Shrimp was eating fridmani eggs

[salix]

I was pretty sure that the fridmani was laying eggs yesterday. sure enough today i saw the egg sac directly outside the hole in the conch shell, the male fridmani was still guarding. there were over 100 eggs. then the cleaner shrimp came over and started to eat the eggs. I was able to get the egg sac into my refugium after fighting off the shrimp.
I was told that the fry won,t live with out very small live food. I'm pretty sure that i have a very healthy population of copepods. will they eat copapod napauli?
Should i set up a system like breeders have for clown fish if i want them to survive. should i start cultivating rotifers? should i build special tanks for the fry? Anybody know?
I have only had these fridmani together for three weeks. so if there going to be a good breeding pair i sould probly try to raise the fry. i think i might also get the book on fridmani that i saw at the bookstore.
Any input on this situation is really appreciated

 

[celacanthr]

Yes, definantly settup a fry tank for the fridmani eggs. I think the link I sent you explains all that. Yes, start practicing raising the rotifers
Good luck

 

[salix]

The link you gave me didn't acctually tell you how to set up a fry tank. thats why i was wondering if it would be similar to the clown fish set ups that are described on this site. otherwise i think these books that i found might explain that. I did read throught the whole link and they describe in detail what the fish do during breeding, but it doesn;t describe how to set up tanks or any equipment. unless i missed something.
Is there a way to start a rotifer culture for them when they hatch in three days or so.
Will my refugium suffice for now if i put alot of filter floss at the over flow and reduce the flow. Do the eggs need to stay with the male? I guess he might also have more inside the conch. he is still protecting the hole. i am going to call my lfs and see if the can get rotifers. Thanks for your help

 

[salix]

Do they eggs need to go through a light dark cycle?
I mean should i be shutting off the lights in my refugium at night now for the eggs to develop properly?

 

[salix]

heres a picture of the egg sac outside of the conch, just before the shrimp started to mow on it.

 

[salix]

took me forever to get the picture the right size.

 

[celacanthr]

Are you setting up a tank for the eggs and fry?
if not I would suggest doing so ASAP.
AWESOME PIC!

 

[salix]

i'm still trying to figure out if it is simalar to clownfish fry tanks. I have the eggs sac in the 72 gallon refugium with very reduced flow. i have put filter floss in the over flow to block the fry from going over. i have contacted my lfs and he said that he knows one guy in town with rotifer cultures. if this won't work then i need to figure out what to do before tuesday.

 

[celacanthr]

Since the clownfish and dottyback fry will be very similair, then yes the settup should be identical.

 

[salix]

not much going on except small little white dots inside the eggs. I hope there doing ok