for my 30 gallon tank.

I'm currently cycling a 90 gallon tank for my huge Dojo loaches, they've grown from 3" to 15" in just 6 months. I love these friendly fish. Once that's done, I'll work on my 32 gallon reef tank. Some people think I have too many rocks, but I want mostly coral, so I'm not sure if 30 lbs of rocks is too much. I only plan to have 5 or so fish and larger invertebrates.

Save up for at least a 50 gallon tank, and don't be disappointed if they still don't breed. If they do, they can lay up to 1000 eggs, so be prepared to move them to a small tank before they're all eaten. The babies only eat live food, and a lot of them die, but you'll likely end up with more clown fish than you can handle. They're born sexless, but if two bond, the stronger one will turn female and the smaller one will turn male. Some fish stores sell bonded pairs, or you can start with two young fish and let them pair off naturally. It's an interesting process, but make sure you know what you're getting into.

I'm planning to sell the baby clownfish off once they're big enough, that way I can help manage the population and make sure they're going to good homes.

[brunobear]

I recently made the switch from an 8 gallon to a 15 gallon, and I'm really hoping to get my clownfish to breed. I've been thinking about trying a male and female pair in a live rock 15 gallon - do you think that's doable?

Honestly, I think this is a pretty ambitious plan. Clownfish aren't exactly the most challenging marine fish to breed, but they still require a lot of expertise and specialized equipment. Given your experience level, I'd say it's unlikely you'll be successful.

Successful breeders have spent years studying these fish and have custom-built setups designed specifically for breeding, complete with multiple pairs of fish, grow-out tanks, live food cultures - the whole nine yards. If you're serious about breeding clownfish, you'll need to be prepared to put in that kind of time and effort.

And let's say you do manage to breed them - then what? You'll need to have a plan in place for the fry. Fish shops aren't usually interested in buying them, as they require a lot of care and attention. They're looking for fish that will turn a quick profit, not ones that need to be nurtured and raised.

[oceanlover]

I recently made the switch from an 8 gallon to a 15 gallon, and I'm really hoping to get my clownfish to breed. I've been thinking about trying a male and female pair in a live rock 15 gallon - do you think that's doable?

Honestly, I think this is a pretty ambitious plan. Clownfish aren't exactly the most challenging marine fish to breed, but they still require a lot of expertise and specialized equipment. Given your experience level, I'd say it's unlikely you'll be successful.

Successful breeders have spent years studying these fish and have custom-built setups designed specifically for breeding, complete with multiple pairs of fish, grow-out tanks, live food cultures - the whole nine yards. If you're serious about breeding clownfish, you'll need to be prepared to put in that kind of time and effort.

And let's say you do manage to breed them - then what? You'll need to have a plan in place for the fry. Fish shops aren't usually interested in buying them, as they require a lot of care and attention. They're looking for fish that will turn a quick profit, not ones that need to be nurtured and raised.

If they're not likely to breed in a 15 gallon, how can I prevent them from breeding?

[cavallo]

I've had several bonded pairs of fish, not clowns, and the conditions were never quite right for breeding. In my four years of experience, I've only had one pair of fish breed, so I think the odds of yours breeding are relatively low. While clown fish are considered fairly easy to breed, this is relative to other fish - they're still not easy. I've found breeding to be quite challenging, aside from livebearing fish like neptunes.

Since they produce a large number of fry and you likely won't be able to keep them separate, you could just leave them in the tank. Some will manage to hide and grow up, but unfortunately, most will get eaten. It's not ideal, but it's a way to resolve the issue.

[oceanlover]

I think you'll figure out if they're comfortable enough to spawn, but really, a 50 gallon or larger would be ideal, especially with a reef or other fish. They lay their eggs on live rock, so a reef is necessary. I'm setting up my first saltwater fish and reef tank, a 32 gallon nano tank with a built-in sump, perfect for a newbie like me. I'm not planning on breeding my clown fish, I just want about 5 fish and mostly reef since I'm really into corals. Fish will breed when conditions are right, I've only had gourami breed once, and I had to give away all the fish because it was too many for my 30 gallon tank.

I'm currently cycling a 90 gallon tank for my huge Dojo loaches, they've grown from 3" to 15" in just 6 months. I love these friendly fish. Once that's done, I'll work on my 32 gallon reef tank. Some people think I have too many rocks, but I want mostly coral, so I'm not sure if 30 lbs of rocks is too much. I only plan to have 5 or so fish and larger invertebrates.

Save up for at least a 50 gallon tank, and don't be disappointed if they still don't breed. If they do, they can lay up to 1000 eggs, so be prepared to move them to a small tank before they're all eaten. The babies only eat live food, and a lot of them die, but you'll likely end up with more clown fish than you can handle. They're born sexless, but if two bond, the stronger one will turn female and the smaller one will turn male. Some fish stores sell bonded pairs, or you can start with two young fish and let them pair off naturally. It's an interesting process, but make sure you know what you're getting into.

Thanks for the advice, I'll think carefully about breeding. Moving on, is it ok to get 1 clownfish, 1 yellow clown goby and 1 cleaner shrimp in my 15 gallon?