Clown fish layed eggs, now what.

Tab28 · Mar 29, 2012

I have a pair of black false perculas. The layed eggs on the underside of a rock near their sebae anemone. Is there anything I should do to save or protect them? My tank has several fish and they are protected the eggs right now. When/if they hatch it will be a free for all I am sure. The sebae is at least 10" in diameter and is in a corner so if some of the babies can make their way over to it they will have some protection between the aquarium corner and the large umbrella from the anemone. If I were to let nature take its course what is the survival ratio? The clowns can get nasty just protecting their anemone I can only imagine how they will be protecting their fry. I am sure this has happened to hundreds of tank owners what do not of you do.

revhtree · Mar 29, 2012

The chances are pretty close to zero. Sorry.

If you want to try your hand in raising them you could get prepared and give it a go.

MarkChong · Mar 29, 2012

The parents will eat their own fry if they encounter them. What people usually do is setup a larvae tank separate from brood parents. Just do a quick google search you will find tons of info. on how to collect larvae at the night of hatch or artifically incubate the eggs in the larvae tank with air stone. Most importantly, you need to have live rotifiers ready for the babies to feed on.

shred5 · Mar 29, 2012

Yea clown larva head for the light into the plankton. They will not survive in a reef.. Like stated the parents will eat them as will anything else in your reef. Dont worry they are good food for your reef.

Tab28 · Mar 29, 2012

This is sad news, but it is nature I guess. I would feel even worse trying to rescue the fry than them dying because of my lack of time and/or experience. I am a sap and would start to get close to a fry much faster if I had any attempt on its upbringing, and then it dies anyway. So I will let nature takes it course.Thanks for letting me down early than a failed attempt crashing on me later. I will leave it the a more experienced person.