Damsel fish laying eggs

[biecacka]

Hey everyone, I have a pair of what was sold to me as green damsel (they look like larger chromis " laying eggs on my overflow box on a regular basis. Any input on how to attempt to rear the eggs and try to raise them?

Thank you,

Corey

[kizanne]

Originally Posted by biecacka

Hey everyone, I have a pair of what was sold to me as green damsel (they look like larger chromis " laying eggs on my overflow box on a regular basis. Any input on how to attempt to rear the eggs and try to raise them?

Thank you,

Corey

I'd try copepods/rotifers then on to bbs

Chromis have been raised to it's doable. Start with easy and work down to hard. Try the clownfish rotifer/bbs and if that doesn't work try copepods.

[biecacka]

Ok so let me back up, how should I go about removing them from my overflow box to try to rear them. The absolute beginning of the basics.

Corey

[kizanne]

Well most things that are well fed if they spawn once will spawn again so don't sweat it too much. personally. when the eggs change color and look like they are a day or two to hatching I'd remove any fine filter you have and scoop them out of the overflow/sump. Worse that can happen is they don't make it. Then take a magnet like your cleaner magnet near the same spot and have it 'hold a clear piece of acrylic in the same spot for next time

Your other option, they are supposed to hatch at night (like soon after lights out) turn your pumps off before lights out and watch and wait with a flashlight. Most larva are photo tropic so a flashlight attracts them. They are a Class C (which is a little more difficult than most to raise). They go through a prolarva stage (not developed enough for a mouth) then a larva stage.

BTW they will hatch in 2-3 days after being laid so that is soon for you.

[biecacka]

Thanks a ton! They have been laying eggs for a year now on a fairly regular basis. We have a guy local to me who raises clownfish so I will ask him as well. He is just very difficult to get in touch with.

Corey

[Tripod1404]

Your fish might be black-axil chromis. Males turn very green (almost yellow) when breeding. If they always lay eggs at the same spot, you can put a small piece of acrylic there (hold by a magnet). Hopefully they will lay their eggs onto it and you can easly move the acrylic with eggs to a separate tank.

[biecacka]

Great idea!

Corey

[Silly clownfish]

I had a pair of electric blue damsels that repeatedly spawned a long time ago. Since they also got very territorial and aggressive to other fish, I moved them to a tank of their own and they kept right on spawning. From my research at the time, the fry needed to be started on rotifers, which were difficult to come by back in the 90’s when I had these fish, so I never was able to raise them. Eventually the aggression escalated to domestic violence and I ended up with only one fish. that fish remained alone for the rest of its days