7 day challenge...

So having the sponge filter doesn't completely decimate the population in a couple hours giveing the fry time to feed, does that sum up what you are saying?

..and it is because of the filter that you are needing to add the rotifers twice daily.

I like this, and will implement this upon my return. I guess the downside for me will be the need to culture rotifers on a larger scale (I currently only have 2 - 1 gallon containers continuously culturing).

Typically on an egg laying day I start a culture in a 5 gallon tank (by siphoning from 1 of my gallon continuous culture buckets) and get it super dense over the next 7 days. The day of the hatch I pull out the rotifers from the 5 gallon tank, do a 100% water change / sterilization process of the 5 gallon tank, and toss the rotifers back in with broodstock water. This allows my to then simply sustain the rotifers with greenwater during the first larval days. It is convenient but makes it very difficult in trying to determine if fry are taking any food other than rotifers.

Now I understand how you are able to feed Oto 30 minutes prior to rotifer induction.

:) Much appreciated

Kurt
 
Yeah, from what I can see, it doesn't affect the population an extreme amount the first couple of days. I have 3 one gallon containers of rotifers going all the time and for this batch I started more in a ten gallon tank (about 3 to 4 gallons of water).
For the first feeding I harvest half of each one gallon container and about a half gallon of the rotifers in the ten gallon tank. I have the water in the ten gallon tank heated so the rotifers multiply faster.
After the first day, I just dip my 53 micron sieve into the ten gallon tank for the maintenance doses of rotifers. I harvest the one gallon containers for my main display.
Hope that was understandable....I'm having a hard time explaining myself today hehe.
Gale
 
Well at the end of Day 5 yesterday I still had 12 fry going strong! Lord only knows if they are still eating the rotifers or the Otohime but they are alive which is fine by me. Had a couple of them floating sideways on the surface. Under the jewelers loop they were simply fat, silver bellied, and hopefully happy :) They would dart off when I poked at 'em so I figured they were overeating and simply taking a break.

The broodstock laid a pretty shabby nest on Monday evening, very scattered, maybe 45 eggs. By morning there were maybe 30 left. I have been increasing their feedings to try and boost health and get a better clutch so maybe I mucked with their rhythm. It matters not because I'll miss the hatch and by the time I get back if they stay on schedule I'll have about 7 days to bloom some rotifers for another hatch.

I am starting to get really hopeful that some of these guys will make it to meta and beyond. Probably shouldn't be counting my chickens yet, but it is such a satisfying feeling to be able to do this with this species.

Take Care

:) Kurt
 
Well today is Day 7 and I am left with 7 fry. All have pretty much doubled in mass since hatch. Got the babysitter up to speed last night on how much Otohime A to feed them and she is all ready to go. I did a 75% water change, a little to quickly, but no losses.

I have my doubts as to how many of them will be left when I return on the 4th but I am hopeful. I think I am just going to let the remaining rotifers slowly get eaten or starve. I realize that this is not the healthiest of food sources (non enriched dying rotifers) but I am simply hoping to keep a food source of some kind in the tank between dry food feedings.

I did loose 5 of them the previous night when I took the lights off of the 24/7 cycle they had been on since hatch. Now it is the same as the rest of the broodstock / growout tanks (8.5 hours on 15.5 off)

I appreciate all of the insight given by you all and although I was not able to implement many of the suggestions, there were some great ideas that I plan on using for future batches to come.

Take Care and enjoy your week-end!

:) Kurt
 
Just checking in from my vacation. The babysitter says that at least two of the latezonatus are still alive. However she is not sure of the ones on the bottom are dead or just sitting still.

In any case I got 2 in Meta

:)

Gotta run

Thanks for all the help out there.

Kurt
 
I am back and they are dead. Next time must remember to tell the fishsitter how to top off the larval tanks. Evaporated about 2 gallons (25% of the entire volume) :lol:

Better luck next time
 
Indeed. The pair laid the biggest nest to date yesterday afternoon. There are approximately 300 eggs this time so I should have a good amount of fry for my next round. I did loose the rotifers over my vacation so I picked up a batch from Reeds yesterday. Gotta love their service, even after a holiday I was able to get a late order shipped out that day.

Kudos to y'all

I'll get some photots taken and posted up but probably in a different thread.

Thanks :)

Kurt
 
landlord said:
Indeed. The pair laid the biggest nest to date yesterday afternoon. There are approximately 300 eggs this time so I should have a good amount of fry for my next round. I did loose the rotifers over my vacation so I picked up a batch from Reeds yesterday. Gotta love their service, even after a holiday I was able to get a late order shipped out that day.

Kudos to y'all

I'll get some photots taken and posted up but probably in a different thread.

Thanks :)

Kurt
Click to expand...

Link us please!
 
Teresa - Thanks for the kind words! :)

I have had the pair for a little over a year. They laid their 5th batch of eggs on Tuesday, biggest so far. Not sure if my rotifers (had to restock) will bloom enough by next Wednesday for the hatch though. We'll have to see. I'm hoping so, with the clutch size I got, it should be plenty of fry to try and work with.

Have a Great Day!

Kurt
 
Magga Pie said:
Any updates?
Click to expand...

Well I'm glad you asked. From the hatch on 7/15 I still have 10 left. So that would be 19 days old. One of them has the most beautiful headstripe. I cannot say for sure when the body stripe will develop (if it does). In any case the fish simply has a bright white dorsal fin for now. Looks like a saddleback. The other nine are shortly behind the leader as far as developing stripes.

I had a hatch on the 29th with bucket loads of fry, lost 95% the first night and the remaining died off in the next 2 days. I did not blacken out the sides of the tank for that round. I'll be blackening them for the next round ;)

The pair laid another monster nest for me last night so I'm thinking Thursday the 12th will be the day.

Feels like I'm living my life on a 10 day cycle :lol:

I shot my wife an email this morning to have her send the most recent photos. I'm pretty sure they came out like poop but if any are OK I'll post them later today.

In the interim I was able to catch about 150 Onyx percula fry last Sunday and they are doing fantastic, it's my first sizable hatch so I have my fingers cross on them as well.

Thanks

:) Kurt
 
Well here is the best of the out of focus shots I could get. You can see both the white headstripe and the white dorsal area.

Sorry it isn't better - Hopefully in a week or two I'll get some different lights in there so taking photos is a bit easier.

P8010148.jpg


At least when he grows up he'll have first dibs on the new fish condo I just got up and running.

:)

P8010145.jpg


Thanks for looking

Kurt
 
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