Western_reefer
Reef keeper
Okay, thanks for all the help/info!! I really appreciate it!! 
430gal., L-shaped display
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
driftin
New member
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
Can I come over? Well, at least for the dosing part? :lolspin:
JCR's Reef
New member
Andy- How long have you been breeding saltwater fish? Is this just for a hobby or do you distribute to locals? Just curious. You have some fish that are considered extremely hard to get to breed. Job well done.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
I've been studying it for several years, but have only been working on it for a couple. And most of that was taken up with our remodel. I did some (blushingly rudimentary) work on coral sexual reproduction before we started on the remodel process.
Thanks! The breeding is the easy part, though. Out of curiosity, which ones do you think are hard to get breeding? 'Cause what am I having trouble with? Clownfish. Sigh.
Thanks! The breeding is the easy part, though.
Out of curiosity, which ones do you think are hard to get breeding? 'Cause what am I having trouble with? Clownfish. Sigh.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
And, just to head completely off-topic:
I was out picking what are likely to be the last (
) Thai chiles of the year, and I found this little dude hiding and sleeping on one of the chiles. PLUS, it was cold enough that this little guy wasn't going anywhere fast. It's too bad that I didn't have a chance to set up the tripod 'cause this would have been the perfect opportunity for some focus-stacking fun. At any rate, I hope you enjoy!
Magnification of 1:1 (well, a little more than that because of the small sensor in my camera):
Magnification of 2-2.25:1 (same disclaimer):
And here's a crop and zoom of that last one:
As an aside: See, I would _never_ have believed that I ever needed to look up a grasshopper's nostril. Obviously, I was wrong.
I was out picking what are likely to be the last (
) Thai chiles of the year, and I found this little dude hiding and sleeping on one of the chiles. PLUS, it was cold enough that this little guy wasn't going anywhere fast. It's too bad that I didn't have a chance to set up the tripod 'cause this would have been the perfect opportunity for some focus-stacking fun. At any rate, I hope you enjoy!Magnification of 1:1 (well, a little more than that because of the small sensor in my camera):
Magnification of 2-2.25:1 (same disclaimer):
And here's a crop and zoom of that last one:
As an aside: See, I would _never_ have believed that I ever needed to look up a grasshopper's nostril. Obviously, I was wrong.
Western_reefer
Reef keeper
And, just to head completely off-topic:
I was out picking what are likely to be the last (
Magnification of 1:1 (well, a little more than that because of the small sensor in my camera):
Magnification of 2-2.25:1 (same disclaimer):
And here's a crop and zoom of that last one:
As an aside: See, I would _never_ have believed that I ever needed to look up a grasshopper's nostril. Obviously, I was wrong.
WOW! AMAZING pictures!! :eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2::eek2:
Western_reefer
Reef keeper
LMAO!! :lol:
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
Thanks, Moses!
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
I have to admit, Ed, I'm lazy enough that I take most of my pictures without. Most acros look horrible in photos with flash, so I usually set up a tripod for that. But I try to just use flash whenever I can. Tanks are so low-light that I really find it annoying when my exposures are limited by what's available. I even have to bump the ISO way the heck up to take non-flash photos with the big light-sucking lens I have (the 70-200 IS f2.8). The big front glass lets in _so_ much light, but tanks just aren't that bright.
That said, on the photos above, I did find a way to brace the camera off my left pinkie so I would have a little bit of stabilization. In the aquarium, I can usually brace a finger or two on the glass.
One of the insect guys whose photos I really like carries a long bamboo walking stick with him and uses that in his left hand like a monopod. He manages to do a lot of focus-stacking just with that setup. Pretty amazing and certainly beyond me.
That said, on the photos above, I did find a way to brace the camera off my left pinkie so I would have a little bit of stabilization. In the aquarium, I can usually brace a finger or two on the glass.
One of the insect guys whose photos I really like carries a long bamboo walking stick with him and uses that in his left hand like a monopod. He manages to do a lot of focus-stacking just with that setup. Pretty amazing and certainly beyond me.
JCR's Reef
New member
Well, for the most I have always read that gobies, wrasses's (sixline's), and such are the hard ones. Unless I was reading outdated material at the time. I guess the hardest part is getting them to eat, or aquiring food small enough for them.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
The gobies were pretty hard to get breeding because I think one of them had to change sex before they could get started. But the pelagic spawners seem to be pretty easy, from my experience. Heck, I just put the trio of Anthias in the tank a couple of weeks ago and it looks like the females are already starting to hydrate eggs and the male has started courting dances.
But, most pelagic spawners don't invest nearly as much energy into each egg as demersal spawners do. They make up for it by spawning much more often than the demersal guys. So, it makes sense to me that the pelagics would be easier to get going.
I'm starting to think that the B&W clownfish (and maybe clowns in general) are borderline temperate fish. Most of the temperates need fairly specific environmental cues to get them going (a spell of colder water, followed by a warming trend and maybe with a big bloom of plankton, for example). Otherwise, I just don't see why it takes them so long to get going if they ever get going at all.
Yeah, it's the raising the babies that's the hard part, though. I'm surprised any babies ever grow up in the wild.
But, most pelagic spawners don't invest nearly as much energy into each egg as demersal spawners do. They make up for it by spawning much more often than the demersal guys. So, it makes sense to me that the pelagics would be easier to get going.
I'm starting to think that the B&W clownfish (and maybe clowns in general) are borderline temperate fish. Most of the temperates need fairly specific environmental cues to get them going (a spell of colder water, followed by a warming trend and maybe with a big bloom of plankton, for example). Otherwise, I just don't see why it takes them so long to get going if they ever get going at all.
Yeah, it's the raising the babies that's the hard part, though. I'm surprised any babies ever grow up in the wild.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
That's what the light control is about. You need a fast enough shutter speed to offset the jitters.I guess I have too much coffee in the morning cause I can't keep still when it comes to macro shots without a tripod.
--Ed
JCR's Reef
New member
Are the clownfish in the display tank, or a seperate tank of their own? I would guess if they were in their own seperate tank with alot of ledges, or caves (clay pots) you would have a greater chance without even trying.
I just aquired my first pair of flame wrasse's, but even if they where to breed I doubt I would be able to fish them out of the display, or get to the eggs before anything else does.
I also tried to get in 4 potters leopard wrasse's (my favorite) and only 1 survived the 2 day shipping from Hawaii. Pretty upset about that, but thats the chance you take. They are suppose to be a difficult fish but its already accepting frozen, and pellets. So I might try again once my new display is setup. But I love reading through your post, and all the magnified pictured you take. Truly amazing, let alone being able to achieve the success you have attained in the hobby.
I just aquired my first pair of flame wrasse's, but even if they where to breed I doubt I would be able to fish them out of the display, or get to the eggs before anything else does.
I also tried to get in 4 potters leopard wrasse's (my favorite) and only 1 survived the 2 day shipping from Hawaii. Pretty upset about that, but thats the chance you take. They are suppose to be a difficult fish but its already accepting frozen, and pellets. So I might try again once my new display is setup. But I love reading through your post, and all the magnified pictured you take. Truly amazing, let alone being able to achieve the success you have attained in the hobby.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
Sorry. I had a meeting tonight and I'm now spiking up a fever again. My kid, too. Man, the viruses this year have been awful.
I've heard that clowns in bare tanks initiate spawning more readily than clowns in reef tanks. Might be the nutrition. Might be the environment. Shrug. It's hard to ask them.
Have you seen the cool flame wrasse spawning vid that Jake Adams posted? Let me see if I can find it....
Here you go: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/4/fish
Jake seems to be a great guy, BTW, and well worth getting to know.
Good luck with the leopards. I've heard horrible stories about their survivability. It would be fantastic to take captive-bred ones to market, as they are gorgeous and don't take shipping well from the wild.
And, thank you. I hope that made any sense....
I've heard that clowns in bare tanks initiate spawning more readily than clowns in reef tanks. Might be the nutrition. Might be the environment. Shrug. It's hard to ask them.
Have you seen the cool flame wrasse spawning vid that Jake Adams posted? Let me see if I can find it....
Here you go: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/4/fish
Jake seems to be a great guy, BTW, and well worth getting to know.
Good luck with the leopards. I've heard horrible stories about their survivability. It would be fantastic to take captive-bred ones to market, as they are gorgeous and don't take shipping well from the wild.
And, thank you. I hope that made any sense....
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
No, not really. I try to avoid them as much as I can, actually. The problem is that there are about six different virus strains running around Boulder and the schools right now, so once your immune system is down from fighting one, there are plenty more to fill in the gap. My kid's school has looked like a ghost town.
