The Picasso Clownfish Breeding Project

This couple is definitely going to be the first to spawn. Just look at Rose's cleaning instincts kicking in. The funny part is every time Mako comes around the corner he is like, "it would probably be better if I just gave her some time alone."

Very cool vid Jason, thanks for sharing it.

Sure looks like it. Flood them with food and see if you can jump start it.

Jas , where is the update mate ?

BUMP

Week 14

Coraline algae has begun popping up all over the brood stock system. I'm a little surprised that it can grow under the stock florescent lighting. I'm taking it as a sign of good water quality.

The Alpha pair is finally spending more time together but all of it is well outside the female's established territory. It seems that the male is reluctantly approaching the flower pot a little more each day so I think they are headed in the right direction. Still this couple is far behind the other two in that department.

The Beta female is nearly double the size of the male. The male has recently begun spending time inside the flower pot with the female. For the last couple of months, he was only allowed to hang out just outside of the pot so this is a good development.

The Gamma's have learned how to eat off the surface of the tank. The two will swim up to the surface together but it still takes them a few attempts before they manage to get any food. The male was evicted from the pot for a few days, I'm not sure why. But he is back now.

Alpha Pair


Beta Pair


Gamma Pair

Hey Jas , whats the magnesium level in the tank ?

I don't own a magnesium test kit!

I've always been a frequent water changer. I tend not to add any supplements.

Fair enough mate i do add Mg only cos mine is always low.


Update

Jas ? Ya slipping

No more updates ?

these clowns have great color. I have got to get some!

Originally Posted by Thinkin Reef

Jas ? Ya slipping

No more updates ?

Sorry, I know I've been slacking. I really doubt these fish are going to be spawning before August so I've backed off the weekly updates. If anything develops I'll be sure to post but I really need to put them out of my mind for now otherwise I'll just get frustrated by the fact that they still look like baby fish and not cash cows.

On a side note, I've lost three computers to viruses in the past month. The wmpscfgs virus is still driving me nuts. I find it a very disturbing coincidence that my computers (that have run fine for the last several years) all get hit at the same time that microsoft releases their new operating system.

Remember Jas "they are not really cash cows "

It would be more of an achivement don't you think ?
Also they are getting closer every day "i guess it just takes time mate "

Also i feel sorry for you about the pc's any virus "sucks "



cheers mate

Andrew

Week 18... MEGA UPDATE!!!

It's been one month since my last update so I put a bunch of stuff together for this week. On a personal note, I've been donating my time at the Food Bank of Delaware. We feed approximately 250,000 people a year (1 in 4 Delawareans), mostly children. It's an epidemic and I'm proud to be part of the solution. Back to the fish.

The brood stock are approximately 8.5-10.5 months old now. Of the three pairs, two seem to be doing very well. Unfortunately, the Alpha pair has not bonded to the same extent of the Beta or Gamma pairs. The Alpha female has rejected her male and he is not ascending into the social order. He remains a non-sexual juvenile, lacking the coloration and body development of the other males. The Alpha female remains a beautiful specimen and I'm already making plans with another breeder to find her a replacement male. On the plus side, this may eventually lead to a healthier gene pool and variety in her offspring.

The Beta pair has begun displaying the same cleaning behavior that the Gammas have been doing for over a month now. They take turns twitching and cleaning the bottom most portion of the clay pot.

The Gamma male has developed more than any other fish in the last month. He has put on significant weight, developed deep coloration and my pictures don't do justice to how handsome this fish has become.

The following pictures and videos were taken with the assistance of a florescent light. If the fish appear spooked, it's because they are.

Alpha "Pair"


Alpha Female


Alpha "Male"


Beta Pair


Beta Female


Beta Male


Gamma Pair


Gamma Female


Gamma Male


Alpha Pair


Beta Pair


Gamma Pair

the Gammas preparing for the next winter games...

Week 22

I'm quickly developing some bad habits as I try to put the brood stock out of my mind for now. I'm falling way behind on weekly water changes and the poor fish are not getting fed nearly as often as they had become accustomed to. My best guess is that the fish are now 9-11 months old.

The alpha male continues to be the runt of the liter. He hasn't developed in months. The female continues to chase him away from her territory but occasionally seeks him out for some companionship.

The beta and gamma pairs are the most likely to produce some offspring. The beta pair seems to be more developed, especially when it comes to the female having a fatter belly. However, the gamma pair seems to be displaying more cooperative behavior. It's a toss up as to who will spawn first. The gamma male looks like he is getting a little heavier. I noticed his anal fin has a gap between the black coloration today which I think it's a result of the fin growing recently.

Alpha Female


Alpha Female


Alpha Male


Alpha Male


Beta Pair


Beta Pair


Beta Female


Beta Female


Beta Male


Beta Male


Gamma Female


Gamma Female


Gamma Male


Gamma Male

Thanks for the updates Jason. Keep plugging away at it

The fish are looking good Jason!

Week 30

May 20th will mark the 7 month anniversary of the arrival of the broodstock. I estimate the fish are now 11-13 months old. I will be moving in the near future and I've decided it's a good idea to make some changes to the existing setup.

For starters, I want to remove the 20 gallon high tank from the system all together. This will allow me to consolidate everything into a much smaller space that will be easier to service. As an added bonus, I now have a 20 gallon high to use as a sump for my 90 gallon rebuild.

The Alpha pair (who have failed to bond) will be removed from the system and placed into a reef system where they will be given another chance to get to know each other in a more realistic, yet crowded environment. The Beta and Gamma pairs will both be housed in the 40 gallon breeder and I will be supplementing the current divider with a second divider a few inches apart to leave room for a protected macro algae privacy forest. Let's talk about the fish.

As I said before, the Alpha pair never bonded. The female has utterly rejected the male. Although he has a healthy appetite, I can tell he lives in constant fear of the female. His body hasn't changed much in terms of size or appearance since the first week. I'm hoping a change of scenery will be good for these two... or at least give them room to go their seperate ways.

The Beta female is the most developed fish. She has a nice round belly, full features and is really starting to look like an adult clownfish. Her male is a bit on the smaller side but the two get along just fine during the day. They do not sleep together.

The Gamma pair is also doing well. The female really hasn't developed in the last 3 or 4 months but her appetite has clearly grown in recent weeks. She is the most aggressive eater out of all the fish and I'm thinking it's time to introduce pellets into her diet. The male had a growth spurt over the last few months and is the largest of all the males. For a small time, I thought he was going to outgrow the female but she put a stop to that. This is my only pair that sleeps together, even though it is on top of the tank.

I'll post some pics later this afternoon.

Week 30 Pics

Alpha Female


Alpha Male


Beta Female


Beta Male


Gamma Female


Gamma Male

very pretty fish!