ocellaris clowns, eggs, and yellow tang all together...

[SATAN FISH]

Due to the search being down, I cannot find my other thread about the clown eggs that keep disappearing.

I made a comment about how my yellow tang and my two ocellaris clowns will hang out together and gang up on the six line to fend him off. Another member asked if I could post a picture of the Yellow tang hanging out with the clowns. I took this picture, but forgot to take the flash off and it scared the tang away so I could not get anymore shots. You can't really see them but, right where the black clown is at, is right where the eggs are on the side of that rock.
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j68/SATANZ31/Reef%20tank/Reeftanknewcoral005-1.jpg

Then here are some pics of the eggs that I took last night. This time around it appears to be taking longer for them to disappear. I could have swore it has been 7 days already. Maybe not. You can see their eyes in these pictures.
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j68/SATANZ31/Reef%20tank/Reeftanknewcoral001-1.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j68/SATANZ31/Reef%20tank/Reeftanknewcoral002-1.jpg

Just figured I would post this stuff so others could check it out. I think the tang hanging out with the clowns while they have their eggs is bizarre behavior for both of the species of fish, maybe not...

[rkelman]

Cool it was me that asked for pics. Here's a link to your thread

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16763727#post16763727

[Trademark]

that a weird relationship, but hey so is mine!

[john68camaro]

Do you think the tang is eating them?

[Trademark]

I doubt it, but you never know

[vaporlockv2]

Any advice on breeding clownfish?

[SATAN FISH]

Any advice on breeding clownfish?

Yeah, put them in your tank and just forget about them! That's what I did and they spawn like eggs are going out of style! lol

Those pics I posted of the eggs with eyes were taken on 3/16/10. They were still around the next day, but then were gone after that. Now there are brand NEW eggs in the same spot ALREADY, and it's only the 19'th! Again, the same pale orange as before...

I don't think the tang is eating them. I could be wrong. The tang just hangs out with them and the clowns don't even seem to care. They all just hang out together. All three of them even fend off the six line wrasse that tries to sneak in from time to time.

[JJ Ocean]

On eggs disappearing - the tang is well behind several other top culprits. Your shrimp and/or six line are who I bet are thinning the herd. I'd put money on your fire shrimp - at night. My cleaner shrimp had to be moved out. If you keep the shrimp well fed your loses will be less, but my personal experience is that they are just too attractive a meal for them to resist.

On your eggs all gone ... they may have hatched. Hatch days vary by clown species and temp, but the rule of thumb is 8 days at 80 degrees. I think your OC's are the species quoted for that general benchmark (most common bred), so they should be real close to that - if not exact. Lower the temp, increase the days. My black onyx percs hatch at 10 days at 78 degrees. BTW - when close to half of the eyes turn silver, they're probably going to hatch that night when the lights go out.

If you don't have rotifers and greenwater though; there's nothing you can really do to save them even if you got them after the hatch. They'd use up their yolk sacks and starve in 48/72 hours.

If you really want to raise them, get Joyce Wilkerson's book on clownfish breedings (too much to cover in a posting). It is a great read. If you have some specific questions - I'd be glad to answer.

[SATAN FISH]

I don't really have any interest in saving them. I was just posting up my experiences with this. It is new to me so figured I would share with other. Thank you though. I don't have nor plan on getting anyplace to raise them...

[clownman77]

weird

[JJ Ocean]

Sounds good. Well, you'll at least have free food from the hatches.

Yes, your yellow tang behavior is a little different. Any interest my other fish have had in the eggs has all been from a potential meal perspective.