Male Clown Caviar

[jesterisdead]

My clowns mate like there is not tomorrow. After about two weeks of the eggs maturing, the male no longer protects and fans but turns into a cannibal and eats them all. Why is he doing that?

The female lays them on the side of a barnacle that has the BTA so I can't move that out of the tank to a breeder for fear of killing the BTA.

I placed a flat rock next to it to try and see if they would lay eggs on the rock but so far they won't do it.

Ideas?

 

[D-Nak]

Two weeks seems long for the eggs to mature. My guess is that the male realizes that they aren't going to hatch so he eats them.

 

[Toxic45]

If you want to try to collect them then place something flat where they are currently laying their anemones. Some people use clay flower pots and the clownfish begin to lay the eggs on the inside. Normally they eat the first couple batches of eggs because they don't really know how to raise them. If you don't move them out of the main tank they'll just become a snack for the tank.

 

[shifty51008]

I agree, 2 weeks is way to long. They should hatch within 7-10 days. My guess is they are not fertile.