Clownfish Preparing To Lay Eggs?

[scstone12]

My bigger clownfish keeps moving himself around the sand flow kinda like brushing off the sand right near his bubble ane. , it seems like hes looking for a spot to lay his eggs in a way. The bigger clownfish is aprx. 4 inchs big and the little guy is 3 inchs.. Any ideas?

 

[Colin_T]

Sounds like they are clearing a site to lay eggs. Normally they choose a rock or some hard flat surface near the base of their anemone. They clear the area of algae and anything else and lay the eggs. Then the male will fan them, sometimes the female helps but normally it's the male that does most of the work. The male is the smaller one.

 

[SkiFletch]

They usually don't lay in sand though, it's always on rocks... Could be just defining of his territory.

When clownfish are certainly preparing a section of rock for eggs, they can be seen cleaning those rocks with their mouths for a few days before laying.

 

[scstone12]

ya it looks like she is just making room for the bubble to get bigger i think, but they both clowns are farly big and im hopping they lay pretty soon, kinda excited.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yeah my clown does this occasionally (makes a little ditch in the sand near the mushroom she hosts). As she is the only clown in there I think it is just a territory thing.