clown eggs?

[reefmack]

My perc clown pair laid a quarter sized cluster of bright orange eggs and are fiercly protecting them... I've had my tank for almost 2 years now but never been through something like this... will they hatch? is there anything i should do? will they get eaten? do they have ANY chance (any of them) to survive! please help w/ info!!!

 

[Reefguide]

depending on temp they will hatch in about 8 days. Rearing these guys are a real pain. Your probably too late for preperation if you plan on rearing them. You will need greenwater, newly hatched brine, ect. Pick up a copy of Joyce Wilkersons Clownfish. Well worth it...

BTW your probably better off letting them become coral food this time around....

 

[texman]

Mine lay eggs all the time. I have never seen a baby though. I'm sure they are quickly eatien by the other tank inhabitants.

 

[Reefguide]

That they are. If possible its best to remove the rock if not wait till lights out on the 7-9 day and see if they hatch... if they do shut down pumps and sphypon them out... and take it from there...

 

[Anemone]

Yep, they will turn silver in color with a black dot (eye). One night they will begin hatching after lights out. Clown fry are very susceptible to mechanical damage (being bashed into things by the current), so you'll need to gently siphon or scoop (plastic cup) them out. Then it's off to a dedicated aquarium with low flow (airline only, to avoid the above-mentioned damage) and feeding a steady diet of rotifers (of course, to raise rotifers, you'll need to raise phytoplankton to feed the rotifers...).

As was mentioned above, best to consider this batch a lost cause (other than getting the timing on the hatch down - they'll pretty much hatch on the same day after laying every time, so you can get the timing down this time around). Buy Joyce Wilkerson's Clownfishes book - it details how to raise all the live food as well as the fry.

Good luck,

Kevin

 

[esmithiii]

Anemone- Incredible picture! I have had my damsels spawn in my tank. Never saw eggs, just the spawn. They didn't last very long in my tank though.

Wilkerson's book is a must.

Ernie