A borelli "opal" spawn

[shrimpchips]

I just got these pair as my first apistos (after 16+ years of FW fish keeping) about two weeks ago, and didn't expect a spawn right away, but now I have free swimming fry

The pair is currently in a 20 long (76 litres, 76 x 30 x 30), heavily planted (lots of riccia, pellia and mosses, crypts and a stand of dwarf vals), with hundreds of red cherry shrimp and my zebra pleco (L046) juveniles. There are also 6 Pseudomugil furcatus juvies (~1") in there with them.

Now, I already have my hands full with other breeding fish (Amphiron percula - clownfish) so I'm not thrilled with the prospect with starting another grow out tank as well as fry feeding for a few months till they're sellable size.

(edit - I also live in a 600 sqft condo, and adding more tanks to the 7 I have going isn't going to go over well with the missus).

So here comes my main question: how fine will they be if I just let them be - I'll feed crushed flakes/pellets and any fresh BBS if I have some, but I'd prefer if it was as hands off as possible. Also, how big will they get before they might need to be transfered to a growout tank/how many weeks do I have?

Thanks!

 

[Apistomaster]

I think by just leaving the fry alone that enough will survive to sustain a small population of your A. borelli without having to bother with setting up another grow out tank.

Raising Clownfish is pretty involved. I'm sure if I was trying to raise any reef species I wouldn't be very enthusiastic about taking on more projects.
I kept a 125 gal reef tank for over 6 years almost 25 years ago and I had a pair of Yellow Tail Blue Damsels which spawned almost every week in clownfish style.
I also saw my Manadarin Dragonettes regularly spawn just after switching off the main lights. And most surprising to me was when my Hawaiian Pygmy Flame Angels also spawned frequently; always just after lights out but I never attempted to save any eggs/larvae or try to grow them out. Their spawning was very good feedback for me that my water quality must have been reasonably good.