My ocellaris pair is now breeding- should I remove their tankmate?

[Newreeflady]

Well, they've been practicing for a year, but finally have a nice batch of eggs! They are in a 20g with two tankmates: A dwarf angel and a yellow watchman goby. Obviously they don't seem too stressed or they wouldn't lay eggs, but I'm considering whether or not it would be prudent for me to get rid of the angel to give them more territory (the watchman lives in the rocks and the clowns don't seem to mind him.) The clowns don't let the Angel on their side of the tank- the angel is still seeming unstressed, loves to eat, etc.

What would you do?

-A

 

[Piazzon12]

I wouldn't do anything. My clowns contstantly lay eggs and guard their territory, that's just what they do

 

[daveverdo]

Unless you want to try to raise the young get used to it. Raising young is an expensive time consuming process. Now back to fish, the newly hatched fry will only eat certain live micro-zooplankton that themselves will only eat micro-phytoplankton. So to raise the young fry you would need to start growing these plankton in separate vessels. The Ocellaris will protect the eggs with their life but once the eggs hatch the fry are on there own (forget about finding Nemo).

The eggs will take about 10 days to hatch and a new nest will be laid within 4-5 days. So expect this cycle to continue every two weeks for the rest of their lives. Studies have shown that ocllearis lay about 250 eggs every two weeks. The longest study I read about observed the same pair of ocellaris following this cycle for 17 years.

If you want to raise the young get some books. You would be most successful by either removing the nest and artificially fanning the eggs until they hatch or logging the laying/hatching cycle and staying up the night you expect them to hatch and catch the newly hatched fry and move them to another rearing tank where they can be properly fed.

I am in the process of setting up my system to grow the requisite micro-plankton to try and raise a batch or two this coming winter. I think it would be a good learning experience for my kids.

Dave

 

[Newreeflady]

Hi guys,

Well, as much as I'd like to, at the moment I'm not ready to raise grandfishes. Today they looked shiny silver at the tips, so from what I've ready they will make a delicious snack for all this evening.

I guess if they're gonna do this for 17 years, chances are they'll still be doing it when I Have the time to put into raising baby clowns. I heard babies from a black and an orange clown give a deep orange fry- neato. The orange is already really richly colored.

I guess since the fish seem OK I will just leave it as a wait and see for now.

I just lost my bubble coral, btw. It never did well once I realized it was receeding.

-Angela

 

[treefer]

would you be interested in selling them?

 

[Newreeflady]

Sorry, no.