How to Raise a Clown Fry Fish Baby

Clown fish are a common reef fish to have in the home, because they do not require expensive aquariums or food. When a clown fish lays eggs, you'll need to protect them. Since clown fish are territorial, the fry should be raised in a separate tank until they are strong enough to swim with other fish. Raising clown fish fry can be a difficult task that requires concentration and precision, but the end result is rewarding.

Things You'll Need

  • 10-gallon aquarium
  • Marine salt
  • Hydrometer
  • External air pump or filter
  • Compact fluorescent light
  • Plastic bag
  • Live rotifers
  • Rotifer food
  • Coffee filters
  • Brine shrimp eggs
  • Regular aquarium
  • Flake fish food
  • Artificial coral decorations
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate the clown fish eggs in the aquarium. If they are pink, start preparing the tank for the fry and order food. Leave the eggs in the tank for now.

    • 2

      Fill the 10-gallon aquarium with distilled water and add 3 cups of marine salt. This aquarium is for the fry. Use the hydrometer to check the gravity levels. If the levels are low, add more salt. If they are high, add more water.

    • 3

      Install a filter and proper airline tubing. Some 10-gallon aquariums will come with a filter, but you may have to buy it separately. The filter and air pump are sometimes combined in one. Install it as directed on the package.

    • 4

      Install the fluorescent light on the tank. Use the clamp that comes with the light to attach it to the top of the tank.

    • 5

      Purchase aquatic organisms for the fry to eat, such as live rotifers. Baby clown fish do not eat flake food. Rotifers can be ordered from online retailers, such as Reed-Mariculture. Keep the rotifers in a separate bucket to keep them alive with rotifer food, so the fry eats them fresh.

    • 6

      Check the clown fish eggs again. Once they have turned silver, they can be transferred to the fry aquarium. Transfer the eggs by submerging a plastic bag into the aquarium and removing the rock or item where the eggs have been laid. Ensure the bag has plenty of water and that the eggs make no direct contact with the air.

    • 7

      Place the bag into the fry aquarium and remove it, leaving the rock with the eggs at the bottom of the tank. Wait for the fry to hatch, which will happen once the light is turned off.

    • 8

      Feed the fry approximately 24 hours after hatching. In the first 24 hours, the fry can survive off the nutrients in the egg. To feed, use the coffee filter to scoop some of the rotifers up from the bucket and filter out the water and rotifer food. Place the coffee filter into the fry tank and flip it, so all of the rotifers are in the tank.

    • 9

      Repeat this feeding process once or twice daily for a week.

    • 10

      Check the aquarium several times daily and remove any fry that do not survive during the first week. Their carcasses can be harmful to the other clown fish in the tank.

    • 11

      Feed the clown fish live baby brine shrimp after a week. Like the rotifers, keep the brine shrimp eggs separate until they have hatched. Once hatched, use a coffee filter to filter out the water and add the shrimp to the fry tank. Continue the shrimp diet for an additional two to three weeks.

    • 12

      Move the clown fish babies into the large aquarium again after about a month in the fry tank. At this point, start feeding them flake food and frozen treats. Include algae and vitamin C in their diet to have healthy clown fish.