Clownfish breeding questions. Need help

[Ntimm]

My clownfish started spawning and I'm hoping some clownfish breeders can answer a few questions for me.

1. Is it ok to attach a 10 gallon tank to my display sump, for the purpose of housing the breeding pair? I understand that feeding a breeding pair risks fouling the water, but I already feed them pretty heavy and my nitrate stays at 5 or below, with phosphate hovering around .03. My skimmer is rated for 90 gallons and running about 50 gallons total water volune. The breeding tank would be bare bottom with uneaten food being siphoned out.

2. If adding a 10 gallon breeder tank to my system doesnt cause any nutrient issues, would I use only display tank water for the larval and growout tank?

3. Can i use display tank water when performing water changes on the larval and growout tank (provided theres no elevated nitrates).

Thanks for your time and I look forward to your input!

 

[MnFish1]

How would you attach the 10 gallon tank to your sump?
When I have bred clowns, the problem was 1) - they are extremely tiny - and easily 'sucked out' or against filters (sponge filter works best.
and 2). feeding. I tended to use a totally seperate tank (but I used display tank water to fill it) - I did not grow food for the fry - but instead purchased some extremely small food - which I could see they were eating - but unfortunately - none survived. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

[Ntimm]

How would you attach the 10 gallon tank to your sump?
When I have bred clowns, the problem was 1) - they are extremely tiny - and easily 'sucked out' or against filters (sponge filter works best.
and 2). feeding. I tended to use a totally seperate tank (but I used display tank water to fill it) - I did not grow food for the fry - but instead purchased some extremely small food - which I could see they were eating - but unfortunately - none survived. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Just thr parents would be in a 10 gallon that's attached to my main sump. The tank would be drilled to return into the sumps filter sock and run thru the sump before being pumped back into the breeding tank. Either by splitting the return line to my display or adding another pump to the return section. The fry would be hatched in a 10 gallon tank that's not connected to any system and i would have a seperate grow out tank with it's own sump.

 

[MnFish1]

Just thr parents would be in a 10 gallon that's attached to my main sump. The tank would be drilled to return into the sumps filter sock and run thru the sump before being pumped back into the breeding tank. Either by splitting the return line to my display or adding another pump to the return section. The fry would be hatched in a 10 gallon tank that's not connected to any system and i would have a seperate grow out tank with it's own sump.

So - is the reason for putting the parents into their own tank 'ease' of getting the fry out? If so - another way to try is to add a flower pot (or some other inert item) - near where they have been laying their eggs in the display tank - and hope (which often happens) - that they lay their eggs on that item. When the fry hatch - but are not yet free-swimming - you can move the pot or whatever to the second tank. Often only a sponge-type filter is necessary for the second tank. If you use water from the display - and change it frequently it works quite well. Otherwise - there are also numerous techniques for removing fry from your display tank (using a fry tank). The fry - once they turn 'silver' start free-swimming that day - if you turn off the flow in the tank temporarily - and then put a light at the top of the water - the fry will swim to it - and can either be trapped (in a fry trap) - or they can be siphoned off with a piece of air tubing into another container. Either way - good luck!

 

[shred5]

You can also use larval traps. Chad Vossen make some decent ones.

 

[Ntimm]

So - is the reason for putting the parents into their own tank 'ease' of getting the fry out? If so - another way to try is to add a flower pot (or some other inert item) - near where they have been laying their eggs in the display tank - and hope (which often happens) - that they lay their eggs on that item. When the fry hatch - but are not yet free-swimming - you can move the pot or whatever to the second tank. Often only a sponge-type filter is necessary for the second tank. If you use water from the display - and change it frequently it works quite well. Otherwise - there are also numerous techniques for removing fry from your display tank (using a fry tank). The fry - once they turn 'silver' start free-swimming that day - if you turn off the flow in the tank temporarily - and then put a light at the top of the water - the fry will swim to it - and can either be trapped (in a fry trap) - or they can be siphoned off with a piece of air tubing into another container. Either way - good luck!

I apologize for the confusion. The clowns are currently in my display tank but I want to move them to their own tank and connect that tank to my display tank sump. The clowns would have a flower pot to spawn in and on hatch night I would move the pot to a seperate hatching tank using water from the parent/display tank. My main goal is just to keep the breeding pair attached to my main system and have the hatch and growout tanks seperate from that system.

 

[Ntimm]

So - is the reason for putting the parents into their own tank 'ease' of getting the fry out? If so - another way to try is to add a flower pot (or some other inert item) - near where they have been laying their eggs in the display tank - and hope (which often happens) - that they lay their eggs on that item. When the fry hatch - but are not yet free-swimming - you can move the pot or whatever to the second tank. Often only a sponge-type filter is necessary for the second tank. If you use water from the display - and change it frequently it works quite well. Otherwise - there are also numerous techniques for removing fry from your display tank (using a fry tank). The fry - once they turn 'silver' start free-swimming that day - if you turn off the flow in the tank temporarily - and then put a light at the top of the water - the fry will swim to it - and can either be trapped (in a fry trap) - or they can be siphoned off with a piece of air tubing into another container. Either way - good luck!

So - is the reason for putting the parents into their own tank 'ease' of getting the fry out? If so - another way to try is to add a flower pot (or some other inert item) - near where they have been laying their eggs in the display tank - and hope (which often happens) - that they lay their eggs on that item. When the fry hatch - but are not yet free-swimming - you can move the pot or whatever to the second tank. Often only a sponge-type filter is necessary for the second tank. If you use water from the display - and change it frequently it works quite well. Otherwise - there are also numerous techniques for removing fry from your display tank (using a fry tank). The fry - once they turn 'silver' start free-swimming that day - if you turn off the flow in the tank temporarily - and then put a light at the top of the water - the fry will swim to it - and can either be trapped (in a fry trap) - or they can be siphoned off with a piece of air tubing into another container. Either way - good luck!

Something is eating the clowns eggs at night in my display tank. Prob a shrimp or hermit crab

 

[Ntimm]

The purpose for moving the parents from my display is because something is eating the eggs at night. Prob an invert

 

[MnFish1]

I apologize for the confusion. The clowns are currently in my display tank but I want to move them to their own tank and connect that tank to my display tank sump. The clowns would have a flower pot to spawn in and on hatch night I would move the pot to a seperate hatching tank using water from the parent/display tank. My main goal is just to keep the breeding pair attached to my main system and have the hatch and growout tanks seperate from that system.

The purpose for moving the parents from my display is because something is eating the eggs at night. Prob an invert

It would be my guess is that it could very well be the parents eating the eggs - or the eggs are dying - and then the parents are eating them. Sometimes 2 females lay eggs as well. But I see your point. Another suggestion - before you go to the trouble of building all of this (and since clowns spawn so often) - you could potentially just put your clowns in your sump - with a pot - and when they spawn see what happens - if the eggs disappear - you will have an answer (unless there are inverts in your sump) - If they do disappear - the next time - take the pot out - and use an ayirstone to provide aeration et c in the second tank. Just a suggestion. One more point - I really got into trying to raise baby clowns. Just realize - one spawning can be 500 fry. Of course only a small number will likely survive - but it can rapidly become a full time job - especially if you 're planning to grow your own fry food (rotifers, etc). In any case - hope you have success.

 

[shred5]

The purpose for moving the parents from my display is because something is eating the eggs at night. Prob an invert

Possibly, I have seen bristle worms go after eggs.
I have seen parents eat them too. I believe it is because the eggs are nonviable or under developed.
If parents are not healthy or have proper nutrition it can affect the eggs. Not properly fertilized eggs, genetically defective parent.

 

[Ntimm]

Possibly, I have seen bristle worms go after eggs.
I have seen parents eat them too. I believe it is because the eggs are nonviable or under developed.
If parents are not healthy or have proper nutrition it can affect the eggs. Not properly fertilized eggs, genetically defective parent.

There was probably a nutritional issue because I didnt know they were going to spawn and was just feeding NLS pellets, algae extreme pellets and omega pellets. But the eggs were all there at lights out and most were gone when the lights turned back on so I'm assuming they were eaten by my cleaner shrimp or like you said britsle worms eat them too.

 

[Pete Luna]

My best and oldest pair are in my main display, leave them get them to host a pot, move the pot shrimp, worms wont get past the parents . Fry need their own tank with slight flow until after meta, water needs to be clean. after 30 days you could put them into a tank attached to the main, but I wouldn't until than

 

[Ntimm]

My best and oldest pair are in my main display, leave them get them to host a pot, move the pot shrimp, worms wont get past the parents . Fry need their own tank with slight flow until after meta, water needs to be clean. after 30 days you could put them into a tank attached to the main, but I wouldn't until than

They are hosting a Duncan coral and laying eggs under it. I dont think can see the eggs after lights out to protect them, can they? I tried a pot in the past and and they wouldnt go near it. I understand the hatching and growout tank setups. My main questions were about attaching the parent tank yo my display sump and using tank water for water changes on the hatch and growout tanks, provided nitrates are low.

 

[MnFish1]

There was probably a nutritional issue because I didnt know they were going to spawn and was just feeding NLS pellets, algae extreme pellets and omega pellets. But the eggs were all there at lights out and most were gone when the lights turned back on so I'm assuming they were eaten by my cleaner shrimp or like you said britsle worms eat them too.

FWIW - I found out that if the lights switched off suddenly - that often lead to eating the eggs. I left one light on in the room - a bit from the tank - so that when the lights went out in the tank - it still left a little light for the parents/eggs - it solved the eating problem

 

[Ntimm]

FWIW - I found out that if the lights switched off suddenly - that often lead to eating the eggs. I left one light on in the room - a bit from the tank - so that when the lights went out in the tank - it still left a little light for the parents/eggs - it solved the eating problem

I don't have ramping lights on my display so that's a possible scenario. One of the 2 lights cuts off 30 seconds before the other to signal lights out before total blackness. Seems to tell my wrasse when it's time to hit the sand and sends my tang dashing for its cave. But then again that was the first time my clowns spawned so they may have panicked when it got dark. I was thinking about giving them a bit of night light to see if it helps. Thanks for the advice!

 

[MnFish1]

They are hosting a Duncan coral and laying eggs under it. I dont think can see the eggs after lights out to protect them, can they? I tried a pot in the past and and they wouldnt go near it. I understand the hatching and growout tank setups. My main questions were about attaching the parent tank yo my display sump and using tank water for water changes on the hatch and growout tanks, provided nitrates are lowI

Part of the problem is - I cant 'view' how you're planning to do this - without a drawing or something. To me it seems overly complex? I would place a tank on the floor (or table)- lets say on the side of the aquarium - buy a cheap overflow - and take water from your display into that tank. Then use a pump that willl slowly pump water back to the display. This way - you can actually put the pot (for the eggs) into the tank - to monitor - then remove it (or remove the parents) - and use that tank for the initial growing. This also gives the advantage of 1) clean water that is cycled. 2). The parents can stay in the main tank while you raise the fry. 3) less stress for the partents/fry. 4). Less work on your part = no need for multiple tanks (until the fry get big enough) and 5) - when you're tired of it. you can easily put the set up away. No need for multiple filters, heaters, etc. All the work is done by your display. You can put a sponge over the intake from teh pump in the small tank to prevent the fry from being sucked in (and use a low flow rate). Just my opinion. This is what I meant: (Click the picture to see the whole thing)

 

[Ntimm]

Part of the problem is - I cant 'view' how you're planning to do this - without a drawing or something. To me it seems overly complex? I would place a tank on the floor (or table)- lets say on the side of the aquarium - buy a cheap overflow - and take water from your display into that tank. Then use a pump that willl slowly pump water back to the display. This way - you can actually put the pot (for the eggs) into the tank - to monitor - then remove it (or remove the parents) - and use that tank for the initial growing. This also gives the advantage of 1) clean water that is cycled. 2). The parents can stay in the main tank while you raise the fry. 3) less stress for the partents/fry. 4). Less work on your part = no need for multiple tanks (until the fry get big enough) and 5) - when you're tired of it. you can easily put the set up away. No need for multiple filters, heaters, etc. All the work is done by your display. You can put a sponge over the intake from teh pump in the small tank to prevent the fry from being sucked in (and use a low flow rate). Just my opinion. This is what I meant: (Click the picture to see the whole thing)

Sorry I dont have an app to draw it up. What I was thinking is basically the same concept as running a growout rack on a mini scale. My sump pump would fill both tanks and they would both return into the same sump chamber. My sump pump currently only pumps water into my display. It uses vinyl tubing. I was thinking of using a "T" splitter to direct some of the sump pump water into a 10 gallon tank positioned beside my display tank. I would use a reducer and/or valve to control the flow into the 10g. The 10g would be drilled with an overflow that returns into the sump chamber where display tank water enters. It would be the same water flowing thru the whole system. I would have a second overflow pipe on the 10g to prevent overfilling should the return pipe on my display get blocked somehow. I currently only run my sump pump at level 3 of 10 so it's not gonna overwork my pump if I ramp up the flow. I'm thinking this wouldnt require me needing to run another return pump and HOB overflow. Seems easy to remove as well. Just pull the 10 and splice the return tubing back together ( or replace it). Sorry if this still doesnt make sense.Your way makes me nervous about what would happen if the 10 gallon return pump died and the display overflow overflowed the 10g. Maybe I missed something?

 

[Pete Luna]

Are you using one pump, to two tanks with overflow to one sump? Thats easy

 

[Ntimm]

.

 

[Ntimm]

Are you using one pump, to two tanks with overflow to one sump? Thats easy

Yep. Easy and easy to detach down the road. Any reason I shouldnt do this for the breeding pair?