Breed Clownfish | Saltwater Fish

[Nick Marine]

Gday all,

Well as my picture suggests my clowns have spawned a nice batch of fry. I am unclear as to when they wree laid but they are really starting to darken up now.

I am hoping I have atleast one more night so I can get to the aquariam to buy a small fry grow tank. I have also purchased a ritefr culture and food wihich will arive in 2 days time.

Tomorw i will move the rock these eggs are on into the grow out tank.

Can any suggest any other advice please. I will have an airstone.
I will be conducting daily partial water changes with me reef tank water.

what else do i need to do ?

Regards

Nick

[davek0819]

The eggs should go through a series of changes, first orange, then gray, black and then silver right before the hatch. I always had to collect mine from the main tank because the eggs were laid on the glass. From what I read if you move them you need to place the air stone so the bubbles move past the eggs sort of like the male fanning them. Keep an eye on the color so the clowns can do most of the work for you.

I'm not sure if you can let them get exposed to air?? Maybe move the rock to a bowl inside the tank and then remove the bowl so the rock can be submersed in water the whole time.

Setting up the fry tank, you need the air stone, heater, light and I've darkened the 3 side of the tank, left, back and right side - I used a black trash bag and duct tape and left it on for the first 5 days, it keeps the light from above so not to confuse the fry.

I would go the co-culture route. Adding the rotifers and food directly into the tank after the fry are hatched. Depending upon how much you purchased you might need to culture the rotifers in a seperate bucket. The first couple days you need a higher density of rotifers in the fry tank so they can stumble across them. After a couple of days they can start to seach for them.

I added a link about cultureing rotifers from brindeshrimpdirect, but I would also read the pages from this website before entering the forum. I would read as much as you could from this site, this sites forum, google seaches and Joyce Wilkerson's book. At around day 5 you will need to hatch brine shrimp to feed them. Under my clarkii post I tried to put my daily routine of the first batch so I could chart my progress and and seek advice, Alanna's and Miami's post does the same.

good luck with the hatch

http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/c90/Ra ... -c199.html

[Nick Marine]

Thanks for the information!

well i got home from work today and yes the silver flash is evident.

I have setup a new 50 litre square jebo. I have used water from the main tank. I have installed a heater and have placed an air curtain underneath it.

I have successfully placed the rock with teh eggs in the tank. My intentsion are to remove this rock once they release.

I was able to find frozen Hikari rotifers will this do ?? My live culture has not arrived yet. Shoudl arrive tomorw.

Must I feed them after hatching ?? and what constitutes a feeding how much??






Thanks

Nick

[davek0819]

I think from Joyce Wilkerson's book, the fry survive the first day on the yoke (?) from the egg sack when they are born. I always added the rotifers to the tank the morning after the hatch. You might have a day. Some had luck with frozen, some say not to do it, I've always used live sorry can't help you there. How much is a tough question. I never really got a feel for the rotifer density until I took the pictures and zoomed in the fry. The specs are the rotifers.

My scientific method consisted of about 4 to 5 cups of a marichino cherry glass dipped into my culturing bucket and poured through a sieve. I then used water from the tank to turkey baste the back side of the sieve so they fall into the water. If you pour the rotifers into a glass and hold to a light you should get an idea of the density. By co-culturing in the fry tank the rotifiers that are not eaten should reproduce and begin to multiply.

I'm not sure what the 50 liters translates to gallons but from the picture you might want to reduce your water to under half your tank. I started out with about 3 gallons in a 10 gallon tank. At each water change I would add back a little more water each time. Also by starting out with less water you can use fewer rotifers to get a higher density until the fry can begin to hunt for them.

[alanna]

From what I have read fry only eat live rotifers at 1st. I don't know if dead ones float or sink. Some things say not to even try fry until you have agood rotifer culture going. But, yes I would still try anyway. Maybe your rotifers will arrive in time. Check fish store for live rotifers in green water or shops may know someone in your area that may have some. Best of luck! The good news is they will lay again soon and you will have another chance. If you live in Arkansas I give you some rotifers for you fry until yours arrived. I hope you find some.

[Nick Marine]

I will need to get that book ,, thanks for the help all!

No hatch just yet


The frozen rotifers disperse amazingly well, you cant distinguish as it spreads out within the tank. tried it on the main tank , fish didn't really pick up on it , couldnt see it to eat it !

Still waiting on my live culture!

will keep u posted