Image Credit: Steve Childs (Creative Commons License)
Gold stripe maroon clownfish are some of the most aggressive clownfish we know. Therefore, these fish are definitely not recommended for beginners or faint-hearted. Okay, I went a little overboard with the faint-hearted thing, but you got the point, right?
In this care guide, you’ll find all the information you need to raise these fiery little guys – everything from creating the best possible habitat to breeding and raising hundreds of little gold stripe maroons.
I know the article will get long, but make sure that you don’t skip any information!
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish At Glance
| Name | Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish |
| Other Names | Spike cheek anemonefish |
| Scientific Name | Premnas biaculeatus |
| Origin | Indo-Pacific region |
| Lifespan | 3-7 years in captivity |
| Care Level | Moderate |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive |
| Breeding | Egg-layers |
| Temperature | 75-82°F (25-28°C) |
| pH | 8.1-8.4 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.020-1.025 |
| Carbonate Hardness | 8-12° dKH |
| Tank Size | 30 gallons |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Habitat In Nature
The gold stripe maroon clownfish variety lives in Eastern Java and Sumatra. These fish swell in sand reefs, coastal waters, and lagoons at depths between 3 to 53 feet (1-16 cm).
These fish are listed as ‘Least Concern’ under IUCN’s Red List.
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Price: How Much Do They Cost?
Gold stripe maroon clownfish retail for anywhere between $27.99 to $49.99 depending on the fish’s sex and size.
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Lifespan
On average, gold stripe maroon clownfish live for around 3 to 7 years under proper care. However, they can easily live past 10 years, as per the accounts shared by different hobbyists.
In the wild, these fish live for 6-10 years, given that they are not swallowed by a big fish.
Research conducted in 2012 by the Alabama Marine Biology Program concluded that these fish have the potential to live up to 30 years!
Their unique interspecies friendship with sea anemones is the primary reason these fish are endowed with a long lifespan despite the bright colors, tiny size, and clumsy swimming style.
Related Reading!
Clownfish Lifespan | How Old Is The Oldest Clownfish
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Appearance
Gold stripe maroon clownfish look exactly like your regular white stripe maroon clownfish except for one distinction – the unique yellow bands.
The beautiful gold color of those bands sets these fish apart from any other maroon clownfish variety, whether it’s lightning maroon clownfish or peacekeeper maroon clownfish.
However, the bars are white initially. The golden color only develops when they are about 9 to 12 months old.
The bars are comparatively thinner in females and are known to completely disappear when they fully mature.
Nonetheless, the first stripe is located right behind the eyes, the second stripe is positioned between the two dorsal fins, and the third stripe is at the base of the tailfin.
Besides the unique coloration of the bars, another prominent characteristic of gold stripe maroon clownfish is the spine on its cheeks, and that’s what its scientific name is derived from.
When compared to fish from the Clarkii complex, gold stripe maroon clownfish have relatively more compressed and oval bodies.
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Size: How Big Do They Get?
Gold stripe maroon clownfish are one of the largest clownfish species we know. Females can grow around 16 cm (6.3 inches ) long.
But as it is in all clownfish species, males are comparatively smaller – reaching only about ⅓ the size of the female.
Sexually immature males are even smaller. But they’re still bigger than other clownfish species like perculas.
Genetics is undisputedly the most potent factor in determining a fish’s size.
However, the diet the fish consumes and its living conditions also play crucial roles in deciding if the fish will grow to its full-size potential or not.
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Male VS Female
Female gold stripe maroon clownfish are significantly bigger than a male. Also, a female portrays an assertive personality, whereas both breeding male and sexually immature males act like appeasers.
Besides this, there’s no significant difference between male and female gold stripe maroon clownfish.
Recommended Reading!
Can Clownfish Change Gender? How Many Times?
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Temperament
Despite the dark colors or the golden bands, gold stripe maroon clownfish are maroon clownfish at the end of the day. Thus, they naturally have inherited the OG species’ legendary temper and fierce nature.
Gold stripe maroon clownfish can even give clarkii clownfish a run for its money when it comes to being ill-tempered. Therefore, if you’re testing the waters in saltwater avenue for the first time, I highly recommend that you only raise one maroon clownfish at a time.
If you can get your hands on a pair, you can keep 2. That would be pretty awesome. But there’s no guarantee that the two will hit it off right off the bat.
There’s every chance that the assertive female will lash out at the poor male. Thus, you need to be vigilant and keep a close eye.
I don’t mean to be disheartening, but from what hobbyists reported on several platforms, keeping 2 gold stripe maroon clownfish and hoping they will pair up is only wishful thinking.
The female will unfailingly bully the male. She will be assertive, whereas the male will be more of an appeaser.
Hobbyists who have accumulated years of experience working around maroon clownfish have reportedly kept one large female and several sexually immature males in the same tank.
If you plan to do so, too, you should be prepared to remove the males at any given time. Otherwise, there’s a good chance they will bite the dust.
A handy trick I came across on a forum to help the subdued males get away from the nasty queen is to keep an egg crate with just a half-inch opening at about a third of the tank so the males can pass through it, but the chunky female cannot.
Like all clownfish, gold stripe maroon clownfish have a complex social hierarchy.
Typically, a group consists of 5-6 members where the biggest and dominant fish is always the female. The second biggest fish, also the second in the pecking order, is the breeding male. The two form a monogamous pair and restrict the rest of the members from growing big or mature sexually.
Interestingly, if the reigning female dies, the breeding male will change sex and become the new alpha female. The fish goes through psychological and physical changes when transitioning from a male to a female.
The testes will get dissolved, and the ovaries will grow prominent.
Once the breeding male takes on the vacant position of the alpha female, everyone in the pecking order moves one step up in the rank.
And what amazed me is the fact that there’s an average difference of 10 mm in size as the pecking order descends.
When in a group, the subordinates seldom dare to cut the line or pose any threat to the reigning couple. Otherwise, it can get killed or chased away from the anemone.
No matter what, these fish strictly adhere to a size-based hierarchy.
Related Reading!
Are Clownfish Aggressive? Will They Bite Your Finger?
Can Golden Stripe Maroon Clownfish Produce Sound?
Marine researchers have concluded that golden stripe maroon clownfish can produce 2 to 17 clicking sounds in a row when being aggressive or threatened.
They reportedly use their teeth to produce these sounds. And guess what? Their jaws serve as in-built amplifiers.
By the way, turns out that gold stripe maroon clownfish are hardwired to be mean and territorial. Why and how? Keep reading to know!
Why Are Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish So Aggressive And Territorial?
While researching for this blog piece, I came across an interesting finding that shed some light on why maroon clownfish are so inclined to be angry and territorial at all times.
Turns out it has everything to do with the competition they face in the wild to find a host anemone.
Golden stripe maroon clownfish preferably pair up with only one kind of anemone – the bubble tip anemone.
However, bubble tip anemones are generalists. They apparently host at least 14 different clownfish species.
Therefore, naturally, the competition in the wild to choose or be chosen to have a symbiotic relationship with anemones is fierce. And as it plays out, this is the reason behind their iconic anger bursts and territorial issues.
Best Tankmates For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
Given their short temper, it’s hard to find roommates for gold stripe maroon clownfish. They don’t really make good community fish. Therefore, the choice of tankmates for these fish is kinda limited.
Since gold stripe maroon clownfish have a strong predatory instinct, you should not house them with small fish that can fit inside its mouth.
Similarly, subdued fish that cannot hold their ground against gold stripe maroons should also be avoided.
Even the most seasoned aquarists recommend keeping maroon clownfish alone and leaving it to its own devices, but if you want to add some variation in the tank, here’s a list of fish that MAY make good choices.
Tankmates For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
- Tangs
- Angelfish
- Wrasses
- Triggerfish
- Lionfish
- Stigmatura blenny
- Swalesi basslet
- Royal gramma
- Firefish
- Pike blenny
Tankmates To Avoid For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
- Other clownfish
- Dwarf angels
- Dottybacks
- Damselfish
- Anthias
- Assessors
- Gobies
- Fairy wrasses
Can Golden Stripe Maroon Clownfish Live With Other Clownfish?
No, golden stripe maroon clownfish cannot live with other clownfish. As a matter of fact, they’re best kept alone. However, if you have a massive tank and are willing to relocate one of the fish if things go haywire, you can add another golden stripe maroon clownfish.
However, keeping them alongside subdued species like ocellaris and percula clownfish is nothing but wishful thinking.
Can Golden Stripe Maroon Clownfish Live In Reef Tanks?
Yes, golden stripe maroon clownfish can live in reef tanks perfectly fine. In fact, an ideal tank setup for them would be a reef tank since they live among coral reefs in the wild.
Don’t worry! The clownfish will not bother your corals except for grazing on algae that grow on them.
Best Anemones For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
Even though maroon clownfish would only choose bubble tip anemone if they had a choice, here’s a list of anemones that you can pair up with your maroon clownfish:
- Sebae Anemone (Heteractis crispa)
- Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
- Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica)
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish share a symbiotic relationship with the host anemone.
No matter how fierce a golden stripe maroon clownfish is, in oceans and seas, it’s an incredibly tiny orange-bodied fish with a gawky swimming style.
Therefore, its dear life and livelihood largely depend upon its symbiotic relationship with anemones.
Anemones provide much-needed security and occasional fish scraps to clownfish. On the other hand, clownfish act as bait for the anemone to lure prey, clean it, and nourish it.
You don’t necessarily need to keep an anemone alongside the golden stripe maroon clownfish in the tank.
Your clownfish will host corals, stones, or even powerheads, according to some hobbyists.
If you want to keep a golden stripe maroon clownfish alongside an anemone, you need to allocate at least 55 gallons of tank space. But as always, bigger is always better.
And if you’re not yet committed or confident enough to raise an anemone, here’s a list of corals suitable for clownfish tanks.
Don’t forget to check out this article.
Best Corals For Clownfish | 7 Best Choices
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Diet
Gold stripe maroon clownfish enjoy a rich, varied diet in the wild as omnivores. Besides constantly grazing on algae that grow on marine reefs, they also snack on planktonic fish eggs, fish larvae, zooplankton, isopods, polychaete worms, and small invertebrates to their fill.
These voracious eaters will snack on pretty much everything you offer in captivity, from dry flakes to live worms. Therefore, it is entirely up to you to ensure the fish has access to a well-rounded diet.
If your gold stripe maroon clownfish is a wild-caught variant, it may try to deter eating processed food at the beginning. However, keep on experimenting, and the fish will eventually acquire a taste for it.
I once tried to culture my own mysis and brine shrimp but failed terribly. Therefore, I now rely on my local fish store to supply these tiny invertebrates.
However, I occasionally give my clownfish earthworms as live food that I source from my garden. But I make sure the earthworm is completely clean before I offer them.
Here’s a comprehensive list of food to give your gold stripe maroon clownfish:
- Pellets
- Flakes
- Finely chopped fish
- Finely chopped mussels
- Spirulina
- Brine shrimp
- Mysis shrimp
- Copepods
- Amphipods
- Seaweed
- Squid
- Earthworms
- Blackworms
- Blanched veggies
- Algae wafers
- Mosquito larvae
When buying pellets and flakes that are inevitably going to be a part of your fish’s everyday staple diet, you must choose reliable brands that avoid using low-quality filler ingredients.
Here’s the link to Seachem’s NutriDiet Marine Flakes that my clownfish eat 4 times a week.
Since gold stripe maroon clownfish constantly graze on algae in their native habitat, it’d be wise to incorporate at least one algae-based food in their weekly diet regime. It could be flakes, wafers, or tablets.
Here’s a link to ZooMed’s Spirulina Food Flakes, which enjoys pretty decent reviews online.
Adult gold stripe maroon clownfish can thrive on 2 hearty meals per day.
However, at a young age, these fish are susceptible to malnourishment and can experience stunted growth.
Therefore, they should be fed several (3-4) times a day.
Related Readings!
How Often To Feed Clownfish? Risks Of Underfeeding!
Water Parameters For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
- Temperature: 75-82°F (25-28°C)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific Gravity: 1.020-1.025
- Carbonate Hardness: 1.020-1.025
- Water Flow: Moderate
- Tank Region: All
- Ammonia: 0 PPM
- Nitrite: 0 PPM
- Nitrate: Below 20 PPM
Related Reading!
What Water Temperature For Clownfish? What Happens If It’s Too Cold?
Tank Maintenance For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
Gold stripe maroon clownfish are just as hardy as the OG maroon clownfish. However, that should be no reason to keep the fish in a subpar environment. You should strive to mimic the aforementioned parameters as closely as possible.
Like the rest of the clownfish species, gold stripe maroon clownfish are tropical fish. Therefore, they prefer water on the warmer side. Thus, the water temperature should be maintained stably in the 75-82°F (25-28°C) range.
You should never cut corners when buying a heating unit for your fish. Unfortunately, a poorly-made heater comes with one too many caveats.
Besides frequently changing the temperature and stressing the fish, it will also die on you at most random hours. Even worse, you or the fish may end up getting electrocuted.
Browse through a few forums, and you will find several horror stories of fish getting electrocuted or, even worse – boiled to death.
Like all saltwater fish, gold stripe maroon clownfish require alkaline water. The pH should clock in somewhere between 8.1-8.4.
To maintain the water’s alkalinity, you can add a mesh bag filled with crushed coral or dolomite gravel and place it inside your filter.
The table above shows that the specific gravity should be maintained somewhere between 1.020 and 1.025; likewise, carbonate hardness should be maintained between 8-12 dKH.
The water flow should be moderate since gold stripe maroon clownfish don’t make the best swimmers.
And as it goes without saying, you should always strive to maintain ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels at 0 PPM, although 20 PPM nitrate is endurable for the fish.
There’s no cardinal rule etched in stone regarding whens and hows of performing water changes. Instead, it all boils down to your stocking number and the size of the tank.
That being said, here are the basic guidelines for performing water changes. Note that this is not necessarily right or wrong – it’s all subjective.
- For tanks size up to 40 gallons, you should at least perform a 15% water change every 2 weeks.
- For tanks size 40-90 gallons, you need to perform at least 20-30% water change once every month.
- For tanks size 100 gallons or above, you have to perform about 20-30% water change every 6 weeks.
Performing routine water changes is the key to ensuring the habitat is clean and safe for your fish. If the levels of harmful compounds like ammonia and nitrite go beyond the safety level, your fish will suffer miserably.
It will begin to show signs like increased lethargy, loss of appetite, bloody patches, reddened or purplish gills, rapid gill movement, and erratic swimming patterns before slowly succumbing to death.
However, as indispensable as water changes are, they can lead to equally grave or even more severe consequences if you overdo it.
Performing water changes more than necessary will demolish the good bacteria colony of your tank that’s critical to bolstering biological filtration.
I am really sorry if I made water changes sound like rocket science. It really isn’t once you get the hang of it. But you do need to test the parameters once every week or so.
And to confirm that all the parameters are safe and stable, we recommend using the API Saltwater Master Kit that measures 4 important parameters like nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, and high pH.
Liquid-based tests are far more accurate and reliable than strip tests.
Here’s a quick link to the API’s test kit if you’re interested.
Minimum Recommended Tank Size For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
The minimum recommended tank size for gold stripe maroon clownfish is slightly bigger than what’s required for percula and ocellaris clownfish. The standard practice in the hobby is to allocate 30 gallons for a single gold stripe maroon clownfish.
If you want to raise a pair of these fish alongside an anemone, you should at least provide a 55-gallon tank.
And if you want to raise multiple pairs, you’ll need a humongous tank. That being said, it’s never a good idea to raise more than one pair of gold stripe maroon clownfish in the same tank, no matter how big it is.
Thousands of gold stripe maroon clownfish are caught from the wild and sold in the ornamental fish trade every year. There’s every chance that the fish you got was once used to the endless choppy water of the oceans.
Therefore, as responsible fishkeepers, the least we can do for these feisty yet adorable fish is to provide them with ample space to swim freely and claim little territories.
There’s an urban myth doing rounds in the hobby that fish grow to the size of their tank. There’s no scientific backing to this claim yet, but many people believe it.
Even though this claim might be debatable, it is 100% true that a small tank carries the potential to stunt your fish’s growth in several ways.
First, a small tank means your gold stripe maroon clownfish lacks enough space to swim around freely. And lack of enough exercise directly exposes it to risks of contracting conditions like muscle atrophy.
Second, small tanks are downright treacherous. They’re as unreliable as they come. The parameters get polluted a lot quicker, and the changes are volatile.
It’s tough to maintain the correct water parameters at all times.
And naturally, when your gold stripe maroon clownfish is consistently exposed to a foul and volatile environment, it will become stressed and prone to contracting diseases.
And as you already know, a stressed and diseased fish will have a tough time growing to its full potential.
Related Reading!
What’s The Ideal Clownfish Tank Size | 5, 10, or 20 Gallons?
How Many Clownfish In A Tank? Answer For All Species And Tank Sizes
How Many Gallons Does A Clownfish Need? Answers For All Species!
Substrate And Decor: Aquascaping For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
Besides watching the fish’s antics, aquascaping is my favorite thing about the fishkeeping hobby. I think it’s a terrific creative outlet to channel your personality and feelings through your tank.
That being said, it’s not uncommon to go overboard with decors when aquascaping. I’m pretty guilty of that.
Since gold stripe maroon clownfish have a more angry disposition, the best layout for these fish should include a balance between open swimming space and plenty of hiding spots.
When choosing substrate, you have to go for an option that helps buffer the pH and is easy to clean and siphon.
And there’s one option that hits all the right spots – aragonite sand.
Aragonite sand is teeming with millions of good bacteria that bolster the tank’s biological filtration system. On top of that, it’s a breeze to siphon it.
Here’s a quick link to CaribSea’s Special Grade Reef Sand that I use for my saltwater tanks.
If you’re not a fan of using sand, you can opt for dolomite gravel or crushed coral. Just make sure that the substrate you use is made of carbonate so that it buffers the pH.
While choosing decors, make sure that you don’t go overboard. This may hamper the fish’s swimming space.
Since driftwood releases tannins that make the water acidic, you should steer clear of it. But if you are really trying to go for the natural, rustic look it provides, you can always add synthetic ones.
They look as good as the real ones.
Also, if you’re hoping that your gold stripe maroon clownfish breed in the tank, don’t forget to add several tiles and clay pots that will be later used as the breeding ground.
When adding rocks, you have 2 choices – base rocks and live rocks.
Base rock, also known as dry rock, is the generic name for aragonite rock with no organism growing in or on the rock. It is pretty cheaper than live rock.
You may not get a thriving colony of good bacteria with base rocks, but it’s also certain that it will not bring pathogens and parasites into your tank.
On the other hand, live rocks are brimming with life. Of course, the rock itself isn’t alive, but it houses several forms of micro and macroscopic marine life inside and on top of it.
Therefore, live rocks hold the capacity of becoming the primary biological filter of a saltwater tank.
But the bad news is that there’s also every chance that unwanted hitchhikers like parasites and fungi make their way into your tank via live rocks.
Before we end this segment, here’s a quick look at some handy tips for the next time you aquascape:
Always make sure there’s ample space between the decors and the glass so that an algae scraper can slide by on all sides of the tank.
The rocks and decors should be pressed firmly into the substrate, so they’re touching the tank’s base. It will prevent creatures that dig from getting crushed or tumbled.
Don’t position your decors too tightly. This is important to ensure enough water flow to keep the debris from settling.
Also, leave ample space for coral growth, so they don’t branch outwards too much.
Recommended Equipment For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
Saltwater fishkeeping hobby can seem like daylight robbery when you’re a newbie and don’t really know what to buy and whatnot. I really wish I was exaggerating.
At Urban Fishkeeping, our ethos is to buy nice rather than buy twice. But that doesn’t mean the equipment you choose for your fish should cost an arm and leg.
Keeping both price and quality in mind, I scoured through dozens of online reviews and price comparison charts to come up with 2 equipment recommendations that we feel pretty strongly about.
Fluval External Filter
What I Love About It:
- Equipped with patented Aquastop valve
- Sound-dampening design ensures quiet operation
- 3-year warranty period
- Multi-stage filtration system
- Comes with a clog-proof intake strainer and a dual-layer foam screen
Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater
What I Love About It:
- Available in different capacities for all kinds of aquariums
- Made in Germany
- Made with shock-resistant and shatter-proof glass
- Enables precise temperature regulation
- Equipped with a mounting bracket and suction cups for flexible placement
- Turns off automatically when the water levels dip too low
Breeding Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
Luckily, it’s not hard to breed gold stripe maroon clownfish at home. But it’s no walk in the park either. There are a couple of things, such as selecting the breeding pair and setting up designated tanks, you should pay attention to.
In this segment, I will let you in on everything that you need to know about breeding gold stripe maroon clownfish in the comfort of your home. From setting up 2 different tanks to caring for the tiny fry until they ‘move out,’ I’ll break all the information you need into small segments for easy readability.
Selecting Your Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Pair
Like all clownfish, gold stripe maroon clownfish form monogamous pairs. Once they select a mate, they stick with it until death does them apart.
Once two fish pair up, it’s not difficult to get them to breed. As a matter of fact, they breed pretty readily. However, the tricky part here is to find a pair in the first place.
There are a couple of options you have here.
The first choice is to buy a juvenile pair and really hope that they pair up. This is the most economically viable option, but the waiting period is quite long.
Males mature sexually and get ready to fertilize eggs as early as 6 months of age. However, females can take up to 2 years to become gravid.
On top of that, there’s no guarantee that the duo will pair up automatically. If they don’t, you will have to try your luck with another pair.
The second option is to buy a big female and a small male. This method is slightly more expensive than the one mentioned above but enjoys a comparatively better success rate.
Apparently, you can even buy ‘proven’ fish that boast previous breeding experience. However, once again, there’s no guarantee that the fish will bond naturally.
There’s an equal chance that they don’t pair, and the alpha female ends up bullying the male relentlessly until he kicks the bucket.
The third choice we have here is to buy a bonded pair. When you get a bonded pair, they will start breeding as soon as the environment is favorable.
But if you’re someone slightly cynical and paranoid like me, it can be hard to trust the pair is really bonded by taking someone’s word for it or watching a 20-second video.
Last but not least, in fact, the most expensive option here is to buy a bonded pair. Of course, it will cost you plenty, but you can be well assured that these fish will yield you at least hundreds of young fry.
Apparently, a standard breeding pair (mostly wild) will cost you a couple of hundred dollars.
So, these are the 4 options that we have. No matter which route you go, always make sure you first add males into the tank.
If you don’t do so, there’s a high risk of the alpha female rejecting and bullying the male.
Once you add both fish, observe their antics. While some may bond right away, others like to take their sweet time. If you see any signs of aggression and hostility from either party (mostly female), separate them and try your luck with the next fish.
Setting Up The Breeding Tank For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
Since gold stripe maroon clownfish grow pretty big and have an angry demeanor, the breeding tank should at least be sized 55 gallons.
There’s no point in getting a super big tank when breeding clownfish. Once they choose a breeding spot, they will hardly move away from it.
Gold stripe maroon clownfish breed readily in captivity, even without an anemone. Therefore, you don’t necessarily have to include an anemone in the tank.
However, make sure you add multiple tiles and clay pots that will serve as the breeding spot later on. Adding these decors will also make it easier for you to transfer the eggs later.
As it goes without saying, make sure the tank is equipped with a heater and proper filtration system in place and is fully cycled.
Conditioning Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Pair To Breed
There’s pretty much nothing you can do if your clownfish don’t pair up naturally. However, if they do pair up, you can pull a couple of tricks to get them to breed.
In tropical climates, gold stripe maroon clownfish breed readily throughout the year. However, they tend to breed only during the summer months in colder areas.
You need to gradually increase the tank’s temperature to encourage maroon clownfish to breed. But, remember, it should be done gradually. Otherwise, it’ll backfire in the worst possible ways.
When breeding clownfish, I tend to maintain the temperature around 83 degrees F and recommend you do so too.
Feeding a protein-rich diet multiple times a day also encourages the pair to spawn.
Remember, the key here is to feed numerous times a day. Giving 1 or 2 big meals per day will not compensate. So, try to be a little creative with your schedule.
Lastly, perform regular water changes. I don’t exactly know the science behind it, but many hobbyists will agree that performing water changes somehow gives the fish cue to spawn.
Courtship And Mating Ritual In Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
Gold stripe maroon clownfish are pretty expressive when it comes to communicating courtship. If you have a sharp eye and all the time in the world, it’s pretty fun to watch their intricate touches and movements.
When the female is gravid with eggs, you will know as she will look as if she’s put on some weight. If it’s not very noticeable, try observing the fish from the top angle. This time, you’ll surely see her distended belly.
Once the female is carrying eggs, the male has two essential tasks to perform. First, he needs to woo the female and coax her to mate. Second, he needs to find a suitable breeding area and clean it spotless.
The male will perform amusing antics to impress the female, like doing a headstand and flaunting his fins. He will also chase and nip his partner playfully.
As the spawning day gets closer, the male finds a suitable spot for the female to lay the eggs. The tiles and clay pots you added previously will come in handy at this point.
He will meticulously clean the spot, removing any traces of algae or debris. If the female is impressed with the male’s effort, she will lay the eggs there.
When the big day finally comes, the female will pass over the chosen spot multiple times in a zig-zag fashion as she drags her ovipositor to lay hundreds of eggs on the surface.
The eggs are elliptical and around 3-4 mm in size.
Your female gold stripe maroon clownfish can lay up to 1,000 eggs during one spawning session that lasts for a couple of hours. That being said, there have been cases where a female clownfish laid more than 6,000 eggs.
Once the eggs are released, the male will nimbly follow the cue and release milt over them to fertilize them.
Since the eggs are naturally adhesive, they stick firmly to the chosen surface.
The eggs will now hatch in the next 6-7 days.
Related Readings!
What Do Clownfish Eggs Look Like? Sushi Roe? Picture Guide
Preparing The Fry Tank For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish
While the eggs incubate in the breeding tank, you should get on setting up the fry tank. If you’re not too keen about rearing baby clownfish, you can let the eggs hatch in the breeding tank itself.
However, there are a few caveats of doing so. For instance, the larvae may get killed immediately by the powerheads. Even worse, they can get pulled into the filtration system.
And I’m sure that’s not how you want things to play out. So that’s why we need to create a designated fry tank.
A 10 or 20-gallon tank would suffice. You don’t need a big tank.
Paint all sides of the tank black with acrylic color. Or you can also use construction paper or cardboard instead of the paint.
You’ll require a 100-watt heater, a reliable thermometer, a sponge filter, an air stone, and an LED hood to equip the tank.
Also, don’t forget to cover the tank’s top with a cardboard or a reflective wrap to adjust the amount of light.
Once the tank is fully equipped and cycled, agilely remove the tile or pot containing eggs from the breeding tank and place it gently inside the fry tank.
The step mentioned above should be carried out ideally on the day the eggs are supposed to hatch.
Once you place all the eggs in the new tank, set up the air stone to gently run over the eggs. Of course, it’s impossible to save all the eggs, but try to get as many eggs as possible to move.
The last step now is to turn off the tank’s and the room’s light and wait for the magic to happen.
Slowly check if the eggs have hatched using a dim flashlight for the next few days. When the big day finally arrives, you will find hundreds of tiny larvae swimming in all directions.
Although the hatch rate is pretty good, the survival rate of the larvae is pretty poor compared to other clownfish species.
Caring For Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Fry
Gold stripe maroon eggs hatch with advanced alimentary canals, and they feed on nutritious egg yolk for about the first 3 days.
Note that the 3rd to 5th day is when these younglings are most prone to starvation. Therefore, you need to pay special attention to what and how often you feed them.
Their first food should be rotifers. You’ll need to tint the tank green with the help of liquid algae and add rotifers to it. Tinting is essential to ensure less light is spread around the tank.
Like the rest of the fish from the maroon clownfish family, gold stripe maroon clownfish grow rapidly compared to the rest of the clownfish species.
Especially, their eyes grow fast since their vision is directly correlated with their capacity to find food.
You can give your fish baby brine shrimp, micro-worms, and pulverized flake food from the fifth day onwards.
Metamorphosis usually happens on the 10th day. Thus, you need to perform a proper water change and ensure hygiene by the 9th day.
This is when the fry take on a juvenile’s color pattern.
If they were to live in the wild, by this time, they’d sink to the bottom to find a host anemone. That’d be really interesting to watch, don’t you think?
On the 20th day, the hatched fry are big enough to be moved into the grow-out tank.
You don’t need to make special arrangements for the grow-out tank. Just make sure the tank is fully cycled and equipped.
Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Diseases
Like the original maroon clownfish, gold stripe variations are super hardy fish, but they aren’t indomitable.
When kept in the wrong environment and fed the wrong diet, they’re susceptible to all those diseases that all marine fish are prone to. Some of them are brooklynella, marine velvet, swim bladder disease, uronema marinum, and marine ich.
Let’s quickly skim through the possible causes and cures.
Brooklynella
Sadly, brooklynella is so prevalent among clownfish that it is often known as clownfish disease. It’s caused by the infestation of a ciliated protozoan known as brooklynella hostillis.
If not treated in time, brooklynella can kill your clownfish within the first 30 hours of contraction. This disease is fatal because it directly hampers the fish’s gills and breathing as mucus clogs the gill.
In later stages of the disease, the fish develops a thick, white mucus layer all over its body, starting from the head.
According to experts, the parasite behind brooklynella grows at a comparatively higher pace than the carriers of marine ich and marine velvet.
This disease is treated using formaldehyde, but the treatment is not always successful.
Marine Velvet
Marine velvet boasts of an even higher mortality rate than brooklynella. A parasite called Amyloodinium ocellatum, which has a long and complex life cycle, is responsible for this disease.
Thus, it’s pretty tricky to eradicate the parasite completely. But the worst thing about this disease is that the fish may succumb to death without showing any signs at all.
A gold stripe maroon clownfish’s gills are the most common region of infection. Thus, the fish will display signs like panting and scraping, leading to excess mucus production in the gills.
In the later stages of the disease, the fish will develop golden-colored, almost velvet-like film throughout the body – thus, the moniker.
As the disease advances, the fish will become increasingly lethargic, lose appetite, and contract another secondary disease.
Copper-based treatments and freshwater dips work the best to kill the parasite.
Swim Bladder Disease
Swim bladder disease is characterized by the malfunctioning of the swim bladder due to a disease, injury, or abnormality.
Gold stripe maroon clownfish suffering from swim bladder disease will swim in erratic patterns and involuntarily sink to the base or float at the top.
Depending on the root cause of the disease, it can be dangerous or benign. For instance, if the bladder is impacted due to bloating, fasting the fish and then feeding it fibrous food like cooked peas for the next few days will do the trick.
However, if the bladder is impacted due to an abnormality or an injury, you will most definitely need to consult a vet.
No matter what, make sure you don’t try to restore the fish’s balance by tying a stone or other object to its body. This will only make things worse.
Uronema Marinum
Unfortunately, uronema marinum is among the quickest killers listed here today. This baneful parasite is often contracted when we tend to lower the tank’s salinity to treat another condition but don’t lower it enough.
As a result, parasites that thrive and proliferate in mid-level brackish water attack the fish.
The parasite behind this disease thrives in water with a specific gravity of around 1.013 to 1.020. Therefore, when treating any illness, you need to maintain specific gravity around 1.023 or lower than 1.009.
37% Formalin and Quick Care work the best to cure this disease.
Marine Ich
Marine ich is caused by an external parasite called Cryptocaryon irritans that has a super complex lifecycle, making it almost invincible.
Besides the obvious white dots dotted across the fish’s body, the fish will also display signs like panting, flashing, and scraping.
This dreadful parasite can clog the fish’s gills and hamper respiration as it burrows deep into the flesh and gills to cause an itchy sensation.
Since the parasite has a complex 5-stage lifecycle, treating ich is quite dicey. Copper-based treatments work the best to kill the parasite, but they will also destroy your corals and invertebrates in the process.
There is a copper-free treatment available too that enjoys pretty rave reviews online.
To find out more about marine ich and possible copper-free treatment, you might want to check out this article.
Related Reading!
White spots on clownfish? Copper-free treatment?
Final Words: Gold Stripe Maroon Clownfish Care Guide
Gold stripe maroon clownfish are not suitable for beginner fishkeepers. These guys are notoriously ill-tempered and can keep you on your toes the whole time.
Even the most seasoned hobbyists recommend raising only one gold stripe maroon clownfish at a time. This is because they practically don’t get along with anyone.
I’ve put in my efforts to include absolutely everything you need to know about successfully raising and breeding these fish. I hope this guide comes in handy!