How to Breed Tomato Clownfish

Tomato clownfish add beauty to any aquarium with their bright orange-red coloring and the distinctive vertical white stripe behind their eye. These hardy saltwater fish are also a great choice for beginner aquarium hobbyists as well as those interested in breeding marine fish. To breed tomato clownfish, you'll need little more than a mated pair, comfortable fish environment and some patience.

Things You'll Need

  • 29-gallon or larger aquarium
  • Live rock
  • Vertical decorations
  • Vegetables
  • Raw seafood
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Instructions

    • 1

      Establish a mated pair. Buy a mated pair from an aquarium shop. A healthy pair should swim together and seem attached. You can also determine the genders of the fish yourself to create a mated pair. Purchase a group of juvenile tomato clownfish and observe them often. Every tomato clownfish is born as a male and as the fish grow, the most dominant and largest of the school will become a female. The second largest fish will become her male breeding mate, and the other fish will remain juveniles.

    • 2

      Set up a 29-gallon or larger aquarium just for the mated pair. Decorate the tank with live rock and vertical decorations such as a clay pot. Ensure the water quality is ideal with zero nitrates, a pH range between 8.0 and 8.3 and a temperature between 75 and 81 degrees. This will create a stress-free environment for the animals and promote breeding.

    • 3

      Feed the fish a steady and healthy diet of vegetables and raw seafood, including prawns, mussels and squid. Give the pair small bits of food at regular periods throughout the day.

    • 4

      Allow the pair to mate. A pair of tomato clownfish will begin spawning anywhere from one to 12 months after being established in their aquarium. When it's time to spawn, both fish will become aggressive. The male will begin the "clownfish waggle," a dance which includes it swimming up and down in front of the female. The pair will also begin cleaning their selected breeding surface. The fish will spawn in the afternoon or early evening.