How to Breed Clownfish

While freshwater fish are usually captive-bred, the vast majority of salt water fish are still wild caught. The most common exceptions to this are the various species of clownfish (also called anemonefish), which can be bred in captivity. Clownfish are well-known for their brilliant coloration and their fascinating symbiosis with sea anemones. Additionally, captive bred individuals are often available, which are more likely to thrive and breed in your aquarium.

Things You'll Need

  • Pair of clownfish
  • Main display aquarium
  • Anemone or acceptable coral substitute (optional)
  • Fish foods including frozen seafood, live brine shrimp, spinach and pellets
  • Flat piece of rock, i.e. slate
  • Small plastic container
  • Rearing tank at least 10 gallons
  • Air pump
  • Air stone
  • Tubing
  • Marine phytoplanton (available from specialty retailers online)
  • Marine rotifers (available from specialty retailers online)
  • Heater
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select a pair of clownfish. In the wild, clownfish form a group that shares an anemone. The largest fish becomes a female, and the second largest becomes a male. Getting a pair in captivity is tricky. The most fool-proof way to get a pair is to select a group of immature fish and let them grow up together.

    • 2

      Condition your fish. A varied diet including spinach, live brine shrimp, frozen seafood (mussels, squid, etc) and pellets helps trigger spawning in clownfish. Frequent small feedings are best. Keep up on water changes.

    • 3

      Observe your fish. Clownfish will spawn one to 12 months after being introduced into a new aquarium. The first sign that a fish is spawning will be the male swimming back and forth in front of the female. After this, the pair will clean a flat rock placed near their territory within the aquarium. Within days, they will lay eggs on the rock.

    • 4

      Set up a rearing tank. This tank should have a sponge filter, an airstone, a heater, and clean water from the main fish tank.

    • 5

      Remove the egg-covered rock. Do not expose it to air. Instead, place a plastic container inside the aquarium and place the rock inside it. Use this container to transport the eggs to the breeding aquarium.

    • 6

      Adjust the air stone so that it bubbles just above the rock, once the eggs are in the rearing tank. You should get gentle water movement without getting bubbles on the eggs. The eggs will hatch in eight to 10 days.

    • 7

      Feed the young once the eggs hatch. The eggs tend to hatch at night, and the young's yolk sacs will be empty by that morning. Feed them doses of marine rotifers and/or phytoplankton for the first 12 to 25 days. Around day five, add newly-hatched brine shrimp to their diet. At one month old, you can start to feed them dry food.