breeding clownfish successfully

[FalconeX]

My dad's clownfish have laid millions of eggs, which is awesome considering they're a well-established pair of about 2 years. The female is a real beauty, over 4" and surprisingly nice coloured for a common clown.

Now, the big question is, what's next? Will they take care of the eggs like cichlids do and rear the young, or do we need to step in? I'm trying to figure this out for my dad, as he's pretty excited about the whole thing.

[fleeton]

Sadly, they won't care for the young like cichlids do. When the eggs hatch at night, the fry will likely get sucked up by the filter or eaten by other fish if you don't step in. Trouble is, stepping in can stress the clownfish out and they might not lay eggs again for a while. Once you've got the young in a separate breeding tank, the real challenge is finding enough phytoplankton and Nexarios for the tiny fry.

If you're serious about breeding them, I'd recommend checking out "Clownfishes" by Joyce Wilkerson - it's basically the go-to guide on the subject. Wait for the next clutch or two to come along after you've got a good supply of phyto and rotifers growing. The clownfish will keep laying eggs every week or so.

[FalconeX]

Sadly, they won't care for the young like cichlids do. When the eggs hatch at night, the fry will likely get sucked up by the filter or eaten by other fish if you don't step in. Trouble is, stepping in can stress the clownfish out and they might not lay eggs again for a while. Once you've got the young in a separate breeding tank, the real challenge is finding enough phytoplankton and Nexarios for the tiny fry.

If you're serious about breeding them, I'd recommend checking out "Clownfishes" by Joyce Wilkerson - it's basically the go-to guide on the subject. Wait for the next clutch or two to come along after you've got a good supply of phyto and rotifers growing. The clownfish will keep laying eggs every week or so.

thanks for the info, much appreciated.
the tank's actually a 4-year-old reef tank, so i'm guessing it's got all the right stuff in there, plankton-wise and all that.
will have to ask my dad about the specifics, but thanks again for the advice!

[rileyon]

I've heard that they typically hatch on the 8th day after lights out, which might be useful to know. One possible approach could be to leave this current batch in the tank and then place a tile or something similar in their nest for the next clutch, allowing you to remove the eggs on the 8th day. Alternatively, shining a flashlight on the surface after lights out on the 8th day might attract the newly hatched fry upwards. Just be sure not to remove them before the 8th day, as they still need time to incubate the eggs.

[rileyon]

just found something i thought was pretty cool - take a look at this article i came across. i think it's worth a read, lots of interesting info in there.

not sure if i'm allowed to share a link from another forum, so apologies if that's against the rules.

[fleeton]

I'll take care of it

[rileyon]

My apologies for the mistake. I'm really looking forward to the day I can get my setup going and hopefully get some clownfish to spawn.

[rusticore]

My dad's clownfish have laid millions of eggs, which is awesome considering they're a well-established pair of about 2 years. The female is a real beauty, over 4" and surprisingly nice coloured for a common clown.

Now, the big question is, what's next? Will they take care of the eggs like cichlids do and rear the young, or do we need to step in? I'm trying to figure this out for my dad, as he's pretty excited about the whole thing.

Thanks for the info, really appreciate it. So my dad's tank is about 4 years old, a reef setup, which I'm guessing has the right stuff for plankton and all that. But I guess that's not enough for the larvae to grow into babies, right? I mean, with all the equipment like filters, protein skimmers, and other fish, something's gonna get 'em. I'll have to ask my dad about it, but thanks again for the advice.