Clownfish Breeding

[Lolipop0912]

Hi everyone! In the near future I’d like to try my hand at breeding clownfish. My tank is cycled and has been for about 2 monthsish. I do use well water to top of (I’ve done ICP tests and everything looked safe)
Salinity: 1.026
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: consistently less than five
I’m basically looking for pointers as to how to care for the fry. I understand that you pull either them or the parents from the tank when the eggs turn a white correct? At that stage, I have multiple air pumps that can aerate their tank. What size tank should the fry go in?
What should I feed until the metamorphosis? Will hikari first bites work?
What do I feed after metamorphosis?
When do I introduce light?
When can I wean them off of that food?
What size tank should I breed the adult clowns in? I’ve read 5-10 gallons but I feel like a five gallon tank is ttttiiiiinnnnnyyyy.


Basically, I appreciate any and all experience/input/tips.

 

[dvdarvas]

I'd suggest Googling "pickles guide to breeding clownfish" to start. I gave me all the information I needed to prepare and start the process.

 

[gmneil]

in my experience if the eggs turn white its because they are covered in fungus and went bad. you can tell they are close to hatching when they turn silver and you can see they eyes, in ours that can be anywhere between 7-9 days from the day they are laid.

 

[Lolipop0912]

Thanks! What do you feed your little clowns?

 

[Peace River]

Thanks! What do you feed your little clowns?

@Reef Nutrition has a whole line of food for clownfish fry from rotifers all the way through medium pellets.

Rotifer culturing system
TDO Chroma BOOST

 

[Lolipop0912]

Thanks! Rotifers seem like a relatively easy baby clownfish food. Are they as easy to culture as the Internet makes it seem?

 

[Peace River]

Thanks! Rotifers seem like a relatively easy baby clownfish food. Are they as easy to culture as the Internet makes it seem?

I’ve done rotifers the hard way and the not-so-hard way and the @Reef Nutrition system is by far the best IMO. It is more about consistency than difficulty. Rotifers are a great first food but the fry will be ready to move on to other foods like baby brine shrimp (BBS) and/or other fry foods so as TDO Chroma Boost quickly.

 

[Lolipop0912]

I’m definitely going to try rotifers. If all else fails, does anyone have experience with using Hikari First Bites for clownfish fry?

 

[Peace River]

I’m definitely going to try rotifers. If all else fails, does anyone have experience with using Hikari First Bites for clownfish fry?

Clownfish fry go for the motion of the rotifer which the First Bites obviously doesn’t do. I have used First Bites for other species but even then usually only as a back up.

 

[Lolipop0912]

Ok. I only ask because I’ve had reeeaaalllly bad luck with live food.

 

[Peace River]

Ok. I only ask because I’ve had reeeaaalllly bad luck with live food.

No worries! It’s like any other hobby - stick with it, be intentional, ask for help, and know that it is okay to not get it right every time, and you’ll figure it out. That is part of the great thing about the @Reef Nutrition culturing system - they take a lot of the guess work out of the process.

 

[gmneil]

We do rotifers and feed the rotifers with phyto we keep in the fridge, after a couple days we use tdo A its a fine powder I find its easier to get the clowns to eat the dry food if its moving around in the water and not just sitting on top, so I feed near the air bubbles and also feed that before I add rotifers each feeding.

 

[dvdarvas]

+1 gmneil, that’s exactly what I’ve done and it worked great.

 

[Lolipop0912]

I’m glad to hear it!