Amphiprion percula "Onxy" (Onyx Percula Clown) Breeding Log!

[mwp]

Batch III - after almost 2 hours of acclimation, I put them in the breeder net. 1 more died during acclimation. Upon introduction, 3 went straight into shock. 1 came right back up, but 2 more are completely DOA. So, we're sitting at an even dozen for the moment....still an improvement over my first two batches but nothing like I'd hoped for. Off to the QX5 to do some up close observations!

Matt

 

[mwp]

Don't even need to show the pictures LOL...they're pretty "gruesome"...one fish looks like his face stops where his eyes are! They also, on the whole, look like larvae that weren't feeding well (compared to some of the other ones that didn't keel over which also happen to look kinda plump). Worst case, moving them at this point separates the weak from the strong...makes the job of culling easy!

Oh well, what makes it makes it...I'm getting ready for another attempt at more than just a "handful"...Batch IV here I come!

Matt

 

[mwp]

Found one more DOA in the breeder net just a few minutes ago (time for BED!) - that brings Batch III down to 11; basically a 1/3 loss due to the transfer, but at least 50% of that were fish I would've ultimately culled anyway!

FWIW,

Matt

 

[HenrySeeley]

Hi matt just wondering what types of feed you give to the parents and what you think is the best feed for egg laying?

 

[Kathy55g]

Matt, are they gonna hatch tonight?

 

[Kathy55g]

I'm on the edge of my seat! Matt, where are you? Are you OK?

 

[mwp]

OK...so the news. Renee and I were out in Western Wisconsin by the Mississippi, scouting for places to have our wedding. We were cutting it close, but were on time to make it back for the Saturday night hatch.

Driving south on Cty. A, about 2.5 miles ESE of the nearest town, we're doing maybe 50 MPH climbing a hill on this 2 lane road that's bordered by a steep incline to the driver's side and a big drop off to the passenger side. Renee shouts - "DEEEEER"!

We never saw it coming...it must have been running full bore down the hill on the driver's side...by the time Renee shouted, I turned my head just enough to see it about 3 feet away (to the left) from the front end of my car (Brand new '06 Ford Escape Hybrid, got it July 3rd). I swerved just enough to miss hitting it head on...it took out the mirror. Somehow, it collided with the entire left side of the car as well, blowing out the rear window on the left side, sending shattering glass all over our sleeping dog.

Alice jumped into the front seat and peed on Renee's lap. The car was fishtailing in the gravel shoulder but somehow I managed to stay on the road and come to a stop. Neither driver's side door would open, so we all got out on the passenger side. Then somehow I locked the keys in the car (but got it back open with a long stick through the broken window). Every single passerby stopped to make sure we were OK; meanwhile the doe was in the middle of the road, probably paralized, with her head up and alert. While a couple cars were stopped, another car came barreling down the hill and HIT the deer that lay in the middle of the road, dragging it over to the shoulder.

This was the TERMINATOR of deer...it was STILL alive after being hit twice. Then another guy came along and shot it, TWICE, and it was STILL alive (although it finally died a short while later).

Suffice it to say, we did NOT make it home for the Saturday night hatch. We stayed at my folk's place in WI last night. Thankfully I found a body shop only 6 blocks away and the manager was kind enough to take the car (so it wasn't sitting on the street with a broken window).

We are finally home safe and sound. Once again, we DID have a clownfish hatch last night, but maybe only 35% of the eggs hatched last night. So tonight, I get one shot at redemption and a few hundred clownfish

FWIW,

Matt

 

[Kmiec123]

Holy Cow, Matt! As if your life ain't busy enough....So glade top hear your all ok. Nothin' like a little excitment...Wow...

 

[mwp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8523638#post8523638 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HenrySeeley
Hi matt just wondering what types of feed you give to the parents and what you think is the best feed for egg laying?

Henry,

The parents get the broadest and most varied diet out of all my fish, simply because they'll eat ANYTHING I offer (except frozen krill)

Here's a quick rundown of what is currently in their dietary rotation:

Frozen Gels - Formula 1, Formula 2, Pygmy Angel Diet
Pellets - Tetra Marine, Formula 1, Formula 2, Spectrum, Otoheim (just added the last one).
Frozen Mysis - PE, Hikari, Lifeline
Frozen Brine - Hikari, SFB Omega 3, SFB Spirulina
Other Frozen - Cyclopeze, Ocean Nutrition's Cyclops
Live Foods - rare feedings of extra BBS

I'm not feeding flakes as I've found that once fish are able to take pellet forms of food, they have a much better time getting the food they need and growing faster vs. trying to stuff themselves with Flake. Pellets are really superior as you can feed a couple at a time, make sure every pellet gets eaten, and stop as soon as the fish start refusing them (feed to satiation).

FWIW,

Matt

 

[mwp]

Time for an update, no?

Batch I - 43 days old and 4 remain - definitely showing signs of 2nd stripe development..at least one has a vertical line going top to bottom.

Batch II - 1 was alive a couple days ago - he is no longer on the premises. If it's still alive, it's 31 days old.

Batch III - 16 or 17 days old, and at last count, 8 fat healthy babies remain. They are currently residing in a breeder net in the seahorse/mandarin/newclownfish tank.

Batch IV - As stated before, last night was the first hatch which we missed. Approximately 65% of the eggs remain. They should hatch later tonight!

So, with every batch, I've pretty much had the hatch spread out over 2 days. Anyone have an advice on how to get all the eggs to hatch on the first day? I'm pretty sure I can rule out dietary issues (see the above feed list, plus consider that I supplement all the frozen brine/mysis with either Selcon or Vibrance II).

I've drained out the 10 gallon larval tank in preparation for tonight's spawn. I'm not going to sterilize it - there's some micro-algae growth as well as a good harp. copepod population going - I think this is more likely to be beneficial than detrimental. I may "cut back" on the "greenwater" technique a bit, and will be introducing Otohiem earlier on in the larval development period as well, focusing more on enriching rotifers as well. Of course, I have to CATCH the larvae first. I've read up on Wilkeron's breeding section and am going to review it again in an hour or so...going to make sure I do everything to the "best practices" standard so I get a GOOD SIZED batch for a change instead of just a handful of larvae.

FWIW,

Matt

 

[danfrith]

I think ive heard aiming a powerhead on them helps to jump start the eggs to hatch, not sure.
Good luck tonight.

 

[Kathy55g]

What's your temperature? If your eggs incubate at a warmer temperature, they will metabolize faster, and I would think you would be more likely to get them all to hatch at the same time. 81 F. Just a guess on my part.

Glad you are safe at home. I was really worried when we did not hear from you. Just the mom in me, I guess.

Cheers,
K

 

[aomont]

Hi Matt, glad you and Rennee are ok !

As for the split hatch, may sound repetitive with what I said in the mandarin thread and now here but how about raising temp ?

I know they are on a reef (that´s the complication point, I think)and the other creatures may prefer lower temps but what about having temp cycles ? Raising the temp a couple degrees near the hatch (last two days ?) and comig back to "normal" after hatch.

Anderson.

 

[mwp]

Anderson, Kathy, temp is the only thing I've been considering on my end too. Lately, the tank is running at 80F....thought that would've been high enough. Perhaps lowering a degree or two (IF I can get it down) would have the same type of effect, maybe making them hatch on the evening of day 9 (vs. our current 8/9 split)?

Matt

 

[Kmiec123]

Hi Matt,
Mine all hatched last night(on schedule) except for 3-5 which I used the baste on, Whether they just came of or hatched, I'm not sure. Lost about 25-50 by three am, but still have the rest. 100-200 I can only guess.
I did, on this batch, sterilize and raise temp to 81-82 on both broadstock and rearing, Remember mine lay there eggs on a pot drip plate-Tara cotta, so I move them the night of hatch.
as of know-7:00 p.m. I got a nice 12-15 rot per ml population so all seems well. Basically the only thing I changed is temp, so maybe give that a try next batch.
On of the books recommended putting the tile or pot base(4in) right in the spot of the last eggs laid following the hatch to see if they take, Mine did but it is at risk of them spooking and not spawning for a time. Worked for me even though the male helping the hatch may keep numbers higher, not sure. we'll see if they keep up. Keep up the awesome work. and I hope this helps...Carl

 

[mwp]

Carl, congrats on your hatch! In the particular location my clowns are spawning (basically vertical rock face underneath their Frogspawn Coral) I haven't really been able to figure out any type of spawning substrate, but then again I haven't really been TRYING either Hopefully the larval collector will work well this time around.

I'm stickin' with the "non sterile" approach this time around...there's a lot of copepod life which can only help keep detritus in check AND help with larval nutrition. 3 or 4 hours to go...

Matt

 

[aomont]

Matt, have read about lower temps making the larvae hatch later and weaker (think it was in Hoff´s book). Check that if you try the lower temp approach.
Anderson.

 

[Kmiec123]

Matt, Just read inWilkerson P175 4th paragraph..."Copepodes are not a hazard in a rotifer tank. However, in a larval-rearing tank, large copepodes can cause problems for gluttonous clownfish larvae with fragile, easily punctured digestive system (the swallowed copepods have sharp appendages). Copepods tend to hang onto dark surfaces, so to rid a rotifer culture of copepods, you can collect a copepode-free cup of rotifer culter from near the center of a well-lit culture and use that to start a new culture. On the other hand, copepods can be useful if they are small enough to be swallowed safely. Hobbuist intending to move beyond clownfish culturing into more exotic marine arnamentals may want to collect copepods from their rotifer cultures and experoment with culturing them separately. The same applies for ciliates."
Just FYI, I know your experiances with useing them, looks like just too watch the size. \
Thanks for the congrates too....Carl

 

[Kmiec123]

By the way..Checked my tank temps and thery closer to 82-84....Not much for coral to worry about for me though. See Ya

 

[mwp]

On the Copepod front, most of the copepods in question are a harp. that's about the size of a few L-Strain rotifers....when these copes aren't fully mature there are nauplii and other instars that are no larger than a rotifer...in other words, shouldn't pose ANY problems I could see the tiggerpods being problematic, but so far they haven't caused any problems with my GBG larvae that I'm aware of, so I'm inclined to think they can't really be problematic to the clownfish. Of course, it's all a grand experiment at this point

Matt