Clownfish laid eggs for first time in my Reefing Joureny! .... Now what?

[MillennialReefer]

I've been in the hobby for almost 13 years and this is the first time I've ever had saltwater fish (clownfish) lay eggs!
I've had this pair for 3 years now and they have moved with me to various systems. I'm pretty surprised because this system is barely 6 months old. Even though many of us buy 2 clownfish in hopes they pair off, its amazing to see them breed 'naturally' in the system instead of intentionally breeding them in a separate tank - if that makes sense.

I understand that I would need rotifers to feed the fry after removing the eggs and adding them to another container. Luckily the shell they laid the eggs on isn't glued on the rock so I can simply remove it. My question is: Can I put the eggs in the sump in one of those guppy breeder boxes (plastic or netted). Also, can I buy live rotifers and feed them multiple times a day? Because I know I wont keep up with maintaining a rotifer culture lol.

Any who I'm so thrilled that my clownfish laid eggs - it feels like an accomplishment in the hobby!

PS. I`m not as mad at my clownfish for being bullies now that they are parents - haha.

 

[A Young Reefer]

following

 

[Wolf89]

Firstly, these clowns are new parents. New clown parents very rarely get it right the first few tries. Whether it be improper fertilization, not enough or too much cleaning, or just straight up eating the eggs, it usually takes a good amount of nests before you'll have good viable clutches.
So with this first one and for the next 2 months or so, I would leave it alone and let them get into a rhythm. They should lay every 8-10 days if not disturbed. After they get into the swing of things you can start trying to raise fry.

Raising them in a fry net will never work in a reef. These fish do not skip a larval period, unlike a lot of fish that those boxes are used for. You will never be able to keep the water tinted properly with phytoplankton not will rotifers ever be able to be at a high enough concentration (~10 rotifers per milliliter)

 

[MillennialReefer]

Firstly, these clowns are new parents. New clown parents very rarely get it right the first few tries. Whether it be improper fertilization, not enough or too much cleaning, or just straight up eating the eggs, it usually takes a good amount of nests before you'll have good viable clutches.
So with this first one and for the next 2 months or so, I would leave it alone and let them get into a rhythm. They should lay every 8-10 days if not disturbed. After they get into the swing of things you can start trying to raise fry.

Raising them in a fry net will never work in a reef. These fish do not skip a larval period, unlike a lot of fish that those boxes are used for. You will never be able to keep the water tinted properly with phytoplankton not will rotifers ever be able to be at a high enough concentration (~10 rotifers per milliliter)

Thank you for the information! I hope they start laying eggs on regular basis so I have time to prepare and handle the raising process.

In future (assuming my clowns will lay eggs again) when is an appropriate time to remove the eggs from the parents?
Also, would a container with a heater and air line be enough for the fry?

 

[Wolf89]

In future (assuming my clowns will lay eggs again) when is an appropriate time to remove the eggs from the parents?

It's not an exact science. Since you won't be collecting the first 5-8 hatches, you should write down when they are laid and when they disappear or hatch. You'll want to look for patterns, because hatch time is generally consistent given stable temperature. For example, one of my pairs eggs hatch at 9 days, but another at 7 days. Sometimes half hatches one day and the next half the next day. The night of hatching, the majority of eggs will be a shiny silver

 

[Wolf89]

Also, would a container with a heater and air line be enough for the fry?

A 5 gallon bucket would work, just make sure the heater is appropriately sized and doesn't cause fluctuation. I like to use 15 black totes like this

 

[bReefedBaker]

I've been in the hobby for almost 13 years and this is the first time I've ever had saltwater fish (clownfish) lay eggs!
I've had this pair for 3 years now and they have moved with me to various systems. I'm pretty surprised because this system is barely 6 months old. Even though many of us buy 2 clownfish in hopes they pair off, its amazing to see them breed 'naturally' in the system instead of intentionally breeding them in a separate tank - if that makes sense.

I understand that I would need rotifers to feed the fry after removing the eggs and adding them to another container. Luckily the shell they laid the eggs on isn't glued on the rock so I can simply remove it. My question is: Can I put the eggs in the sump in one of those guppy breeder boxes (plastic or netted). Also, can I buy live rotifers and feed them multiple times a day? Because I know I wont keep up with maintaining a rotifer culture lol.

Any who I'm so thrilled that my clownfish laid eggs - it feels like an accomplishment in the hobby!

PS. I`m not as mad at my clownfish for being bullies now that they are parents - haha.

*following this thread*

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Nothing…. What them get eaten and sucked into overflow….

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I've been in the hobby for almost 13 years and this is the first time I've ever had saltwater fish (clownfish) lay eggs!
I've had this pair for 3 years now and they have moved with me to various systems. I'm pretty surprised because this system is barely 6 months old. Even though many of us buy 2 clownfish in hopes they pair off, its amazing to see them breed 'naturally' in the system instead of intentionally breeding them in a separate tank - if that makes sense.

I understand that I would need rotifers to feed the fry after removing the eggs and adding them to another container. Luckily the shell they laid the eggs on isn't glued on the rock so I can simply remove it. My question is: Can I put the eggs in the sump in one of those guppy breeder boxes (plastic or netted). Also, can I buy live rotifers and feed them multiple times a day? Because I know I wont keep up with maintaining a rotifer culture lol.

Any who I'm so thrilled that my clownfish laid eggs - it feels like an accomplishment in the hobby!

PS. I`m not as mad at my clownfish for being bullies now that they are parents - haha.

Take some pictures. Be happy for your fish and move on. Unless you are willing to culture rotifers and phyto aswell. It’s a huge pita. And not worth the time when you spend all this effort and raise 4 fish from 300 eggs and they grow to be regular clowns worth 5$ each

 

[A Young Reefer]

Take some pictures. Be happy for your fish and move on. Unless you are willing to culture rotifers and phyto aswell. It’s a huge pita. And not worth the time when you spend all this effort and raise 4 fish from 300 eggs and they grow to be regular clowns worth 5$ each

I would consider 4 a very good harvest…
Most people I know ended up with one.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I would consider 4 a very good harvest…
Most people I know ended up with one.

I have done this over a dozen times. Spent stupid money and time aswell. After waiting 7-10 clutch’s I collected the next 5 with 0 success. Then the next 2 I got 4 to live but dies after 1 month then next was 7 and they died 1 month later then next was 2 and also died a month later. Then I gave up. Honestly the eggs and babies is not the hard part it’s the phyto and rotifers. Imo don’t even think about clown eggs till you can grow rotifers and phyto for months successfully.

 

[Freenow54]

I am interested to find out if they are cannibals'. Way cool though

 

[Dbichler]

They definitely eat their own eggs. My male does all the time probably because he’s busy fanning the eggs all day every day. Nothing else to eat

 

[vetteguy53081]

Inexperienced parents rarely raise the first clutch successful. Watch and let parents do their thing but eggs may get eaten
keep track of next batch laid and you will then know frequency as mine are every 3-5 weeks. You can lay a flowerpot in tank and see if you use that for next clutch. Then you can transfer eggs next time to a 10 gal tank and raise them yourself

 

[MillennialReefer]

The eggs have disappeared! Not sure what happened although I'm not concerned. Hoping they lay eggs again and get into a rhythm. I was also thinking about the reality of raising the fry into adulthood and the chances of how many survive. I have no plans or intention of raising an entire batch and selling them, but I definitely want to try it out as part of the hobby. They are still behaving in such a way of preparing another nest, so Ill just have to wait and see when they decide to lay another batch.

 

[Dbichler]

Yeah anywhere from 7 days to weeks is normal my pair lay every 14-16 days

 

[Brit’s Fish]

My Black storm pair seem like they’re getting ready to lay their first eggs (that I know of). I’m not planning to try raising any babies though. @vetteguy53081 @((FORDTECH)) any thoughts on whether their babies would ever end up also being Black Storms or if they’d be a mix of regular clowns and others?

 

[vetteguy53081]

My Black storm pair seem like they’re getting ready to lay their first eggs (that I know of). I’m not planning to try raising any babies though. @vetteguy53081 @((FORDTECH)) any thoughts on whether their babies would ever end up also being Black Storms or if they’d be a mix of regular clowns and others?

May be both if you get a successful hatch

 

[Brit’s Fish]

May be both if you get a successful hatch

Well, maybe someday, I’ll give it a try. Not any time soon. Lol

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Also be prepared with proper lighting. The fry will stress out and most probably die while searching for food in their first days of life. I have a spawning pair and have done research out of concern and interest and the lighting question stuck out in an area of importance. Good luck and very exciting. Congrats!