Catching Clownfish Fry

[djd3mon]

TLDR:
How do you catch fry (if your fish refuse to lay on a tile) like specifically what is your method and what things do you do?

My fish have started laying sometime last year. They have probably layed around 6-8 clutches so far. I've tried using the vossen larval trap and the including the light. I don't quite have down the hatch date which may be my main issue.

I thought it should have been day 7, but some clutches hatched on day 10 and day 11. I started setting up the larval trap on night 10, let the tank flow turn off, cover it with cardboard. Turn all the lights in my house off, put electrical tape on tiny lights on my stove, microwave and fridge.

They always seemed to hatch a day or two after I stopped trying to catch them. I would just wake up the next morning and most of the fry are hatched.

I did manage to catch 1 fry once but it was a longshot and it didn't survive day 2.

Since they only have 6-8 clutches under their belt I've kind of gave them space to just lay and let the eggs hatch into the tank so they get better at it. However I want to try to catch the fry again. They refuse to lay on a tile. They have 1 spot where they only lay so far.

And if you made it this far, sorry for the long post, here's one of the last videos I recorded of them laying.

 

[hnurge]

difficult to catch the fry. best bet is to give them a terracotta pot and hope they choose to put the eggs there (and then swap it with a different pot when they make eggs). I also have had some (1) success scraping the eggs off the rock/glass and moving them right before they hatch.

 

[djd3mon]

difficult to catch the fry. best bet is to give them a terracotta pot and hope they choose to put the eggs there (and then swap it with a different pot when they make eggs). I also have had some (1) success scraping the eggs off the rock/glass and moving them right before they hatch.

Hmm I never thought of trying to scrap them off. I did notice I have some frag plug tips in my tank where the corals died off. They are all covered in coralline just like my rocks. I may try to sneak a frag plug top near where they lay the eggs and hop they lay some on there.

 

[HangrightRon]

Hmm I never thought of trying to scrap them off. I did notice I have some frag plug tips in my tank where the corals died off. They are all covered in coralline just like my rocks. I may try to sneak a frag plug top near where they lay the eggs and hop they lay some on there.

Imo they prefer flat smooth surfaces. I use a clay pot with an anemone on it they lay on the pot or the glass next to the pot 100% of the time.

 

[DLAB3]

When you see the eggs almost fully developed, take a small water bottle with the bottom cut off and attach netting at the mouth end of the bottle to collect the fry. Run rudged airline with a small airstone through the bottle to the open end of the bottle. Attach the bottle to stick with the open end above the eggs to hold in place. Use a small amount of air to create a current through the bottle. During the night the eggs will hatch, leave a small LED light focused on the opening of the bottle. The fry be attracted to light and enter the bottle for collecting. Pull fry the next morning.