My first breeding pair!

[rort]

Last night my pair of tomato clowns became parents and laid a good size batch of eggs! I have had them for around 8-10 months and new they were getting ready to breed.

My question now is... What do I do next? I have been told many times that I should not count of this first batch making it and with what little time I have had to research I have found a little bit of info but I guess I am kind of looking for a starters guide?

I have the ability to get various tanks, filtration, and probably live food pretty easily, but again, I could deffinetely use some guidance!

Thanks!:dance:

 

[NINEONEONE]

Read read read and keep track of failures and your sucess.
Clownfishes, Joyce Wilkerson
Plankton Culturing Manual, Frank Hoff & Terry Snell
Conditioning, Spawning and Rearing of Fish, Frank Hoff

 

[Zooid]

+1 on Clownfishes

If you don't want to raise your own phytoplankton to feed to the rotifers, consider buying some RotiGrow Plus from Reed Mariculture. Phytoplankton is a labor intensive task. I only grow one gallon per week for my tank or greenwater. I feed my rotifers with RotiGrow Plus.

 

[rort]

I have done a little reading on the rotifers and know it takes time but is it really that hard? lol I should probably just try it and see how it goes!

Any ideas on a premade setup so I don't mess anything up in the process?

 

[billsreef]

Growing rots isn't really hard, it's just a matter of getting into a maintenance routine and sticking to it No point in premade set ups, they can easily be cultured in small tanks or carboys with light aeration.

 

[mn jeff]

Congrats on the spawn. You'll have to keep us posted when you decide to start raising the babies.

 

[Zooid]

Rotifers are very easy especially if you harvest 50% per day. Phytoplankton is easy also just really time consuming (cleaning the containers).

 

[rort]

Hopefully some of you can help me here while I am waiting for my copy of Clownfishes to be delivered on Wednesday.

I am a little confused between rotifers and phyto? I thought I needed to prepare rotifers for the fry once they have hatched.

 

[landlord]

Yes - you do need to get a healthy culture of rotifers going to use as the first form of food for the newly hatched larvae. Roitfers eat phyto plankton so you will need to either grow your own phyto to feed the rotifers (Something I had no time for) or go out and get yourself some prepared rotifer foods (easiest IMO). Just like the fry the rotifer gotta eat something

Good Luck - Kurt