Percula Clowns Spawning - Now What?

[Fishfingers]

I have a pair of percula clowns that have spawned twice in the past 4 weeks. They are spawning on a live frogspawn coral (base) in a 90 gallon reef. The one batch hung around for about 9 days then gone. They did not fungus up but I did not see them hatch.

Do clown eggs go longer before becoming wigglers as any fish i have spawned in the past (fresh water) are hatched within 72 hours?

Any info on moving forward with trying to raise them would be appreciated.

[Jason McKenzie]

If memory serves 9 days sounds about right. Typically the fri do not survive long. They make great food for the rest of your tank inhabitants.
The only way you could raise them would be to remove the eggs and place then in a separate breading tank. Food for fri is also a challenge.
If you really interested pick up CLOWNFISH by Joyce Wilkerson
Great book on raising clown fish

J

[-RG-]

Dont even think about trying to raise them until you read that book(Clownfishes by Wilkerson) its like the clownfish breeding bible.
As far as the eggs they mine usually hatch an hour after lights out on the 8th day. My eggs hatch in the tank, because i cannot get my pair to lay the eggs on a removable tile. Once they hatch i use a light siphon to suck them out. I think food for the fry is the biggest hurdle, need to grow phytoplankton to use to feed the rotifers which the fry eat. I lost ALL of my 1st attempt due to improper food, and all but 3 of the next batch. Once the food was right, my survival numbers jumped to 93 and then 150+. I'm finally starting to have success, but i am still new to it.

Hope that helps. if you want to see some progression pics, i started a thread in the breeding section. heres the link

Clown fish breeding


Rob

[Iraf]

good advice guys, I gotta go pickup that book as well since I'm hopefully a few months from my B&W percs breeding, their already doing the shimmy

[omard]

Most fun I have with newly hatched clowns...is look into tank from top at night with flashlight...all the "squigglers" will come to surface and swim around under light.

Pretty cool to watch.

But sadly only last for day or so before other fish or filter sock gets them...

[Fishfingers]

Thanks guys for the quick responses. Will let you know if I attempt to take it further and any results realized.

Cheers

[baugherb]

Mine used to spawn about twice a month in my nano 12... They would usually hatch as J said in about 9 days and it was usually after the lights were off for about 2 hours....