How to Make Clownfish Babies Survive

Newly hatched clownfish, called fry, are delicate creatures that face death and injury from the moment they hatch. You must be prepared to protect the fry from their ravenous parents and grow the live food they need to survive. Although raising clownfish is a commitment, you can successfully raise these colorful fish with planning and dedication.

Things You'll Need

  • 5-gallon bucket
  • Packet of rotifers
  • Nannochlopsis
  • Air stone
  • Air pump
  • Hatchling tank with light
  • Live brine shrimp
  • Flake fish food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pour a bag of live rotifers into a 5-gallon bucket of saltwater. Add a rotifer food, nannochloropsis, one drop at a time until the water turns murky green. Place an air stone and air pump in the bucket at the lowest setting to aerate the water. Continue to add more nannochloropsis to maintain the water̵7;s green color.

    • 2

      Remove the clownfish eggs and the rock they are attached to two hours before night on the day they should hatch. Place the rock into a transfer container while still underwater in the main tank. Put the eggs into a 10-gallon hatchling tank. Do not expose the eggs to air.

    • 3

      Add live rotifers to every part of the tank right after the fish hatch. Feed the fry every two to three hours throughout the day and night.

    • 4

      Remove the unhatched eggs after most of the fry have hatched. Remove the weakest fish, leaving 10-20 strong fry.

    • 5

      Feed live brine shrimp to your fry in place of the rotifers when your fish are five days old. After the sixth day, you can feed your clownfish every four to six hours as long as the fry̵7;s stomachs remain full. Begin feeding flake fish food on the ninth day.