It is possible and common for clownfish to breed in aquariums. Growing fish from eggs is an exciting project for a more experienced aquarist, and it is very satisfying to raise the fry successfully.
We have an article on how to breed clownfish. So if you are not familiar with this field, you can find on our blog and read it. In case, you have successfully bred clownfish and don’t know what to do next with the eggs and clownfish fry or how to raise clownfish fry, this article is for you.
See also:
- What Do Clownfish Eggs Look Like? (Top 3 Different Facts).
- Definitive Guide On How To Breed Clownfish?
- Top 4 Exciting Facts About Clownfish Eggs In Aquarium.
Raising Clownfish Fry
1. The first thing you need to do is move the hatchlings to a separate tank.
Many will do this before the eggs hatch. But most breeders will wait until the eggs have hatched into hatchlings to move because then it will be easier. You must do this to avoid the clownfish eating their eggs or even their babies.
2. Feed your clownfish hatchlings.
The fry do not consume food for 24 to 36 hours because the embryos consume energy from the yolk to survive. But after this time, they need to be fed fast. In order to ensure that clownfish hatchlings get the best nutrition, live rotifers should be fed three to four times a day. Ideally, there should be a relatively high density of rotifers at the beginning of the process. Rotifers should be placed every 1.5 times the length of the fry. The clownfish larvae shouldn’t have to swim very far to find a tasty treat. Be sure to have lots of rotifers but not too many that the fry get crowded.
Buying Rotifers from aquarium stores will be possible, but you need to ensure that the quality is of a good standard. For quality assurance, you may choose to breed your own Rotifers. If you’re serious about breeding clownfish, you’ll have to have a rotifer culture running.
You need to feed the clownfish rotifers until day 10 and then introducing baby brine shrimp. This is also the time that they move from their larval stage to being juvenile clownfish. At this stage, you also need to change the food for them. It is only ideal for larval clowns to eat Rotifers since they are a suitable size, but they do not contain a lot of nutritional value. Change their food from rotifers to newly hatched Brine Shrimp so they can grow quickly. Feed this for the next two weeks, while slowly introducing crushed flakes and crushed freeze-dried foods. Additionally, you can add nutrients to the water
The Grow-out Tank
If your clownfish fry has completed their metamorphosis, it’s time to think about the set-up you’ll use to grow them out. Having a bunch of clownfish will be too much for the hatching tank!
Move the fry to a proper setup on their 20th day of life. A good aquarium should have a seasoned filter (possibly a sump with live rock), a protein skimmer, and so on. It is possible to decorate the tank in a variety of ways, from an almost bare environment to an inspired coral reef.
Congratulations! Generally speaking, your baby clowns are now out of danger, as long as you keep the grow-out tank in a clean and healthy state. Your clownfish fry have been successful in growing on your own.
You can watch the changes that take place when your fry turns into a juvenile fish. After the transition to juvenile, the clownfish’s distinctive colors will develop and become more visible on your fish. Make sure to continue giving them enough food to grow rapidly, and make sure that you keep the water they drink clear and clean as well.
Some Other Related Questions
Will clownfish eat their babies?
Clownfish will protect their eggs but in some case, Clownfish parents are able to eat their baby. Eg. If the egg is not fertilized, it cannot survive or the fish is infected.
Will clownfish eggs survive?
Yes! It is important that the male fertilizes and cares for the eggs of clownfish sufficiently to ensure survival until the eggs hatch – approximately eight days after fertilization. Once that has been done, you’ll see little larval clownfish that is about 3 millimetres long after that. However, the newly hatched larvae need special nutritional care and feeding for their continued survival.
How many of the eggs will survive to be a juvenile?
There is no simple answer to how many fish lay eggs, but keep in mind that not all of them will hatch, and even fewer of them will reach their full size.
Conclusion
The experience of breeding and raising your own clownfish fry can be a fascinating one and can help you gain a better understanding of marine creatures. It’s also a lot of hard work and may not be successful the first time. However, keep at it, learn from the mistakes you make along the way, and eventually you will succeed.
Annette M. Chaney is an experienced marine biologist with over 20 years of experience as an aquarist and fishkeeper. She started her first aquarium at a young age, filling it with frogs and goldfish obtained from the ten-cent pet store.
Annette grew up caring for and breeding African Cichlids, which led to a hobby in high school that doubled as a profitable means. Attending Reed College gave her time to solidify herself as an accomplished aquarium caretaker with an eye for sales. After that, from 2009 – 2013, she studied at Roger Williams University – one of the most prestigious universities for Aquaculture and Aquarium in USA. She is the founder of AquariumCircle since 2010