Clown eggs?

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mwebber28

mwebber28

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Feb 12, 2011
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Gig Harbor
I'm not sure where to put this thread so if one of you administrators could move it to the proper place I'll thank you in advance.

So I was doing my daily inspection this morning and came across an orange cluster of what I believe to be clown fish eggs on the rock under my nem.

I was thinking about trying to raise them but have heard its a fairly complex process. I was hoping one of you experienced guys can offer some advice on setups, water temp, feeding schedules, ect...

Here is a couple pics.
 
Im not expert but they are the right color and look to be the right grouping. Are they guarding them from other fish?
 
eartaker said:
Im not expert but they are the right color and look to be the right grouping. Are they guarding them from other fish?
Click to expand...
The lttle clown in pic was down by them all day long. He chased my hawkfish away but that's the only one I saw.
 
Those are definitely eggs. Do you think you will be able to raise them? give it a try at least. I think someone on here may still be growing rotifers you might be able to buy.
 
If your interested or serious about trying to raise them start your research and equipment gathering now. Leave this batch and probably another one or two alone and see how well the parents do without interference. They may be spotty/irregular at first but soon enough they'll have a fairly consistant pattern to their laying cycle. Mine were 5-6 batches 11 days apart then a couple months break. You can experiment by placing something smooth like an (Chicken)egg sized Snail shell or piece of rubble that can be removed just before they hatch. These eggs will develope then hatch typically on the 8th night just after lights out (if parents do thier part) I've had success in past syphoning off ready to hatch young with an airline hose on the 8th day. Another thing that will increase your survival rate is to not try to save all/to many if you use the syphon method just start with 10-20 and go from there. Good luck and keep us posted on how things progress.

Cheers, Todd
 
I am following along. I have also heard the process is tedious and I can imagine costly with all the live food they need. Very excited to see this develop.
 
IPisces said:
Those are definitely eggs. Do you think you will be able to raise them? give it a try at least. I think someone on here may still be growing rotifers you might be able to buy.
Click to expand...

I'm still thinking about trying it. From what I can tell though its pretty time consuming.
 
TJL said:
If your interested or serious about trying to raise them start your research and equipment gathering now. Leave this batch and probably another one or two alone and see how well the parents do without interference. They may be spotty/irregular at first but soon enough they'll have a fairly consistant pattern to their laying cycle. Mine were 5-6 batches 11 days apart then a couple months break. You can experiment by placing something smooth like an (Chicken)egg sized Snail shell or piece of rubble that can be removed just before they hatch. These eggs will develope then hatch typically on the 8th night just after lights out (if parents do thier part) I've had success in past syphoning off ready to hatch young with an airline hose on the 8th day. Another thing that will increase your survival rate is to not try to save all/to many if you use the syphon method just start with 10-20 and go from there. Good luck and keep us posted on how things progress.

Cheers, Todd
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Todd. Are there any article's or other sites you would recomend that might list the needed wquipment and how to set things up?

I found a site that seems pretty straight forward about some of the basic stuff but not to indepth about the whole process.

In case anyone else wants to check it out.

Breed Clownfish | Saltwater Fish Breeding
 
chickenofthesea said:
Are there any threads on RF that walk through the process? I am curious to know from someones first hand experience.
Click to expand...

I looked all over and couldnt find any. There is a few breeding journals but they only offer limited info about water temp, ect... Post a link if you find one.
 
So after some research I decided to purchase this book, Clownfishes: A guide to their captive care, breeding & natural history by Joyce D. Wilkerson. I'm hoping this will be enough info to get me started on the right track.

Does anyone have live rotifers and brine shrimp for sale? If not can anyone recomend a good online site to get them from.

Thanks.
 
IPisces said:
Check the classifieds. I know one person grows and sells it and has posted there.
Click to expand...

Never thought about that, thank God breathing is an involuntary process or I just might forget to do that today also... Big ole DOHHH!! on my part there.
 
mwebber,

it is extremely time consuming....being i have a new batch of clown eggs myself, i look into it, and will pass this batch, but might try it if i can get them to lay eggs on a piece of tile or snail shell where i can take the eggs home and raise them....my clowns are in my office tank..


you might send a msg to NanaChloropsis...she has successfully raised clowns and after talking to her today it is like caring for a new born infant..

basically you have to stay up late the night they hatch and siphon them out and put them into a 10g tank..once they are in their own tank you have to cultivate rotifiers gut filled with DT Phytoplankton...this is their food for the first 5-10 days...and since they cant see the food, the tank is filled with rotifers...this will increase your nitrate level so you have to monitor and do water changes using water from the tank where the parents came from..this is about every 3-5 days...when they go to thru the metamorphosis phase you will lose 50% of them which talking from Nana this is normal...after 10 days of rotifers, you know feed them live baby brine shrimp until the grow large enough to eat normal food..

wheww I'm tired just typing that....:)
 
NC2WA,

First of all congrats on the kids!

I hear ya on the time demand and it was an initial concern for me. However, my schedule allows me to work 3 nights a week and have the rest off so it shouldnt be a problem. I dont see my self doing this for an extended period of time, or as a new source of income, I just enjoy a new challange when it comes to this hobby.

Then again I just may change my mind after reading this book I just ordered.
 
mwebber,

same to you, and i am glad to see you are taking the time to research/read before you attempt this event....this the part of the hobby i love..research/read and then act...:)
 
So I did my nightly lights off check last night and was supprised to see more eggs. This time there is about 100 eggs or double of what they laid last time. They did not lay them in the same spot though. In fact I would have missed them had it not been for my nem splitting in 4ths! My tank is a babby machine. :dance:
 
Last edited:
There is an old school way which is what I used all those years ago...lolI made a home-made flake-food with fish roe, freeze dried rotifers, powdered spirulina and vitamins. Blending all together then pouring onto waxed paper to dry into a thin sheet. Then the big trick to this process : using 5-10g rearing tanks you drain 50% off and quickly apply the food sheets to sides of glass while still damp. Have makeup water ready in container above then drip syphon back into tank exposing small amount of food for severals hours. This was a method I also used for Discus and S.A. Dwarf Chiclids with great succes. I'm sure that there are better food recipes available now.

Cheers, Todd
 
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