Breeding Black Ocellaris Clownfish

Hi! -angel

9 days ago my Black Ocellaris clownfish pair laid a batch of eggs. They've been taking great care of them and they are probably going to hatch tonight. Anyways, a member of my local reef club said that it would disturb the parents if I decided to collect the fry. I don't plan on taking the rock with eggs out, I just plan on catching them with a soup bowl and a flash light. Will collecting the fry from the broodstock tank disturb the parents?
BTW, I have my fry tank and a rotifer culture (with rotifers) all set up, so I'm ready for the fry.

Collecting them won't disturb the parent but you might get bit a few times.

Congrats on the spawn BTW. Where are you located?

Chad Penney - MBI Council
Agis quod Adis

I agree with what Chad said, they will be fine but you may get nipped a bit.

I prefer to remove the eggs prior to hatching. The eggs are tougher than the more fragile larvae. When I set up a larval tank I do it just before I move the eggs using water from the broodstock tank. I add rotifers to the larval tank on the morning after they hatch along with the phyto.

Have fun!

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

I'll try and catch them and put them in the fry tank. Hopefully they'll survive!
I'm actually located in CA, but someone on Bay Area Reefers (local reef club) recommended this website.

We welcome everyone here. We don't really care at all where you come from just that you love this hobby!  I only asked because there might be someone near by you that had a larval trap or could give you a hand with snagging out the lavae after they hatch.

You might just want to pull the eggs before they hatch if you can and save your self the trouble of trying to remove them. There are many people that use this method.

Chad Penney - MBI Council
Agis quod Adis

Can't really do that...
There is a big RBTA on the rock and it's a base rock.

I have had the same problem as you, my clowns used to lay on their base rock.  I would wait for the night that the eggs were going to hatch and after the lights would go out (make sure that even the night lights are off) I would turn off the pumps.  Half an hour later come back and look into the tank with the flashlight and the larvae should swim up by the light, then make a siphon and siphon the larvae into a 5 gallon bucket (when I would do this I would sit the bucket on a small table or chair to slow down the siphon so that I would have more time to collect larvae).  Once you siphon out all of the larvae that you can find transfer them to the larval tank, to get them in there I resiphon the larvae into the tank, just make sure that they don't hit the sides of the tank.  Also I propped the bucket with the larvae on top of a small chair to allow for flow.  Hope this helps and good luck .

sounds like a job for the snagger

http://www.copepodgeek.com/node/7

it's what I use, granted I dont get the full amount of hatched clowns but it tends to be pretty efficient

Pelagically yours,
~J      

Too late. They are hatching right now. I caught about 20 to put in the fry tank. I know how to do everything but I'll have questions later. More updates to come...

Good luck with rearing them, it should be very fun.  Just watch rotifer density, ammonia levels, water color, and salinity.  If all of those are in good standing then you will end up with some cute little juvenile fish .

Just taught the shrimp and banggai a lesson. -angel

They are so cute! They look like sea monkeys without arms.

LOL, yes they do.  They will grow quickly .

What can I do tonight to make sure I don't bother them so much that they won't hatch? I'm using the bowl and flashlight method and it works but it stops the rest from hatching. For Christmas I'm hoping to get the parents into a new 29 Gallon Oceanic BioCube with the 150w MH-HQI. Then they'll have peace and quiet with no predators to eat the fry.

I haven't used that method but you want to avoid shinning the flashlight directly on the eggs before they hatch. That will slow them down. Try using a smaller flashlight and shine it along the surface instead of down into the tank. Preferably away from where the eggs are. See if that helps. 

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

I use a 3" flash light to shine along the surface. I use the giant one to aim in the bowl once the babies hatch.

When I siphon out my larvae I shine the light through the top of the tank.  The larvae will swim directly into the light and then they are easy to capture since you can see them from above.  Hope this helps.

Don't forget to create a Breeding Journal and fil out the reports so you can get your MBI points.

Chad Penney - MBI Council
Agis quod Adis

I just made one. Oh and there are 50 or more eggs left, but counting on my vision it is probably 100 or 150 if we're trying to be realistic. I'll be up tomorrow night.
My clownfish are so much luckier. They only have to protect and fan the eggs.

It's been awhile since you posted. How are things going?

Chad Penney - MBI Council
Agis quod Adis

Yes....do you have any updates for a newbie? Any photos to share? Thanks!

Michelle