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10-13-2003, 06:10 PM
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#1
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Reef Dork
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 295
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Maroon clown Behavior
My maroon clowns will stick their caudal fin into the sand and furiously beat back and forth moving the sand around. They also pick up pieces of shell and rock with their mouth and move them around. Is this normal? Does anybody else's clowns do this?
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10-13-2003, 06:16 PM
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#2
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BRW member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: austin texas
Posts: 2,154
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it sounds like theyre trying to prepare a place to lay eggs. do you have a mated pair (i.e., one large female and one small male)?
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Had marine tanks from 2003-2007, starting up a 30g fowlr, and other hobby is horses!
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10-13-2003, 06:45 PM
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#3
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vvvvvvvvvvv
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Void
Posts: 1,236
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Yep, they lay their adhesive eggs onto hard substrate, hence the debris-clearing maneuver... however, this does not necessarily mean its going to lay eggs. For one thing, the male is often the one cleaning a potential nest, and could merely be going through the motions.
Lots of reef fish fish also fan sand away to find buried caves and rubble-hollows they can use for shelter.
hth
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doot doot doot
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10-13-2003, 07:32 PM
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#4
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Reef Dork
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 295
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I have one large one and one small one. I bought them seperate, I have no idea if they mated. Or if they are male and female. Ive had them together for about a year and a half, Ive never seen eggs or actual mating. I know that they can switch sexes, I imagine that takes a long time. I just wonder if they are the appropriate sexes now and if they will ever mate.
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10-13-2003, 07:48 PM
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#5
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Ooo Girl!
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Temple Ga
Posts: 336
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Mine just do it to be aggravating I think!!! My female dug into my sand bed so bad that she got to the glass on the bottom! I had to put all the sand back at least once a day. Untill i got smart and put a really heavy piece of LR where she dig's. That kept her from doing it anymore. She does still try to dig, and is always picking up shells and trying to move the rock, but the LR is keeping her from digging so deep. She did this before I got her her male, so like I said I think she does it to be aggravating.
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125 75 ref
2 250 watt 10K MH
2 VHO actinics
Past is History....Future is Mystery.
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10-13-2003, 07:50 PM
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#6
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Ooo Girl!
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Temple Ga
Posts: 336
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By the way I say she is female because she is at least 4 times the length as the male.
__________________
125 75 ref
2 250 watt 10K MH
2 VHO actinics
Past is History....Future is Mystery.
Don't hate me because I'm stupidiful.
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10-13-2003, 08:22 PM
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#7
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BRW member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: austin texas
Posts: 2,154
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if youve had the clowns together for a year and a half and one is bigger than the other, they probably have already paired. expecially since a female maroon clown will literally kill a challenging maroon clown. either he subordinates or he's dead, as per joyce wilkerson's book (which I am reading currently 
they may not have spawned if tank conditions are not to their liking (too many other fish, water parameters not right (to them), photoperiod irregular or too short). do you have any way to take a pic of them? I'd love to see it. when you put the second one in, was he much smaller than the original one you had? how did they get along from the start? just curious. I have one maroon that I would like to pair up.
__________________
Had marine tanks from 2003-2007, starting up a 30g fowlr, and other hobby is horses!
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10-13-2003, 10:33 PM
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#8
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Crazed Fish Whisperer
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 2,578
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SHACK! what's up bro?! Congrats on your mated pair!
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 Instead of just building a reef in my home...I so wish I could afford to build my home in the reef!
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10-14-2003, 03:51 PM
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#9
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Reef Dork
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 295
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Hey Jeremy!
Crepette- When I originally started the smaller one was already in the tank, then I added the larger one. I heard thats the best way to do it. I heard that if the larger one is already in the tank and you add the smaller one the larger one will already be territorial and there is more of a chance of kiling it. As soon as I added the larger one they hung out together. The smaller one is a captive bred and the larger one is wild. I dont know if that makes a difference. Also they are about as identical as i could get them. The coloration, stripes and patterns are virtually identical. The larger one is easily 3x bigger. I dont know that how old they have to be to reach sexual maturity but the smaller one is about 2. I got him when he was very young probally 6 months old. There is no telling how old the larger one is since she is wild caught. They literally sleep together! At night the larger one will almost "spoon" the smaller one against a corner of the tank. Its pretty interesting to watch the two together. I also read that either Maroons will mate or kill any other Maroons. I guess I just got lucky. I heard that they are the hardest of the clowns to mate. If they are mated I chalk it up to beginners luck. I would like to see them spawn. I know its difficult to raise the babies but Id like to try.
What is the title of the book you are reading? I might pick it up! |
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10-14-2003, 07:39 PM
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#10
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Ghost of reefers past
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Southern Oregon, Way West of Dimples ;)
Posts: 25,131
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Sounds like a hot pair  I believe Joyce Wilkersons book on Clownfish and their Anemones is listed in the suggested reading list, definatly a must have for those that can't live without clowns, want to witness the clown/anemone interaction or have a potential breeding pair. Probbaly the definitive work on the subject for the layman.
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Cowboy is a verb, not a noun
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10-14-2003, 07:41 PM
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#11
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Ghost of reefers past
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Southern Oregon, Way West of Dimples ;)
Posts: 25,131
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__________________
Cowboy is a verb, not a noun
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10-14-2003, 08:10 PM
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#12
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BRW member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: austin texas
Posts: 2,154
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its a great book, tells you everything you need to know from obtaining/making a pair to culturing food for the larvae. i highly recommend it, but dont pay full price for the book (35 bucks). I got mine from half.com for a mere 8.99 plus shipping, for a grand total of 13.98! I hope they still have a copy!
erin
__________________
Had marine tanks from 2003-2007, starting up a 30g fowlr, and other hobby is horses!
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10-14-2003, 08:46 PM
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#13
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Reef Dork
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 295
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Just ordered mine! Thanks!
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10-14-2003, 08:55 PM
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#14
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Reef Dork
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 295
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My clowns....The male (like most in a relationship) is in the background
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10-14-2003, 09:27 PM
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#15
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BRW member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: austin texas
Posts: 2,154
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glad i could help! lovely clowns by the way. how big is the female in inches?
__________________
Had marine tanks from 2003-2007, starting up a 30g fowlr, and other hobby is horses!
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