Clownfish Breeding Behavior

[ScruffyRubicon]

So I have had a pair of young True Perculas for a little over 3 months. I'm sure one is now the female. She has rapidly outgrown her mate.

My question is that they have yet to lay eggs. They have done their little clownfish jiggy dance for about amonth now, but the last few days it seems to be changing. They are looking around their anemone more and straying as much as a foot away, which they have never done. Their behavior has changed as well. They male now darts rapidly at her anytime she is more than 6 inches away and he seems more aggressive. Is this a good indication that the time is near for them to start breeding? Are there other behaviors that I might see as they get closer?

[Twitterbait]

Yes, look also for tattered fins on the female from the male nipping at her. they will also begin to clean a spot on the rocks when they are ready. It can take a long time before they feel ready for eggs so don't expect anything even with these actions.

[ScruffyRubicon]

I'll have to check the fins. They have started cleaning a tile that was placed in there for them. They spend time alternating between the two of them biting at and swishing their tails against it. Just started that last night. I didn't get a chance to check the tile this morning.

[Ms. K]

Mine did those things for about a year before I ever noticed any eggs. I've heard that moonlights encourage spawning and I actually noticed their first batch of eggs soon after I upgraded my lighting to a fixture with moonlights. Until my Rio burnout accident, they were spawning about every 2 weeks.