Kids want to raise some baby clownfish...

[DivingTheWorld]

So our clowns have been egg laying for a couple years now and it seriously hurts to see the eggs just hatch into the DT to their demise. My kids have been harassing me into raising a batch. I think it might be a fun learning project for the kids (8 & 10). I've been reading up on the rotifers which seems like the biggest pain, the separate tank, equipment, etc. They like to lay them on the back corner bottom of the tank, so I slipped a tile back there and they don't seem to notice. I should be able to easily transfer the tile once they lay their next batch.

Am I crazy to think this won't be too difficult of a project?

Here's our happy couple:

 

[Casket_Case]

It really might work so I say do it

 

[BeMoto]

I have zero experience in this.... I did alot of research on doing this and my biggest concern was time! But if your kids are involved in the process hopefully it will time well spent. My kids are 2 and 3 so my spare time is limited atm.

I don't think your thinking is crazy.

 

[ThRoewer]

You can give it a shot with just Artemia nauplii. If that doesn't work you may have to get rotifers.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

You can give it a shot with just Artemia nauplii. If that doesn't work you may have to get rotifers.

I had to look that up! So are you talking about baby brine shrimp or a miniature type of brine shrimp?

 

[ThRoewer]

I had to look that up! So are you talking about baby brine shrimp or a miniature type of brine shrimp?

Nauplii (Instar stages) are the first larvae stage after hatching from the cysts. The first stage (Instar I) doesn't eat and lives just of the energy it got from the egg, kind of its "yolk sack". If you want the feed this stage to your clownfish larvae you should do so right after the hatch of the nauplii, but that isn't easy to time. On top of that, the Instar I is far tougher to digest for fish larvae than the following stages. So ideally, you wait for at least 8 after hatch so the nauplii had time to go through their first molt to the Instar II stage which is able to eat and can therefore be enriched with nutrients.
More about Artemia and their development can be found here: http://www.fao.org/3/w3732e0m.htm
Some good suggestions about enrichment (feeding): https://www.researchgate.net/post/W..._enrichment_of_Artemia_nauplii_after_hatching

 

[ReefRondo]

Amazing feeling to raise your own. The single pair we managed to get to full size are now laying eggs. It’s great. It’s hard work and a commitment but I say go for it! My main issue was every time I removed the rock they laid on I found out it was full of bristelworms and before morning all the eggs were gone. If you can train them (add something to the tank) to lay on something that the worms can’t hide in it will help. Best of luck!

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Amazing feeling to raise your own. The single pair we managed to get to full size are now laying eggs. It’s great. It’s hard work and a commitment but I say go for it! My main issue was every time I removed the rock they laid on I found out it was full of bristelworms and before morning all the eggs were gone. If you can train them (add something to the tank) to lay on something that the worms can’t hide in it will help. Best of luck!

We're a bristleworm free tank. The eggs in our tank usually survive close to a week before they are either plowed by snails or hatch into oblivion.

 

[ReefRondo]

We're a bristleworm free tank. The eggs in our tank usually survive close to a week before they are either plowed by snails or hatch into oblivion.

We didn’t even know bristleworms existed before the clown eggs. Gave my partner nightmares.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

We didn’t even know bristleworms existed before the clown eggs. Gave my partner nightmares.

Some people don't mind bristleworms, but our our last tank was overrun and it was very annoying. I think they were even responsible for picking off a few fish. This tank was started with 100% dry rock and we've carefully dipped and fragged every coral that went in. It takes a lot longer to get the tank seasoned, but pest free is a nice feeling!