First time I have found clown eggs.

[HankstankXXL750]

I've heard this is due to either environmental stressors on the clowns, the eggs not being fertile, or the eggs being damaged/unhealthy - if this is happening while the clowns are still spawning regularly, I'd guess it's not environmental stress, so I'd look at the diet the clowns are eating to see if the clowns are getting adequate protein, fat, etc. for the eggs/larvae to develop properly. No guarantees this is the issue though.

Optimal rotifer stocking from what I've seen is ~10 rotifers per milliliter; 500,000 rotifers in 10 gallons would be ~132 rotifers per milliliter, so (assuming you have that many rotifers in the 3.5L) that would be too much.

The calculation of 500,000 divided by 37854ml is 13.2 so probably pretty close.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

The calculation of 500,000 divided by 37854ml is 13.2 so probably pretty close.

Whoops - yeah, I forgot a zero there. Yeah, 13.2 is fine.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I assume that my plan would be to add that amount at hatch time or just after or before if it looks like they are for sure ready. Then add the others in multiple feedings throughout the day.
And no worries, I have already prepped the wife that things could go to pieces, but trying to cover all bases ahead of time hoping to not come up against something at the last moment and not be able to find the “right” answer in time.
As @vetteguy53081 said, can believe everything you read. That’s the great part here is that generally you get answers from people who have actually done it, and more than once.
Love R2R

 

[Spicy Reef]

This is an exciting read - Good Luck - sending good vibes

 

[HankstankXXL750]

This is an exciting read - Good Luck - sending good vibes

Thanks. They are even shinier now so I’ll probably be up the next two nights as @vetteguy53081 is saying tomorrow. My money is on his guess, but sure would hate to miss them tonight.
A good book and a small flashlight and I should be good.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

New update, no hatch last night. Eggs are shinier today but no real wiggling. With my magnifying glasses I can see little bodies. The nem and the mommy/daddy make pics difficult. Every time I get good focus one of them moves in front of the lens and it refocuses. Then the nem just draped clear over them like it was trying to protect them from the camera.
Also put a isolation box in, was able to catch the blue spot puffer last night, but today I was afraid I was stressing mommy and daddy so quit trying. The big eye squirrel is my biggest concern, but no one was really out after dark last night.
Here’s to hoping tonight’s the night.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

They are pretty shiny…

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Ok, no hatch last night. Maybe they were not ready or maybe I made a rookie mistake. @vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas I read that if you shine light on the eggs they will not hatch that night. Is this true or something else that I shouldn’t believe what I read on the internet. Tank is so dark after lights out that I cannot see anything so o opened my phone and used the screen light to observe the clutch. Is this a no no or were they just not ready last night. Also I see that they may hatch over the course of two or more nights, is this normal or because someone used lights on the clutch.

It was a really long night.
Thanks.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Ok, no hatch last night. Maybe they were not ready or maybe I made a rookie mistake. @vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas I read that if you shine light on the eggs they will not hatch that night. Is this true or something else that I shouldn’t believe what I read on the internet. Tank is so dark after lights out that I cannot see anything so o opened my phone and used the screen light to observe the clutch. Is this a no no or were they just not ready last night. Also I see that they may hatch over the course of two or more nights, is this normal or because someone used lights on the clutch.

It was a really long night.
Thanks.

This is a good question, and not an issue I thought about (but it is one that could be problematic for you).

A constant beam of light would prevent hatching, yes (see the link below), but I'd guess (possibly incorrectly) that an occasional flash wouldn't.

The link:

Clownfish reproduction threatened by artificial light

The Disney movie Finding Nemo could have a much darker sequel – as artificial light in coral reefs leaves the famous fish unable to reproduce offspring, […]

news.flinders.edu.au

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok, no hatch last night. Maybe they were not ready or maybe I made a rookie mistake. @vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas I read that if you shine light on the eggs they will not hatch that night. Is this true or something else that I shouldn’t believe what I read on the internet. Tank is so dark after lights out that I cannot see anything so o opened my phone and used the screen light to observe the clutch. Is this a no no or were they just not ready last night. Also I see that they may hatch over the course of two or more nights, is this normal or because someone used lights on the clutch.

It was a really long night.
Thanks.

True- remember Isaid dim to subtle lighting. Again- allow them to take their course.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

True- remember Isaid dim to subtle lighting. Again- allow them to take their course.

It wasn’t full time and just the glow from the front of my iPhone. And only for seconds every 1/2 hour. I would check and then leave.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

True- remember Isaid dim to subtle lighting. Again- allow them to take their course.

No worries about letting them take their course. Night before last in the time frame between midnight and 4 all the other fish seemed to be tucked away sleeping. Last night the purple tang, hog fish and squirrel were circling underneath the column that the eggs are laid on. I thought maybe they new something. Then when they didn’t hatch last night I wondered if my spying on them could have triggered a protection response and if so don’t want to do it again. But want to be there and witness the miracle of birth and collect as many to save them as I can. Thinking tonight I will just direct a dimmer light into the corner and see it any fry show up verses trying to view the clutch.

Also I now have two days harvest from the rotifers in the fridge. Thinking I will feed the first harvest to my reefs as I will run out of storage space for them tonight if no hatch.

my chroma boost arrived so now I’m pretty much prepared, the rest will be up to God.

 

[vetteguy53081]

No worries about letting them take their course. Night before last in the time frame between midnight and 4 all the other fish seemed to be tucked away sleeping. Last night the purple tang, hog fish and squirrel were circling underneath the column that the eggs are laid on. I thought maybe they new something. Then when they didn’t hatch last night I wondered if my spying on them could have triggered a protection response and if so don’t want to do it again. But want to be there and witness the miracle of birth and collect as many to save them as I can. Thinking tonight I will just direct a dimmer light into the corner and see it any fry show up verses trying to view the clutch.

Also I now have two days harvest from the rotifers in the fridge. Thinking I will feed the first harvest to my reefs as I will run out of storage space for them tonight if no hatch.

my chroma boost arrived so now I’m pretty much prepared, the rest will be up to God.

Youre all set

 

[UltraKelius]

I cover my parent tank, so that it’s pitch black. Within half an hour they will hatch. If you leave any sort of dim light on then it will stall the hatch and increases the chance of the fry being eaten. Leave tank covered with pumps off for 60 mins. Resist the urge to shine a torch in and check at any point until an hour is up. Then voila! Babies

 

[UltraKelius]

Oh- another thing to note. They may not all hatch on one night. You may get a small pre-hatch, followed by main hatch the following night!

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Oh- another thing to note. They may not all hatch on one night. You may get a small pre-hatch, followed by main hatch the following night!

I have read that also. Thanks.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Obviously no new news as it isn’t dark yet. But I did install Love Rooms for my other pairs. Haven’t ever seen them lay eggs yet but maybe I’ll get lucky and they will use the supplied venue.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Another night come and gone. We didn’t have a hatch. I didn’t cover the tank as someone suggested but it is really dark in my opinion. I’ve got a pic here. Yes the green LED on top of my AI primes put off quite the glow, but I covered them with wash cloths. Took the picture when the lights had been off for Two hours and I put a light in the corner and no fry.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius so it is day 10 I believe. The eggs I think were larger this morning but have to get my magnifying glasses to see them good. My question is, I really thought they were going to hatch last night so I made it as dark as possible and while I waited I tinted the fry tank with RGComplete. I haven’t added rotifers but did rinse last nights harvest and stored them in DT water. Was tinting last night a mistake or will it be ok. I can alway pull another 10g from the DT and renew it if needed. Also as per vetteguy I put a sponge filter in the fry tank on one end and a airstone on the other. However I didn’t see the sponge. Should I buy a second sponge filter and throw it in the DT sump to switch out in 5-7 days to have an established bio filter. Or I have a bag of SeaChem Matrix already in that sump (been there for months) should I bring it across at some time.
RGComplete has an Chilean-x in it, will this be sufficient or should I get a different product. I grabbed API ammo lock from Petsmart, but could order seachem a guard or chloram-x as I don’t see much love for API on R2R.

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius so it is day 10 I believe. The eggs I think were larger this morning but have to get my magnifying glasses to see them good. My question is, I really thought they were going to hatch last night so I made it as dark as possible and while I waited I tinted the fry tank with RGComplete. I haven’t added rotifers but did rinse last nights harvest and stored them in DT water. Was tinting last night a mistake or will it be ok. I can alway pull another 10g from the DT and renew it if needed. Also as per vetteguy I put a sponge filter in the fry tank on one end and a airstone on the other. However I didn’t see the sponge. Should I buy a second sponge filter and throw it in the DT sump to switch out in 5-7 days to have an established bio filter. Or I have a bag of SeaChem Matrix already in that sump (been there for months) should I bring it across at some time.
RGComplete has an Chilean-x in it, will this be sufficient or should I get a different product. I grabbed API ammo lock from Petsmart, but could order seachem a guard or chloram-x as I don’t see much love for API on R2R.

extra sponge filter yes, but get it as a backup and switch out as needed and squeeze out the other one and have it ready and even apply a little bacteria to it
If eggs appear larger- thats a good sign. . . any time is best I can say