Egg layers

[Mad_drama]

What type of fish or pairs of fish would mate often and lay free floating eggs to increase food for you fish and corals? I wanted to think up some natural alternate food sources.

 

[Len]

Fish spawn isn't the most efficient way to increase the availability of natural, regenerable food supply. All marine fishes that have been successfully reared in captivity attach their eggs to a hard substrate medium, and don't spawn with the frequency that would provide any significant nutrition to any sized system.

I suggest adding a refugium. Plankton broodings make up the bulk of "natural" nutrition, in the wild and in captive reefs.

 

[davelin315]

I would think that any fish that lays eggs would eventually have spawn that would be released into the water column. I have yellow tail damsels that frequently breed and I have watched the eggs hatch once (frye are about the size of baby brine shrimp) and have watched everything in the tank go crazy (including the corals, which are huge the next morning). On top of this, I have 2 cleaner shrimp which also regularly spawn (I am thinking one of them might do so tonight). These will periodically add food to the water column, but I wouldn't rely on this as a consistent food, more of a treat once in a while. Any of the fish that breed readily in the tank will accomplish what you are thinking of, as well as many inverts (clowns, damsels, etc. will bread readily, as will most shrimp).