Thanks! The secret is...a lot of work. feeding, cleaning, siphoning, feeding, cleaning, siphoning, etc.

We currently have 23 adults and many many juveniles...oh and eggs. So we are going through a lot of aiptasia at the moment. We have a culture tank set up for aiptasia, but we are starting to run low. I am going to put a call into some collectors I know down in Islamorada and see if they can get me some bags full aiptasia. You can pull sheets of them off of the seawals down there.
We are going to have to unload a few beghias here soon.

That is a very good point. You really produce some quality products consistently.

Wow, thank you for the kind words.

As many of you may know, in December of 2009 we were fortunate enough to introduce to the marine aquarium hobby the S’more Clownfish. Months later, other aquaculture companies marketed the S’more variant of clownfish as Black Ice. No matter what you call that variant of clownfish, we have been proud to offer this variant of clownfish to the hobby.
It is now December of 2011, and we are proud to introduce a new variant of clownfish. This clownfish does not have aberrant patterns as many other new variants in the clownfish world do. This is a completely new color of a very common species. The Amphiprion frenatus (Tomato Clownfish) is well known to our hobby, and they are normally red, as the common name of this fish implies. On occasion, you will find some varieties that have darker coloration or dark spots on their flanks. But have you ever seen one that is all black…no red at all? We would like to introduce to you the “Rotten Tomato Clownfish”!!! Since Tomato Clowns are notoriously aggressive fish, and this variant is all black, we feel the name fits.
The Rotten Tomato is truly one of a kind here at our facility at this time. I am happy that it is from the first spawn of a normal Tomato pair that we have. Since it was their first spawn, there were only 50-60 eggs hatched. The Rotten Tomato started out red right after hitting meta, but at around 40dph, it was all black. Kind of reminds us the way Black Ocellaris turn from orange to black. The fish pictured below has been removed from the growout system and has been selected for our broodstock program and is not available for sale. However, we hope that our continued breeding of this now unusual pair that we will find some more Rotten Tomatos that turn…well, sour.

Rotten Tomato




Rotten Tomato with normal colored sibling


If anyone has seen an all black A. frenatus, with no red, please let us know. From discussions and pictures distributed of the Rotten Tomato with experts in the field of marine aquaculture, this is the first any of them have ever seen and/or heard of.

Cooooooooooooooooooooool.

First to reserve a pair!

how did you get this color?

Honestly, we're not 100% sure. Like I stated above, the parents are normal Tomato clowns. One person that I have spoken with has suggested that it is not depositing any carotenoids or might be melanistic.

Very interesting. Have you came up with a price for the new variant yet? The fish look great.

At this time we aren't in that ball park yet. We have only come across this one. As I stated above, this one rotten tomato came from the first batch from one of our tomatos pairs. It changed color around 40dph. The next oldest are I think 25dph, and we also have some larvae that are about to settle. I really hope we find more, but this could also be the only one. Either way, we are excited and this one very well could be a foundation for many more Rottens.

Awesome nothing like looking in a tank full of red clowns and finding a black one.

Still very awesome. If you do end up with more, is there anyway I could get my hands on one or two. I know it is a ways off, but I still very interested lol.

Congratz on the rotton tomato, love the name!

Wow. Just amazing! I'm looking forward to updates

Thank you!

For those of you interested in the curious case of our Rotten Tomato, I have started a thread over at MBI to try and get some point of views as to how this has happened or what is making this fish black.

http://www.mbisite.org/Forums/tm.aspx?m=64917

You have really got a big response over there. I don't think that any of them really answered your question though. Hopefully this is a new strain and you just have really good luck lol.

Forgive me. I had to.

.....well done:)

Lord Vader huh? Does it make me a geek if I like that name?

No not at all. I need to find out if I can use that name legally.

I like Lord Vader as well lol. It would be unique to the saltwater hobby as well. And I don't think it makes you a geek lol.

No way,it doesn't make anyone a geek...it makes you a red blooded American!!!!

BTW, there is no way I am going to risk infringing on a copyright name from Lucasfilms.

I agree that commercially rotton tomato isn't the way to go...but it's funny fer shurr!

I like the name "rotten tomato"... It's silly and something different. They look awesome, and if my tanks weren't full, I'd buy one!

It is what it is It has caught on, people will like it and people won't like it. I am a little disapointed that the conversation turned into what the name should be rather than the scientific discussion as to why this frenatus turned all black.

I would think that this unique coloration is simply a genetic trait that crops up once in a while, but in really really low numbers. Tomato's do have quite a bit of dark pigmentation, so it's not too far fetched to say that a mild genetic mutation caused the dark coloring to be dominant. Similar to how the different colored clowns came to be (picasso's, snowflake, etc)... a color mutation that was selected and bred to be more common. It's lucky that it happened with a breeder, because rather than being a unique clown that goes unnoticed at Petco, it's has the chance of being a unique strain of tomato clown.

Now we have a discussion!!!


I honestly hope that is the case, it would be a shame to have only one. It is a lot less stressful to breed them when you have more than one type of fish. Look at the lightning maroon situation with Matt Pedersen, I can't even imagine the pressures he is feeling knowing there is only one.


I agree, the interesting part is no red at all. Which leads me to wonder if it is melanistic (like a black panther or black squirrel).


Let's hope so. Poor mans McCullochi...only rarer and isn't going to be stressed with our normal tank temperatures.

I think you are in a different situation than the lightning maroon clown. I think you are right that it is more melanistic, therefore I think that it will be easier to replicate.

From what I have read about the Lightning Maroon, there is more then one. They are native to Papua New Guinea (PNG).

"The PNG lightning maroon clownfish was collected by a local fisher from Fishermans Island, which is located just off the capital city of Papua New Guinea. The fisher, Steven Paul, had been trained in sustainable collection techniques by the SEASMART Program, which is the joint effort of the PNG National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and the Virginia-based EcoEZ Inc. Since 2008, the SEASMART Program has been working hand-in-hand with PNG’s National, Provincial and local governments to efficiently develop a sustainable, equitable and profitable marine aquarium trade throughout the country. This is not the first fish Blue Zoo has sold from Papua New Guinea, but it is the first one to garner so much attention."

source: http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/resources.asp?show=416

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/all-b...ownfish-spotted

^^^^^Check it out!!!!

your right, there are two of them. that's all that have ever been collected. the first one no one knows what happened to it. the second one matt has. pretty fish, much better looking in person imho.

wow awesome! Congratulations!

Very cool. You have to be super excited!

Update!!!!
We have some more Rotten Tomatos! In a batch that is currently 46dph, we have two..possibly three that are changing! So, now we can show pictures of the three color stages of a Rotten Tomato.

Wow, those RT are sweet looking! Can't wait to see more in the near future and to have a pair later on. Keep up the great awesome work! Happy new year!

That is awesome. Very exciting.

You sure you want to keep them? I would take a pair!

Congrats!! It definitely seems like both parents are carrying a recessive gene-how lucky is that?? I can't wait to see what the offspring of the RTs look like.

Nice job, Jonathan! I can't wait to see how they mature! Keep us posted!!

Here are some updates of our Dragonet project. Raising these dragonets has been such a rewarding challenge!!



Green Mandarin Dragonet (S. splendidus) and Ocellated Dragonet (S. ocellatus) at 45dph


Ocellated Dragonet (S. ocellatus) at 45dph



Ocellated Dragonet (S. ocellatus) at 90dph


Green Mandarin Dragonet (S. splendidus) at 90dph

LOVE that last one!!! I may consider breaking my self-imposed "no more new fish" rule for one of those adorable little guys! What are they eating now?

Those are looking really nice. Great job.

THESE LOOK SO BADASS!!!

Thanks!!! Only downsize to dragonets is once they reach a certain age, their growth rate slowns waaayyy down. The scooter dragonets grow much faster than the green mandarins.

Very nice on the gobies!

Good news: I am moving to Florida close to you soon about 1hour 1/2 drive. Not to bad lol.

Very cool!!! Are you moving down here for work and/or school?

I move down because of your s'mores! Lol no I moved down because my wife had graduated from college and found a job in orlando hospital. I haven't found a job yet but will be looking sooner as we get settle down and look for apt. or house to rent. Not sure of any area yet but planning and looking around north of Orlando area.

Well had to break down the tank but I have kept the paired s'mores I got from u, I cannot keep the other one bully the other one. I don't think they are a pair because if the big bully beats the other one my other fish like angel fish and basslet attach it to so now I have to put the little guy in a separate container. Its funny, I feed the little guy only to fatten the s'more up but he is nice and share food for his fellow tank mates. Lol what can I do to stop the violence? They only fight when the lights are turn on.

Every thing Ive seen here is amazing especially the green mandarins, my favorite fish.