Disappearing Babies

[er..md]

My Red reidi (which by the way has ner been remotely red) spewed out several hundred babies last week into my AP24 and just for kicks I decided to see if I could keep them alive...I scooped about 100 into a breeding container with a fine mesh net hung in the tank and put some brine shrimp eggs in the hatchery until I could get some rotifers...that night there were at least a hundred little seahorses cavorting about...the next morning...nothing no horses no carcasses...I wouldn't have been surprised had they all been dead but I expected to see atleast a few bodies...
What's the deal do they just decompose that quickly?
Is it even worth trying to keep reidi babies alive or should I let the clownfish feast? ...since the orange one is about to do the same
thanks

 

[danu]

My first guess would be the mess may have been too large. Otherwise somehow there was a leak in the container for them to escape.
Ideally you need a separate tank for the fry. Everyone has different recomendations as to which tank is best. Most will start them on Rotifers and then switch to Artemia (Baby Brine Shrimp). Artemia should be hatched prior to feeding the fry.
Reidi are among the more difficult species to rear.
Dan