Clownfish fry hide at waterline

[Zephrant]

My first batch of fries is two weeks old now. They have metamorphosized just fine, and are chubby little guys. Show no interest in flake yet, and spend all their time huddled at the waterline like this.

I am feeding Artemia and live phyto. Still tons of rotifers in the tank, can’t get rid if them, they multiply far too fast. But I want the Artemia to be nutritious, so I’m still feeding phyto for now.

They are in a 5 gallon tank. I put in some plumbing fittings today for hiding places, they totally ignored them. If I move the light over them, they swim down, but come back when I put the light back. It’s just an old fluorescent 10g tank light, illuminating two 5 gallon tanks.

50% waterchange yesterday plus added prime, no effect.

Normal for them to cluster at the waterline?

 

[Zephrant]

Just an update- Apparently normal. They have been fine, have not found any dead ones yet, too many to count though. Will attempt to transfer them to a new tank tonight or tomorrow. Hopping I don't fright-kill any. They are about 45 days old tonight.

Doing well on standard flake and pellet food, ground with in a mortar. Easy enough to do, 10s three times a day, and about $70 cheaper than TDO.

I did give them a treat of live adult (and younger) Artemia last weekend when I was cleaning out a brine bucket. The little carnivores were all over those brine, none of them lasted more than a few seconds.