clowns spawning (help,nate,sanjay)

[rigleautomotive]

Hi,I have a pair of perculas that have been spawning weekly and i am thinking on trying to raise a batch.I know i need to remove the rock the eggs are on right before i think they will hatch but i am not sure on the feeding technique.what do i need for a first food and how do i feed .Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Ricunger]

use any of the following... Home brew greenwater, dts, or rotifeast to feed rotifers. Then get a baby brine shrimp hatcher to feed next.

 

[nate4546]

First read Clownfishes by Joyce Wilkerson It walks you through step by step.I have a copy you can borrow

You don't have to remove the rock.You can let them hatch in the main tank and then collect the larvae.Do you know when they will hatch?

On the night you think they are going to hatch wait for the tank lights to go out and turn off all pumps. Tape a small LED light in an upper corner of the tank and then wait they usually hatch 30min-2 hours after the lights go out.They go to the light and you can scoop them out.

Now feeding,First food is rotifers and then Otohime

You need alot of rotifers for a batch of clowns so you need to get a culture going.I used 5 gallon buckets for my cultures.I fed the rotifers Instant algae Nanno 3600

Feeding technique,First I feed the rotifers like a hour before the larvae to fill their guts. Then siphon the rotifers through a 53 micron seive and feed to the larvae.

 

[rigleautomotive]

the ones i have now will probably hatch in a day or 2.they are big and real dark.is there any way i can get some of these to survive given that i do not have any rotifers started yet.is there something i can buy at something fishy or somewhere that i can feed them until i get the rotifer cultures going.even if i can get a couple to survive i would be happy.

 

[CarlC]

You might want to try frozon rotifers in a pinch. I don't know if Todd sells them though. I get them from DFS.

Carl

 

[rigleautomotive]

yea todd does sell them.if you guys think they will work i will take a ride out in the morning and grab some

 

[CarlC]

I have no idea if the food has to be moving for them to be attracted. They do come in handy for feeding corals though.

Carl

 

[nate4546]

I don't think you would have much luck with frozen rotifers.Unless you plan on doing constant water changes

 

[Sanjay]

Use this batch to practice catching them after they hatch.

Get the rotifers ready for the next batch. beat way to raise them through the first week is to use the green water technique where you co culture rotifers and fish larve together.

Reef Nutrition will ship you the rotifers and rotifer food.

Try to put a tile where the fish lay eggs and see if you can get them to lay on a tile. If so, its easier to transfer the eggs before they hatch and you do not have to catch them.

sanjay.

 

[rigleautomotive]

thanks everyone,i appreciate the help.some of the eggs are getting eaten by a tiny brittle star so i have been trying to catch him but they should hatch soon.i can see eyes and the eggs are as big as i have ever seen them.

 

[nate4546]

Its good to learn their routine.The eggs usually hatch on the 7th or 8th night depending on tank temp.

 

[disturbed]

you can try feeding them copepods or phytoplankton.its like $10 at the aquirium house in hanover.