How to collect new born fry in a reef tank.

Paul B

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Heathy paired fish spawn constantly and sometimes we don't notice it because they can spawn in a cave or in the back of the tank where we can't see them. But a fish like clowns or clown gobies can and do spawn every week or so. The parents guard the eggs until they hatch then we all know what happens to the fry.

I developed an easy way to collect fry as soon as they hatch in some situations. If the eggs are in an inaccessible location, it won't work but many times they lay eggs someplace where they can be seen.

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this thing right now as Photobucket isn't working at the moment but it is basically a small plastic container that hangs on the side of the tank like we used to use to breed guppies in. You need to install a fine mesh in it that the fry can not get through, but water can. I use a filter pod from a Kuric coffee machine but any fine net will work.

Glue it in the container so water can escape.
Then you need an acrylic tube about 3/8 to 1/2" and one end of that tube gets stuck into the bottom of the container. The other end needs to be bent to sit right above the eggs. Near the bottom of that tube you have to glue in a smaller tube that you can attach an air line to.

Now the thing is ready. Start some bubbles in the air line and water will be sucked into the tube and to the container. As the fish hatch, they too will be safely sucked into the container.

I have used this quite a few times and it works well but of course it can only be used with fish that lay eggs in a place where they can be seen.
I will post pictures when I can get photobucket working. I have to scan a picture of it from my book because I don't have the device. It is so easy to build that I make one whenever I want to collect some fry.

Here is a video of my bluestripe pipefish that are also always laying eggs. The male is pregnant here as he normally is. I can't collect these fry with this contraption so this type of fish needs to be in a separate tank to collect fry but they are so tiny they are very hard to see.



Here is a pair of 27 year old fireclowns cleaning a nest.


Here they are spawning in a Grand Marnier bottle.
 
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Paul B

Paul B

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You don't need a light. Most fry hatch in the dark anyway. Position the end of the tube right over the eggs and the fry will be sucked in as they hatch. Photobucket is down now so I can't post a picture. I scanned it from my book.
 

Larry L

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Awesome idea - like the old-school air-driven HOB filters we all used to use! :)
 
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Paul B

Paul B

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Exactly. I still can't post a picture. Photobucket still out
 

lapin

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Exactly. I still can't post a picture. Photobucket still out
Might be a good idea in my tank. Do you think it will work if the eggs are 3 feet down? Ill wait for the bucket to wake up.
 
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Paul B

Paul B

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It will work if the eggs are 10' down. Just insert the airline about a foot from the surface of the larger tube or else your air pump may not be strong enough to pump air down that far. But it doesn't have to go that far down, the water will be sucked up with the eggs either way.

Photobucket is now working but I don't want to walk on my garage floor yet as I just epoxied it and my other computer with that picture in it is down there. I can probably get in there later but today is also my 45th wedding anniversary so I may be busy. :D
 

4FordFamily

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Neat idea and contraption!
 

lapin

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You dont have the spiked shoes the pros wear while doing epoxy floors????
 
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Paul B

Paul B

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I do have the spiked shoes. But you can't wear them when the epoxy is dry or it will make holes all over the place. I can walk on it but I want to wait a couple of more hours.
 

lapin

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Great thanks
Oh and.......

 
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Ms. Mermaid

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That fry trap from Vossen worked great for me and yes you do need the light because they are attracted to it and swim to the light. I have collected several batches from my clownfishes in the past.
 

JerseyClowns

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That fry trap from Vossen worked great for me and yes you do need the light because they are attracted to it and swim to the light. I have collected several batches from my clownfishes in the past.

Agree, this method is probably the best I've used in a reef tank, although you need to ensure the flow rate in the trap isn't too high or the fry will spin themselves to death.
 

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