Need advice: baby clowns about 3-4 months old

[zoomster]

Attn clownfish breeders: Help please.

Pics below from 1 month ago when I got them. They look about the same. The back stripe has become a little bigger, but not much more has changed.

I wasn't sure whether to post in breeding forum or clownfish forum, but I think clownfish breeders probably have the most experience raising these little guys. Mine are approximately 3 or 4 months old. They are very small still and their back stripe is not in yet. It's still a dot on some and half way down on two of them.

I'm sorry this is long, but I really need advice and I think you probably need all the info to know what advice to give. Thanks in advance for reading and hopefully having experienced input.

I have 5 babies. I got them from an experienced reefer. This was his first successful surviving offspring from his spawning onyx clownfish. I got 5 of them about 4 weeks ago They are doing great, but I only have them in a glass bottom tank with airstone. I change about 20-30% of the water daily. Honestly, sometimes every two days, but never let it go longer than that.

Since there is no real filtration, there is constantly some ammonie, nitrite, and nitrate in the tank. This is no matter how vigilant I am. I would like to move them to a 10 gallon I have with live sand and a very small hang on back filter. There is a sponge, some activated carbon, and Purigen running in there. There are no other inhabitants, except maybe some worms and other critters in the sand.

I would like them in there to provide them with an environment where the parameters are better and more stable. Do you think I'm safe to do that at this age?

I'm reading Joyce Wilkerson's book on Clownfish breeding and she mentions some issues with the really young ones dieing from the biological filtration, but does not specify the age at which it becomes safe. At least not so far in the book. Please help. They're doing well, but I'm having a tough time keeping it stable for them. Your advice is much appreciated.

 

[Trademark]

I would put a sponge filter in their with them, I kept 96 3month old B&W's in a 5 gal for two months before moving them,,,, I had two air pumps on it with one airstone constant, and one on a timer to push the issue of flow with them to keep them from getting comfortable

 

[phil519]

are those pics of them when you got them or after one month? I kinda have my doubts about the age.

Day old fry:

4 week old:

I think your proposal to move them into a 10g with all that equipment is fine. Just make sure the hob isn't powerful enough to suck in the smallest of the clowns.

 

[Nebthet]

Definately moving them into a bigger tank will help a lot. You could even go bigger than a 10g.

Last year I ended up getting two baby Onyx from ChristosClowns at 45 days of age. They were really really small. About half an inch each, if that and they have been growing rather slowly. They are over a year old now and the largest one is two inches in size and the smaller one is 1.75 inches. Both have not developed a complete mid-bar yet. Though the larger one is close to it. The smaller one has just developed a dot for the tail bar, while the larger ones is about 3/4 in.

While both have some shadowing under the skin, neither have developed any onyx coloring yet.

So from what I have seen, depending on diet and other tank mates they can take some time to develop. But as long as they are healthy I am happy.

 

[reefstew]

I start them out in a 5 gal aq. After 2 weeks I add a hang on the back filter, turn the flow down, & put a sponge over the intake. In 4-8 weeks I move them to my grow out system. The last 3 batches were in the 200+ & 1 0f 331. 4 weeks old usually is a safe time to move them.

 

[zoomster]

are those pics of them when you got them or after one month? I kinda have my doubts about the age.

Day old fry:

4 week old:

I think your proposal to move them into a 10g with all that equipment is fine. Just make sure the hob isn't powerful enough to suck in the smallest of the clowns.

Sorry. That was confusing. I got them 1 month ago. The pics are from then. At that time I was told by the guy who sold them to me that they were 2-3 months old. I didn't know. I can believe it though. I've had them a month and they pretty much look the same, size and all.

I really appreciate the feedback on the move. I've had them in 4-5 gallons for the whole time. I'm anxious to have them somewhere more comfortable, with better parameters, and less maintenance too

Thanks to all!

 

[zoomster]

All went well. They're in new tank and seem to be adjusting fine. Thanks for your help!

 

[Zooid]

Onyx percs and all percs for that matter grow notoriously slow. I have some 2 month old onyx/picasso percs that still don't have a fully developed second stripe let alone a developed third stripe.
I raise mine in a 10 gallon tank with a sponge filter or two until they are about 3 months old, then I move them to a larger growout.
Temperature also tends to affect their growth rate. I like to keep my temp at about 80 degrees F to 84 degrees F.
Good luck

 

[rkelman]

I would definitely add a sponge filter. Having them in sub par water is not going to do them any good long term. Even though you are doing well imo with the water changes. I start my fry on a sponge filter at about 7 days so they will be fine.

 

[john68camaro]

For clowns that age, I have put them in a small FOWLR enviroment with a small adjustable flow(Aquaclear) powerfilter with a sponge on the intake. Seems to work good. I have 2 tanks such as this stashed at my wifes friends house's growing out some of my babies. I go up and maintain the tanks at their houses while the wife visits her friends.