Re: Fast Growing Clowns

["Adam Shaw" <adams1 at comcen_com.au>]

>Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 05:32:58 - 5 EST
>From: <rspahn at sackets-harbor-high_moric.org>
>Subject: Re: Snail eaters
>
>Hi Tomoko,  Man am I jealous,  you ought to write an article on 
>how you got your clowns so big so fast!  Ray

Talk to them, love them, read to them, play music for them.

KIDDING! My clowns doubled in size within 2 months, and now are around
3". I attribute it to plenty of food, 1/2 weekly to weekly water changes
(25% or so). Then again, by keeping up the same routine my discus went
from 5cm to around 15cm within 2-3 months. The discus get fed frozen
(heat-based) food, frozen bloodworms, and occasionally a bit of frozen
brine shrimp (they don't appear to like it much though and only eat it
when they realize they're not getting anything else and I've walked
away). The clowns just eat whatever the discus are being fed, though I'm
trying to wean my discus onto some flakes so the clowns get some of that
too.

My tank is pretty warm because of the discus (28Deg C), and soft (around
40-50ppm kH), gH is up because I have tank water and a concrete tank. pH
around 7.5. Discus don't seem to care about the high pH as long as it is
stable (which it is). The clowns just get whatever conditions and food
the discus like! They seem very happy and growing quick. Which is a
pain, I'd rather them small! They don't need as much food from my discus
then :)

Hope this helps!

Adam Shaw