MadReefer Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 My clowns are ripping apart their xenia. And they are always attacking the glass on the front and side. Are they getting ready to spawn or are they just crazy? Here is a pic and video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Does not really look like spawning behavior to me. But I am no expert when it comes to clownfish spawning. I think that they "pick" at a small area near their host and appear to "clean" it repeatedly. Yours look like they are attacking something on the glass or outside the glass. It seems more like territorial defense rather than being "in the mood" dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadReefer Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 They are always cleaning the rock under the xenia also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Reef Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 I've seen this many times. When clownfish are just about ready to lay eggs they will bite at the surface in which they are preparing to lay them. When the clownfish find themselves the proper spot it will not be long until it lays them on the area it has chosen. The same biting of the rock has been exhibited every time in two different pairs of our clownfish just before they laid eggs. We had a pair of Black Ocellaris in our display and after 3 years they started laying eggs. The female unfortunately died, and we were left with two male Black Ocellaris. We threw in a female True Percula, and within a few months she started breeding with the largest male. Their spot happened to be right next to the Jakarta Xenia as well. The biting of the glass, as you can see, particularly occurs in the vicinity of of their home. When clownfish begin to lay eggs (Especially wild ones) they can get quite aggressive against other clownfish, and any unlucky fish that happens to wander to close. The clownfish look like they are seeing their reflection, and in turn are trying to bite it to keep it from coming closer. I'm sure they'll settle down eventually, but clownfish as a whole are pretty persistent. If they're going to lay eggs, that I'm not quite sure. This is purely because of the reflection situation. As long as there is something that is seen as a threat it's possible that they will not lay until it's gone away. If they do lay eggs though, you should see them waving over the spot with their tail rapidly. You can find the eggs easily every time with that bit of information, as once the eggs are laid they do it constantly. Hope this helps! Ricky Soutas Jr. -Soutas Saltwater & Reef Inc.- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadReefer Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 Okay, so they could lay eggs in a week or a year. Would it help to isolate them from other fish? Right now there is a cardinal in there that likes to hang out by the xenia and the female always chases it away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Reef Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Okay, so they could lay eggs in a week or a year. Would it help to isolate them from other fish? Right now there is a cardinal in there that likes to hang out by the xenia and the female always chases it away. It would help, but it is totally up to you. Either way the breeding of baby clownfish is a very extensive process needing more then a few tanks (8 or more) for each different part of their life. The chances that the babies will survive in that tank (As in our tank) is next to none. Don't let it get you down. It's rather exciting to see the baby fry hatch at night, but unfortunately that is when their journey ends; unless you have the proper equipment. :( Ricky Soutas Jr. -Soutas Saltwater & Reef Inc.- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadReefer Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 Thanks for the info. I am considering setting up a system to raise the fry and to raise all the food for the fry, but for now I am just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 wow....they really like their Xenia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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