false clownfish behavior and sexing

[reddg321]

i have read over a lot of material over the last few weeks and still unclear of whats the behaviors are and possible sexing of clownfish. i have read places that the male/female will do jolts next to the other to show of domination or such and others that say the jolting is pairing and/or mating. also have read many that say maybe tint is a sign of whos who . i have 4 clown fish atleast 2 inchs in length 2 of which are darker than the other 2 . the 2 light ones seem to do jolts when one of the dark ones get near. but now have split them up dark in one tank light in the other. now that the light ones are together one of the light ones does the same jolt next to the other light one. and no jolts present in dark ones. if u have any info or have breed clowns many times plz let us know supposed behaviors, if any color diffrences and other helpful info.

[reddg321]

on a side note when i talk about tint im reffering to the darkness in the fish as i have 2 that are darker in color at the top fin to the tail where as the other 2 are lighter in color at the top fin leading to back tail

[ScruffyRubicon]

Can you give us a pic. Are they the same type of clowns?

[reddg321]

atm working on finding cam. as soon as i find ill have pictures up.

[reddg321]

ok heres pics. the cams a cheapo so pics arent great. u cant really tell to much color as the cam requires flash. but gives a idea of the type

[fish.freak]

From what I see you have 2 false perculas, both unsexed juv. or young males, but the more dominat one may shift to female with age. How long have you had them and what size tank...

[reddg321]

just got em from the LFS 2 weeks ago. i have 4 all together in total atm i have 2 in my 55g and the other 2 in my 45g. i have been watching them closely and the 2 thats in the 55 has started to display possable breeding habbits ie. rubbing on clay pot i put in tank and cleaning the area occasionally. they are good size clowns so i suspect them to be near adult possibly adult as i had clowns when i was in hawaii and they where very small in comparison. id say from tip of tail to the large section of white. but the pictures wont do em justice as those are the best i can produce with the camera i was able to afford. those 3 being the best pics so far.

as far as habits the 2 in the 45g hasnt shown signs like the ones in the 55g ie jolts and shakes rubbing against one another or picking a place to call home yet as the 2 in the 45g only hang out in the left corner at night going up and down the corner and swimming about during the day not lookin so much as a pair but not looking like there not a pair if you catch the meaning.
as for the 2 in the 55g they where the ones showing signs of possible pairing and/or breeding they have selected at spot on a rock in the corner. inoticed one night they where nipping at it so the next day i worked on getting a half of a clay pot in the area and soon after i noticed them possitioning the clay pot to sleep around it and last night noticed them rubbing on the pot and cleaning it. also take note the water temp stays around 80 deg f and i feed mostly 3 times a day.

also on another note my skunk shrimp i have in the 45g have got eggs now so ill be working on raising shrimp here soon as well {yippy}

[nelson]

i have 2 false clown in the tank for about 2 months how can i tell if there a paIR AND THEY ARE MATING ??? one is bigger than the other

[nelson]

also how do you know if the clown is pregnet or not because i got a pair the the biggger one female is geting a little stomach

[fish.freak]

nelson, this type of fish has external fertilization so there is no pregnancy. You can tell if they are a pair if they spend all their time together, then if they are sexually active which is indicated by the male shaking in front of the female, then finally by the appearance of eggs.

[fish.freak]

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Here are some pics from my blog of some mature and sexually active clowns caught in the act.

Attached Thumbnails

[nelson]

yes they spend most of the day together although having seen the shaking part yet thanks thats alot of helppp - also what type od anemane do they go in or mostly an y they would get in after a while

[nelson]

ive seen some shaking just now lol

[fish.freak]

the shaking starts early on, an it may still be a while. As for the anemone mine host a bubble tip, but they are natural simbionts with the carpet and ritterii both very dificult to keep alive in captivity. do you have any pics of your fish?

[nelson]

not right now but ill get some today if i can for you