[cari]

Hello

I think my clown fish is pregnant I am new to this my tank is about 3 months old my clown fish seems to be acting strange staying out of site from the other fish in the tank I only have one other clown and a yellow tang with about 50 ponds of live rock. How can i tell if she is pregnant and if she is do I need to seperate her into something else to protect babies?

 

[JIM]

It is very unlikely, but not impossible i suppose, that your fish is expecting. It is ,more likely it is being pestered by someone else in the tank, also if by the very remote possibility, it is expecting, i have serious doubts about the fry ever becoming viable. I hate to sound like a wet blanket, but experts in the field of Saltwater fishkeeping have a very hard time getting baby fish in captivity, Although again i stress ANYTHING is possible

 

[Billythefish]

Hi and welcome
Are your two clowns different sizes and both the same type of clown fish.
IMO you would have a big one ''female'' and the smaller ''male'' because clown fish are hermaphroditic the female will always be the largest of a breeding pair, the size is the best way to determine gender as its the only noticeable difference.
If you do have a breeding pair then you only need to make sure you have a smooth piece of slate or live rock for the clown fish to lay her eggs, and when they hatch collect the fry and feed them brine shrimp or some other type of fry food.
Hiding clown fish is more than likely a result of being shocked by you putting the lights on without warning Or it could be sick.
What are your water parameters?

 

[Billythefish]

It is very unlikely, but not impossible i suppose, that your fish is expecting. It is ,more likely it is being pestered by someone else in the tank, also if by the very remote possibility, it is expecting, i have serious doubts about the fry ever becoming viable. I hate to sound like a wet blanket, but experts in the field of Saltwater fishkeeping have a very hard time getting baby fish in captivity, Although again i stress ANYTHING is possible

Hay Jim
Would you agree that clown fish are one of the worlds easiest salt water fish to keep and breed?.. hence tank raised clown fish being one of the most sold fish in the business.

 

[cari]

She is quite fat and is staying hidden not like she was scared i don't turn on my lights at the same time and i wait till about 10am to turn them on .she is just staying away from my other clown which is not like her they are always together.the lfs said she is probably pregnant but their is nothing i can do to try to save the babies not totally buying that but we'll she what happens.

 

[Billythefish]

Well It would be best to leave the clowns as they are and remove the tang if she is pregnant because this way she wouldn't get to stressed out.

HOW big are your clowns?... it could also be that the pair are going through the process of battling for there gender as clowns can chose to be male or female depending on who's the more dominant.

 

[cari]

They are about 1 1/2 inches each. She is know burying her self inside my rock which she has never done face down.

 

[JIM]

Hay Jim
Would you agree that clown fish are one of the worlds easiest salt water fish to keep and breed?.. hence tank raised clown fish being one of the most sold fish in the business.

Yes i would agree to that statement, and i hope this is the case, i just think that, under the circumstances, with the Tang involved, in a small area, there are better explanations. But if she turns up with a tank load of baby clowns, Ill be the first to say Congrats

 

[Billythefish]

They are about 1 1/2 inches each. She is know burying her self inside my rock which she has never done face down.

In that case I wouldn't think she is pregnant, More a case of being bullied like Jim said.
Far to small for breeding IMO.

You could try to move your rocks around to help make new territories, this will help lower aggression.

 

[JIM]

In that case I wouldn't think she is pregnant, More a case of being bullied like Jim said.
Far to small for breeding IMO.

You could try to move your rocks around to help make new territories, this will help lower aggression.

Im so happy you agree with me Billy, youre the first today