Breeding Clownfish

[Aquatic Nerd]

Anyone here ever done it?
My clowns started laying a few weeks back after taking a 2 year hiatus. When I tried last time, I managed to save one little guy. He is still alive today, and I'm honestly so proud of it lol.

Today, I await my new hatch. I feel like this go around I am more than prepared for them than I have been in the past. I truly cant wait to wake up tomorrow and check the status of the hatch.
I'm looking at 250-300+ eggs. I hope I do better than 1 in 200 this go around.

Tell me your experience with breeding marine fish.

Current hatch tank

Dad(black phantom) with eggs day 4 or 5

Dad with eggs day 1

2(ish) year old baby I named "Omen"

Momma on the morning she laid eggs last. Look at that belly.

 

[this is me]

Looks rewarding(feel).

 

[Aquatic Nerd]

Looks rewarding(feel).

It was awesome watching it grow. It's around the size I bought the mother at, about 5 years ago

 

[Chris A.]

It’s definitely a accomplishment that I don’t want to try lol
I wouldn’t have the dedication for it. Good luck to all that actually do.

 

[Greg Hiller]

I've raised three species. The smaller the initial fish the longer you have to feed rotifers. Maroons for me were the hardest, but I believe I got at least a couple dozen through. It's been a long time. I used to give a talk on how to do it, but all you really need is J. Wilkerson's book and time on your hands.

 

[kl3377]

Raised over 400 mochas. Still have 3 of 4 I kept after 10 years. Lost 1 a few weeks ago. Great experience but everything else tank related suffered

 

[Aquatic Nerd]

Woke up this morning.
Of all the eggs, only one hatched lol. But damn he is cruising lol.
Time to wait another day

 

[Knight]

Wish I had known you had this in the works...
I ended up driving to New York to get these guys in April.
They were no bigger than my pinkie nail.
Feeding them the baby brine shrimp and keeping the phyto... I am just glad that they have finally graduated to frozen and pellets.
I have one guy, 'Squirt' my daughter named him who is still tiny tiny, like 1/2 inch, three that are larger than an inch, and 16 that are somewhere in the middle. So much variety from being all the exact same size just 4 months ago, I find it amazing.
Post pictures of your progress ! I would love to watch them grow up
...and maybe if I can talk the wife into tank number 6.... maybe I can give some a home

 

[kl3377]

Shut off all pumps/flow right before lights out. Hold a flashlight at the top in a corner and they will swarm. My cleaner shrimp use to love hatch night.

 

[Aquatic Nerd]

Shut off all pumps/flow right before lights out. Hold a flashlight at the top in a corner and they will swarm. My cleaner shrimp use to love hatch night.

Got them in a seperate tank. So I have an airstone running over them. I have read artificial light on hatch night will delay hatch so I try not to peak

 

[Aquatic Nerd]

Woke up yesterday and still only one was hatched. Woke up today and I had around 10. Still a good majority of the eggs are still unmatched....hopefully tonight the rest, but I worry it's been too long now

 

[kl3377]

Much different then my experience. All eggs would hatch exactly the same number of days after being laid like clock work.

 

[Aquatic Nerd]

Much different then my experience. All eggs would hatch exactly the same number of days after being laid like clock work.

I havent had a good hatch in the 4 or 5 times I've tried. But maybe the rest will come tonight idk

 

[Aquatic Nerd]

I havent had a good hatch in the 4 or 5 times I've tried. But maybe the rest will come tonight idk

Tonight was the night!
Woke up and checked the eggs! There are so many swimmers!

 

[Aquatic Nerd]

 

[Aquatic Nerd]

 

[dz6t]

Nice!!!!



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[dz6t]

That is so cute!


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[Aquatic Nerd]

That is so cute!


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I just want to be past meta so I can stop stressing as much as i am

 

[Greg Hiller]

You are well on your way. When you finally transition to newly hatched brine shrimp (NHBS) remember not to feed too much of them and to occasionally feed some rotifers still. Once the fish are large enough you should also try feeding them 2-3 day old brine shrimp that have been feeding on micro algae. It's super easy to blow it at this stage and loose a large fraction of your brood due to the shock syndrome that comes from feeding too much NHBS. Be super careful about any type of environmental shock at this stages as well (sudden tank movement, change in water temp, sudden turning on of light, etc.) Believe me...been there, done that.