Designer clowns

[Matt_95]

Anyone here keep designer clowns? I finally got a pair today, I've been wanting them for years!

[BlueBolts]

Wow... They're awesome. Are they a separate group/specie or a variation in pattern..... Damn, I think you've planted the seed for a marine tank :-(

[Matt_95]

Thanks! I am thrilled with them. They're a variation, mostly produced in captivity but several have been found in the wild. If you really want to be wowed, google the lightening clown.

The ones I have are a variation of A. occelaris but there are also designer A. percula. My favorites are the black ice clowns.

[BlueBolts]

I seriously won't.... I'm looking at a newly cycled tank ATM, and actually considered converting it...so no googling, no more temptation...... Aaargggggg !

[Squiggle]

Very nice dude, I love the platinum clowns but I think I would love a pair of wild caught Occellaris clowns any day :encouragement:

Hey BB, here's a pic of the lightening clowns so you don't have to get on google, save you some time getting seeds! Hahahaha. :rofl:

[BlueBolts]

OMG !

Damn you Squiggs !

[Squiggle]

Baaaaahahahaha!!!! :rofl:

[KillieOrCory]

Love clowns! Great fish!

I know I can't look after dozens of marine tanks so never got into them. :P If I had a pair it would lead me to try to get more varieties and nothing good can come from that! :)

I'll stick with killifish, corys and shrimp! ;)

[KiwiBigD]

Lightening Clowns? They look like a Tomato Clown variant.

Percs were always my favourite, love the strong colours.

[Squiggle]

Nah dude, they are a premnas biaculeatus or maroon clown :encouragement:

[Wraithie]

I'd just settle for something more than snails and grass in the tank at home right now :banghead:

[michael]

Wow love them. Where did u manage to score them from

[newbreed]

Why did I open this thread?? They are stunning Matt!! Beautiful markings......

Love the clowns, they have such character to them. mmmm, can I fit in another tank????

[Squiggle]

Of course you can NB, always room for one more tank!! Hahaha :rofl:

[KiwiBigD]

Nah dude' date=' they are a premnas biaculeatus or maroon clown :encouragement:[/quote']

You're right, I should have known that having had a mate breed Maroons in West London. Been a long time since I've looked at Clowns, don't want to get hooked on Marines again.

[Squiggle]

Hahaha, I know what you mean dude, I have always & will always be addicted to marine, sooooooo purdy! :encouragement:

[KiwiBigD]

Hahaha' date=' I know what you mean dude, I have always & will always be addicted to marine, sooooooo purdy! :encouragement:[/quote']

I have the same addiction but currently its in check. Having kept Marines back in London I'd love to do so again, but budget just doesn't allow until we've got our own place, then maybe!

[BlueBolts]

Damn you Squiggles and Matt_95... Seriously considering converting my juwel 120 to a saltwater tank....juwel has a attachment to its filter for a protein skimmer....what other equipment would I need....will only want a pair of RARE clowns, anenome and of course some shrimps...suggestions ?

[Matt_95]

Michael, I got them from a local breeder, they're the first designer clowns bred in Australia.

i love the lightening clowns, the two in captivity were both wild caught and there is a bloke trying to breed them currently.

BB, that tank is fairly small so it would be very simple, you wouldn't even need a protein skimmer, regular water changes would handle waste. On smaller tanks frequent water changes are more practical than for larger tanks which you can add all sorts of other filtration options. You would probably have to add some extra flow and upgrade the lighting probably. Anemones need very stable tanks to live in, you would be best to start with a bubble tip, they don't get huge and they're one of the easiest host anemones to keep. In saying that, they're not the natural host of the occelaris or percula clowns. The others are more delicate or get far too large for your tank. The clowns will also be hosted by coral, toadstools seem to be used fairly frequently as do Euphylia species. However using a coral or anemone that isn't their natural host can be hit and miss.

For a pair of designer clowns you will probably be looking at around $1000, only the snow flakes have been bred here so far.

Also I unfortunately lost my pair of snowflakes, they jumped through a tiny crack between the lid and edge of the tank. I am absolutely devastated, I've been waiting to get these for years.

[bozzy]

there so cool looking. i keep looking at my 2 foot cube thinking i should convert it to salt but now isnt the right time. kinda wish i hadnt opened this thread now because i really want to convert it now.

sorry for your loss matt

[Squiggle]

That must be so devastating Matt, so sorry to hear about the clowns. :(

Premnas clowns are pretty easy to keep but the only problem is they mate for life & will kill any other male/female you try to pair with the one you have. Also BB, I would strongly suggest getting a small air powered skimmer as anemone's waste is protein, I had a small tank with two clowns & a small anemone & I used to turn off the skimmer when I added the trace elements for an hour or two(otherwise the skimmer would just strip them out straight away) one night I forgot to turn it back on & the anemone died, melted, fouled the tank & killed the clowns, all within about six hours. I was so bummed. :(

A bubble tip anemone or Entacmaea Quadricolor is a perfect symbiotic host for Premnas clowns &, as Matt mentioned, they stay pretty small so you can have two or three in one tank, unlike the gigantea or magnifica for Percula & Ocellaris which grow very big :encouragement:

[BlueBolts]

Damn Matt...that is devastating. Sorry to hear the lost :-(

So tempting to convert my jewel 120 to a marine.....there's even a jewel protein skimmer custom for the tank.... was advised to also get a pallet reactor..just researching it now...also a nano power head, but have a fluval G3 on the tank together with the internal filter....

How easy is it to breed them ?

[Squiggle]

It's fairly easy to get them to lay eggs, keep the water stable, clean & a piece of live rock for them to lay on & they will breed, from there it is a bit more difficult(but for you BB, I'm sure it will be a snap) you need to have the tank running on only a sponge filter, the fry have a pelagic stage & float on the current & if you have a normal filter they will get sucked in &, obviously, die. If you use air powered sponge filters & an air powered skimmer with a piece of sponge over the intake you will have great success. Just feed them rotifers & fresh hatched brine shrimp as they get older & they'll grow very quick. :encouragement:

[KiwiBigD]

If your filtration is good and they're happy in their environment they'll breed. Hard is raising the young as they're so small when they hatch. But also make sure nothing else in the tank, especially damsels, the clowns will kill them. Otherwise they're great, we had a four foot Juwel in the UK and had various success with breeding, just keep the water stable and good food with lots of hiding places as well. All good fun

[BlueBolts]

Thanks, so if they're so easy, why are they $1000 ?