Clown fish larvae on edge of tank

[Pete Luna]

Can you send video of wider virw

 

[ThRoewer]

Can you send video of wider virw

Check my bicinctus thread - I posted a link here earlier.

 

[andrewkw]

Maroons are a little different then most other clownfish but you haven't reached that point yet.

Tint the water green. It should look visibly green.
Keep the light on 24/7 for the first week or so.
Make sure the rotifer density is good, you don't want them swimming too far for food. If they almost bump into it they are eating a lot and growing faster. You should also get TDO from Reed Mariculture, at least A B1/B2. Once they reach about 5 or 6 days I start spinkling in a bit of A with rotifers. I also hatch baby brine shrimp in addition to the rotifers.

One of the problems with the small larvae tanks is heating to the right temp. In just a few months I've already seen 2/3 of my little 10w heaters give out. They just suck. Even on an inkbird one still died, the one not on an inkbird was overheating despite the fact they are preset on 78f. The flow just needs to be a slow bubble rate you can keep increasing every few days or wait until after they go through metamorphosis.

Keep an eye on ammonia! It's normal to have a bit of a die off after a few days this is when it can start to spike. The easiest way to do initial water changes is not to change water at all but simply add more water to the tank. That being said I haven't find the larvae to be super super sensitive to new water. I usually do a fast drip over say 5 minutes maybe slightly longer. Some people drip the new water much slower.

For my maroons I continue to feed them rotifers for about 30 days, I even occasionally still give my older babies some but they grow much slower then other clownfish. Also around 30-40 days is when they will start killing each other.

 

[steve_london_uk]

Can you send video of wider virw

I have just come down to se if the other half have hatched, which they have. Ill take a wider video tomorrow. Thanks for your help mate. Looking at your YT channel you definitely know what you're talking about. lol

 

[steve_london_uk]

Day 2 update. So the other half hatched last night. Lots of rotifers in and swimming about feeding. I added some photo and raised the light and a lot came off the edges. Not all but a lot.

Just going to bed at 2am and noticed that a large majority of them are now laying on the bottom. They seem to be moving, or should I say one would move and make the others all jump. Are they dying or are they sleeping/resting? I assume they would still need to sleep?

Either way I have turned the light off and left an ambient light on in the room and will have a look in the morning.

Is this normal? Thanks, Steve.

 

[Pete Luna]

Too much light if they are on bottom. Some will at night after lights not normally during the day unless there is too much light

 

[ThRoewer]

Day 2 update. So the other half hatched last night. Lots of rotifers in and swimming about feeding. I added some photo and raised the light and a lot came off the edges. Not all but a lot.

Just going to bed at 2am and noticed that a large majority of them are now laying on the bottom. They seem to be moving, or should I say one would move and make the others all jump. Are they dying or are they sleeping/resting? I assume they would still need to sleep?

Either way I have turned the light off and left an ambient light on in the room and will have a look in the morning.

Is this normal? Thanks, Steve.

Not enough flow. Crank up the air!
Shading the sides can also help but won't do much without enough flow.

 

[steve_london_uk]

just gone down, turned the light up a bit and most appear to be swimming about again. I will try cranking up the flow a bit.
I’ve noticed the water is now going a bit yellow (ammonia still 0) but I get the same from my rotifer culture. I assume it’s from the phyto being eaten. Do you get this yellow tinge too?

 

[ThRoewer]

just gone down, turned the light up a bit and most appear to be swimming about again. I will try cranking up the flow a bit.
I’ve noticed the water is now going a bit yellow (ammonia still 0) but I get the same from my rotifer culture. I assume it’s from the phyto being eaten. Do you get this yellow tinge too?

Put the airstone at one of the short sides of the tank so that you get somewhat of a rolling flow.

 

[steve_london_uk]

Hey. Still seem to be going strong. I was wondering,

A) how often do you's do what changes?
B) what percentage of a change do you do?
C) How do you suck out the bottom of the tank either without also sucking up some live fry?
D) If you do find live fry in your waste bucket after syphoning, how would you safety transport them back?
E) Do you find some of your fry hanging around the bottom nipping at the food/rots/debris on the floor? Mine looking like their actively looking and eating food down there.

Cheers.

 

[Pete Luna]

After day two I do a 1/2 to 1 gal water change. I use a ridged air line to vacuum the bottom. You will suck up a fry or two. Use a small pipet to put them back.

the will eat a lot. Luis Perez on Youtube has a day by day video from hatch to day 45. Good to watch.

 

[steve_london_uk]

Hi all. Hope you're having the best christmas you can with all thats going on.

The fry are doing well. Gt about 80-100 left and starting to see some orange appearing around their bellies (assume its either food or their colouring)

I started feeding BBS the day before yesterday. I put quite a few in and have found that a lot are still in there. I am still putting rots in every day for any smaller fry that are in there.

1. Do you ever take any uneaten BBS out and replace with newly hatched ones? I was worried they might grow too large before the fry can eat them.

2. I think they have probably gone through meta now, are there any other important 'events' or stages I need to look out for?

3. How often would you keep the light on now they are about 14 days old?

 

[ThRoewer]

To 1. With clownfish normally not as they usually eat them faster than you can add them. I would however make sure the brine shrimp have some phytoplankton to feed on to enhance their nutritional value.

To 2. 2 weeks should be right on the mark for metamorphosis and settlement.

To 3. I would not keep the light on 24h, especially not at this stage.

 

[steve_london_uk]

Ok so I added some phyto to it thank you. They’re still quite a load in there uneaten. I’m wondering whether they’re too big for them still.

I’ll start turning the light off at night then.

I found about 15 dead on the bottom today. Did some tests and nitrates and phosphates were quite high so currently dripping a 30% water change. Will do the same tomorrow.
If there is so many uneaten BBS swimming around, should I remove them do you think?

 

[ThRoewer]

Ok so I added some phyto to it thank you. They’re still quite a load in there uneaten. I’m wondering whether they’re too big for them still.

I’ll start turning the light off at night then.

I found about 15 dead on the bottom today. Did some tests and nitrates and phosphates were quite high so currently dripping a 30% water change. Will do the same tomorrow.
If there is so many uneaten BBS swimming around, should I remove them do you think?

If you raise the larvae on unenriched rotifers and brine shrimp you will have significant losses at metamorphosis due to sudden fright. I don't feed freshly hatched brine shrimp nauplii at all, only 2 day old nauplii after soaking them in Nannochloropis for at least 8 hours.

As to uneaten brine shrimp, as long as they have algae to feed on I would wait and see if the baby clowns eat them. My guys usually stuff themselves until they look like tiny puffers...

 

[steve_london_uk]

Hey all. Great news, they are coming along well and colouring up nicely. Currently on day 23 from hatch. I have changed the light to a sunset to sunrise one and turned it down a bit.

I found that last week they seemed to all hang out in the line of light directly underneath. I guess coz it’s easier for them to see the BBS and Rots.

Now however, I have found they are hanging around the edges of the tank again right at the top. Any ideas why? It don’t think it’s the light too strong as they don’t seem to kind it and was almost attracted to it last week. ‍

They also seem to be herding together and swimming over each other. Is that normal?

 

[Wolf89]

Thats just normal post larval fish behavior.

 

[ThRoewer]

Thats just normal post larval fish behavior.

Normal for juveniles of Amphiprion species. Other species don't necessarily do that.
And with maroons I actually had them start fighting to the death as soon as they got all their stripes...

 

[steve_london_uk]

Normal for juveniles of Amphiprion species. Other species don't necessarily do that.
And with maroons I actually had them start fighting to the death as soon as they got all their stripes...

Oh great. I’ll have to keep an eye on them.

 

[steve_london_uk]

Just an update. They seem to be coming on very very well. However at the moment they have gone from all swarming at the top, To hanging around at the bottom in two separate groups. Obviously they are all huddling around one another, but it looks like some of them are lying down on their side, then getting up and swimming round and another one takes its place. Has anyone noticed this before? Do iTo hanging around at the bottom in two separate groups. Obviously they are all huddling around one another, but it looks like some of them are lying down on their side, then getting up and swimming round and another one takes its place. Has anyone noticed this before? Do You know what they are doing?