Help! Clowns spawned, eggs spotted!

[Docmaffei]

Since installing a lunar cycle into my reef, this is the 2nd time my true percs have spawned over the past 5 mos. The first clutch I unfortunately found dead in my prefilter. Just this evening I spotted a cluster of eggs attached to the back wall of my tank tended by the clown pair. Is there any chance of salvaging few. My tank is a 90gal SPS packed reef with 15 fish (tangs, anthias etc.). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[dantodd]

Probably not possible to raise any of this nest. Keep an eye on them and note the hatch day. Post a pic of the nest if you can.

Once clowns start spawning they will usually continue on a regular schedule if fed enough and major changes aren't made to their home.

The first step is to learn their cycle.

Buy a copy of Joyce Wilkerson's great book 'Clownfishes' it will help you understand what is required to do to raise the babies. You will need to hatch rotifers for the first week or two and then graduate them to freshly hatch baby brine shrimp which you will need to raise and feed. Then you can start to wean them onto flake food and frozen foods. It will take 6 months or so for percula to get big enough to move out on their own.

Congratulations and good luck.

The eggs should start off very reddish orange and get darker as they age. By the time they are ready to hatch you'll see little eyes reflecting very silvery out of each egg.

[Docmaffei]

Clown
http://www.harrison-park.com/ant/clown_eggs/clown.jpg
Portion of Clutch
http://www.harrison-park.com/ant/clown_eggs/nest.jpg

[ricordiaking]

Those look like they will be hatching tonight.

[dantodd]

I'm with RK on that one. They look ready to burst. Keep your eyes out immediately after lights out. Even shine a flashlight in the top of the tank if you'd like, they'll come right up.

That also looks like a fairly poorly fertilized nest. Usually they'll be in one big cluster, like in my current avatar. The parents will cull the non-viable eggs and that is when it gets patchy in most cases. I'd guess they don't have much experience yet. With time they'll get more proficient at laying fertile nests. Good feeding also encourages larger, healthier eggs and nests.

[Docmaffei]

Are you insinuating that my clowns are dead-beat parents? Or perhaps even worse that I'm starving the little critters? Just kidding :D . Thanks for the feedback. I can't tell if the clutch has hatched as the anemone moved/hyper-expanded over what was visible to me yesterday. I'll re-examine after lights-out this evening. Thanks

[h2joe]

do you have any pics of the pair? im curious to see there coloration as in the one pic (1) it looks like there is quite a bit of black between the 2nd and 3rd bar. congrats on the babies

Mark

[Docmaffei]

Does this signify anything?


http://www.harrison-park.com/ant/clownpair.jpg

[ClownReef®]

Cool female!..love the pattern..

[dantodd]

The black doesn't really signify anything significant to raising the fry. It's a rather popular color morph which adds value to perc.

Nice looking parents there.

[ClownReef®]

Are they Wild Caught?

[h2joe]

Beautiful pair of clowns. i esp. love the female with that unique middle bar. i believe those clowns classify as onyx since there is black between the second and third bar but i could be wrong. anyways would be great to see how the babies coloration would turn out.

Mark

[Docmaffei]

As of last evening, eggs hatched. No viable fry identified (although I haven't checked my prefilter). Oh well, I'll have to familiarize myself with Joyce Wilkersons book for next time. And yes, they are wild percs. I've had the female for over 6 years, and the male for about 3 years. Is anyone else utilizing a lunar cycle to promote breeding? I believe this was the stimulus that prompted the pair to breed.

[dantodd]

tough to say, most of the folks I know who have breeding clowns don't see a difference with lunar cycle lights.