9 new Banger additions

[reggiepe]

the very first pic in this thread is the size they are when released from the father. I would guess that you have some other fish fry in your overflows due to the size you stated.

 

[hul kogan]

Is this your first batch? Looks great and I'm glad to see they are doing good so far.

I am preparing to get into Banggai breeding as well. What size tank do you have your broodstock in? I'm trying to figure out a good size. I have heard a lot about 29G and 40 breeders. I'm wondering if a 20G long would hamper breeding activity at all.

 

[reef211]

I have a pair of Banggai in my 120gals main tank and they breed like every month. But i never have any luck catching the father out. Sometime i would find a couple baby here and there in the overflow box. So far i only have luck keep just one of the baby and it grew to a size of a dime and one day i found him on the floor all dry up. Right now the father is hold a bunch of baby in his mouth and yes when he release them, they are that size.

 

[stevetcg]

Im not sure if you found a solution yet but if you need to get anything down to micro sized, ive found that freezing it and then scrubbing it against a lemon zester works wonders. I occasionally zest a shrimp for my reef and it looks just like I had dumped a scoop of NHBS in. Best part is it works with anything so you can mix selcon, mysis, nori all together in a blender, freeze it then zest it right into the tank.

 

[stevetcg]

I have a pair of Banggai in my 120gals main tank and they breed like every month. But i never have any luck catching the father out. Sometime i would find a couple baby here and there in the overflow box. So far i only have luck keep just one of the baby and it grew to a size of a dime and one day i found him on the floor all dry up. Right now the father is hold a bunch of baby in his mouth and yes when he release them, they are that size.

IF you add in a few black longspine urchins or the fake version (search over at mofib) your survival rate will greatly incline as the baby bangai will find those and use them for protection until you can save them. Then into a breeding net for growout... instant breeding.

 

[reef211]

I got one longspine urchin and that sucker knock over all my frags and corals so i got rig of it. I will try the fake version one. Thanks.

 

[5h3rW1N]

The little one's all came out to explore this evening after feeding time.
Stuffed tummies.

its so cool how you can see thru there tummy :dance:

 

[reggiepe]

Dropping by to give a 1 month update on the Bangers. I lost another one about a week ago and am down to 7. But they are looking healthy and eating NHBS up to the 24 hour mark and gut loaded up from then on to the 72 hour mark. I then start a new hatching all over again. Here is a quick picture from this evening. There are only 7. It looks like more due to the reflection.

 

[reggiepe]

Is this your first batch? Looks great and I'm glad to see they are doing good so far.

I am preparing to get into Banggai breeding as well. What size tank do you have your broodstock in? I'm trying to figure out a good size. I have heard a lot about 29G and 40 breeders. I'm wondering if a 20G long would hamper breeding activity at all.

This is the 2nd time I have had babies. The first time it was baby.....Just one survived the hatching. Called him lucky. But he only lasted for 5 weeks. He had SFD and I couldn't get the nutrients in him fast enough. I think it also was that he was all by himself. I see the pecking order started with these and they school together all night and day. I have my broodstock in my 30 gal breeder frag tank. I have a mated pair of false percs in there along with loads and loads of frags. The parents are used to me working in that tank most evenings. He gets a little jumpy when he is carrying. Which he is now and I got to get in there some night and scoop him out.

Anyone who tries it, I wish the best of luck. It's going to be trial and error through the whole process. It's fun and frustrating at the same time. Alot of work, but in the end if you are successful, you will know yourself that when the babies go to new homes you are helping out the environment in an every so tiny way.....but you are doing it, and that is what matters.

 

[macchicks]

I would not recommend trying to raise in a breeding net.

First batch were in the tank still when I had a second batch. I tried the net. They were not able to see out of the net and would fright when I feed. All died due to SFS.

3rd batch in a tank and doing wonderfully.

 

[reggiepe]

I would not recommend trying to raise in a breeding net.

First batch were in the tank still when I had a second batch. I tried the net. They were not able to see out of the net and would fright when I feed. All died due to SFS.

3rd batch in a tank and doing wonderfully.

Hi Amber,

What are your experiences with feeding? The hardest thing that I have come across is them not wanting to strike at anything that doesn't move. In the last week I have tried to add some of the fresh nauplii that you can buy in a jar along with the live brine shrimp and they look at the dead ones but no go. I have started to shave a little mysis...same story. I hear talk about the Otohime (sp) food, but I would assume it would be the same with that as it is not moving and doesn't cause them to instinctually strike.

Rich

 

[macchicks]

I use a 2 liter bottle and hatch BBS. I have the BBS water Salinity the same as my tank. I know it should be lower but since I dont strain and rinse it feeds easier. Yes it means I do more water changes. I feed BBS for the first week 3-5 times a day. If needed I throw a few extra eggs in each night so that the next night there will still be plenty. After two days I start another batch.

Edit to add... I try to only collect BBS however I dont flinch over getting some eggs. I try not to but I dont sweat it if I do.

after the first week I start only feeding 2x a day. At some point during this week I will skip the morning feed of BBS and midday I introduce a cyclopeze bar. I give this a swish. I watch close cause you will notice either they wont try it at all or they bite and spit. That night they get extra BBS. From then on I offer Cyclopeze first then BBS. That way the ones that wont switch still get food.

Right now my batch is 3 weeks. They still only nibble the cyclopeze. However I have introduced the frozen homemade mix that all my fish eat. I thaw it in water and only pick up the tiniest of pieces with a dropper. They love it. I am not going to force the cyclopeze this time in hopes the home made food will be enough.

They still get BBS but I am hoping this will convert them easier.



Mantis' Prime Reef Food

• 2/3 lbs. shrimp
• 1 package frozen oysters
• 1 package frozen mussels
• 5 Live Clams with the juice (very important)
• 1 container fish eggs (used for sushi)
• 1/2 brick of Cyclopeeze
• 1 tsp. Spirulina powder
• 2 tbsp. of ground Golden Pearls
• 2-3 squirts of Selcon
Blender.

This is frozen in 1/2 cup flat packs. I take Hykiri Mysis and let the two thaw enough to mix really well then refreeze. This mix is my food for corals and fish. I thaw in some tank water and spot feed with a turkey baster.

 

[reggiepe]

Dropping in to give a 5 week update. I still have the original 7 and they are growing big. I am seeing some territorial disputes and they don't stick together as much anymore. They are in a 5.5 gallon with some live rock and an internal filter. I exchange the water with the 30 gallon broodstaock tank's water every other day.

I saw poppa was struggling with his next batch and thought it was best to move him. After a long fight to catch him, he spit out 9. I was able to catch 8 of them. I loct one to the pumps when they kicked back on. I was leaving the flow in the tank to go aheah and push things around, but it pushed the last one into one of my MP10's for flow. Till I saw him heading there is was too late. Bummer.

So, I will share some pics for today

A few of the 5 week olds that posed for me:

Today's babies. Just a few hours old:

 

[reggiepe]

Anyone know if I can put both hatchings together? Anyone successfully done that at this early of a stage. I ask because they are eating the same foods (24hr NHBS and up to 72hr phyto enhanced brine shrimp) I would probably want to wait about 7 days or so before considering it. If I can move these together, I can then get poppa in to where they are now and fatten him up. He is very angry right now as I have him in my overflow on my display. He'll be fine in there to fatten up. I just feel bad for him in the confined space....and what he doesn't know is that I am helping him in keeping him away from momma for a little bit. Hours after the release of the little ones she was pestering him again. She was doing the dance and ready to fill him up again. He only had a week to two weeks to get some nutrition the last time. I'd like to get 3 weeks before he goes back with her.

_________________________________________________
Rich

 

[reggiepe]

Stopping by to update with a couple of videos. One from each group. All seem to be doing well. I have not seen one episode of sudden fright syndrome from these two hatchings.

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[DBarsotti]

awesome videos/thread!

Anyone know how old these bangaii have to be before they can breed?
I ask because i have a tank bred, mated pair i recieved when they were about the size of your 5 week old pics that are now almost the size of a quarter and i'd also like to try and breed these fish when the time comes.

 

[reggiepe]

I don't know for sure what the age is that they reach maturity for breeding, but I can say with assurance that at 5 weeks old or as you said a similiar size they were not a mated pair. I believe if yours have been together that long they are either 2 females or a male and female pair. I would think that by this point in time you would have seen the male to male agression already. I am thinking that my pair started breeding at roughly the body size you mentioned. Maybe a little bigger. Give them time and observe. My make and female are never far apart from each other. The female gets upset when I move her to allow the male to rest and get some nutrition before he carries again. I am interpreting her being upset by refusing to eat while she is seperated from the male. Best of luck to you. It is diligent work with the Bangaiis. But very rewarding in knowing that you are doing something to help the environment.

 

[DBarsotti]

I don't know for sure what the age is that they reach maturity for breeding, but I can say with assurance that at 5 weeks old or as you said a similiar size they were not a mated pair. I believe if yours have been together that long they are either 2 females or a male and female pair.

I originally bought 3 infants in hopes that i would get a pair out of the 3. They are probably almost 6 months old at this point. About 2 months ago 2 paired off and the 3rd, which I assume was the smaller male, was getting beat up by the larger male. So the smaller one was removed.

The remaining two, I am pretty sure are a male and female, the male has a much larger jaw than the female and they seem to hang out a lot.

I am definitely looking forward to the challenge of raising offspring if i can.

 

[rockstar]

reef211,

Try catching the male a few hours after the lights have been off. He's not asleep, but will have slowed down quite a bit and you can probably net him. You may have to use a flashlight to locate him. Once in the net, he is likely to release the fry. In a pinch, I've put them in a breeder box that floats in the main tank. That's an easy way to ensure good water quality and they are very easy to feed NHBBS.

Keep trying and best of luck !

Bob

I have a pair of Banggai in my 120gals main tank and they breed like every month. But i never have any luck catching the father out. Sometime i would find a couple baby here and there in the overflow box. So far i only have luck keep just one of the baby and it grew to a size of a dime and one day i found him on the floor all dry up. Right now the father is hold a bunch of baby in his mouth and yes when he release them, they are that size.

 

[Quickcord]

The shop I work at uses frozen cyclops from the time they leave dad's mouth until they start taking mysis.

Quickcord