Need Help with Clowns

[Warnberg]

I have a pair of false percs (ocellaris) that have recently started laying eggs. I have had these clowns for approximately 24 months now. I just witnessed their third clutch, the first two they ate and now they are consuming their third clutch as well. Can anyone tell me why? Is this normal? Am I missing something here?

 

[chris melb]

Ive read that they may consume clutches if conditions are not appropriate (i.e the clowns dont think theyre offspring stand a chance) or clutches are dead pre hatch, that is im assumming you are taking about the eggs? (the parents are eating the eggs before they hatch?). If its the larvae upon hatching (which happens at night) this normal, most marine fishes will eat their offspring i believe.

 

[Warnberg]

Chris, you are correct. Every 14 to 15 days they lay a clutch (only the third one thus far) and then within hours they eat most all of them. Usually a small batch (10 to 20 eggs) last a day or two. At first I thought it might be nutrition, but I have varied their diet and they get a wide range of foods.

Has anyone else experienced this? and if so how long did it take before your clowns had a clutch go to hatch?

 

[sebae09]

from everything ive allways heard its linked to nutrition. the parents eat the eggs inorder to get nutrition. but id say they were just a few bad batches, they were the first 3, and the parents know it

 

[MimicTang]

What are u feeding them? how often?

 

[Warnberg]

They get fed at least twice a day and they get the following:
Frozen Cyclopeeze
Formula 1 flake
ORA Glo Pellet
Mysis shrimp
Krill (chopped)

There is other stuff as well but it is mainly greens for the other tank mates.