And we have Ocellaris Babies!!

[duncaholic]

any updates?

 

[alaska clowns]

YES They look like little fish, and they act like little fish! When I went in to feed them tonight they appeared to be eager for food.

Yesterday the few that refused to go through metamorphosis passed away; I keep counting and I think I have 18 left.

I am calculating that they are at least 6 days behind, if I compare them to the great photograph of the developmental stages in Wittenrich's book.

I'm guessing they won't be perfect specimens, but I've grown attached to them anyhow

If I'm keeping the ammonia at or below 1 ppm, is that acceptable? Or should I be expecting to keep it at 0? My PH is around 7.4.

I've had an almost continuous drip of salt water going in (at 1.020 sg) at about 1 drip per second, and I siphon out the bottom real well every day, which takes out about 1/2 to 3/4 gallon. I finally got the water volume up to nearly full in the five gallon tank.

Also, I saved my rotifers! And they are going strong.

It's nice to have the baby clownfish to provide enjoyment and pleasure in the midst of other saltwater difficulties I think I've got my hands in too many tanks all at once.

 

[billsreef]

Looking good!

With that pH, I"d try and keep ammonia down to .5ppm or less. At .5, you figure it's all in the non toxic ammonium form. Over that, and some percentage will be in the toxic form. Keep in mind, that is also pH dependent, so raising the pH will decrease the allowable level of ammonia.

 

[alaska clowns]

If my NSW for my waterchange has a higher PH.... do I need to try to adjust that down, or just change 50-60% to try to get all the ammonia (and use the amquel just in case)? The variance in PH between my tank and anything else I put in makes me nervous. That's kept me from doing a big change all at once, but I'm beginning to see the need for it, even though I'm afraid to do something drastic.

 

[billsreef]

If you do big enough water changes frequently, there won't be an issue with the pH difference

 

[alaska clowns]

Well, I started last night I had been afraid to do anything big before, but I knew it was overdue. I figured that if I was going to do a big water change, it might as well be a HUGE one to make sure that I took care of ALL the ammonia. I didn't bother to test the water first, but in the middle of the waterchange I tested and found the ammonia to be 0! So now they have super-clean water. I SLOWLY drained out the water and not quite as slowly dripped in the new water - it took a long time. But the fish are still swimming this morning and are probably feeling happier, I might add.

 

[billsreef]

IMO large frequent water changes are the key to raise lots of healthy larval fish Doing large scale production, I'd typically do daily water changes of 50 to 75%.

 

[alaska clowns]

IMO large frequent water changes are the key to raise lots of healthy larval fish Doing large scale production, I'd typically do daily water changes of 50 to 75%.

Agreed! It's unfortunate that I was just mousing out 1 or 2 gallon daily water-changes I was afraid of too much change at once. But I believe that I can actually see positive difference in the behavior of the fish today. These poor little guys are pretty tough after all my newbie mistakes with them. I assume that's partly the reason for their slower development.

A Question - with the large water changes, do you use nsw? Wittenrich's book seemed to me to stress using parent tank water for the benefit of the bacteria in it, but I was a little confused at which point nsw (properly mixed and aerated) could be used instead. My own tank water (which is not the parent tank) has really high PH, so for me, I think that would have been worse than any ill-effect from nsw. My larval tank PH was so extremely low, I think partly due to the amquel dosing.

 

[jbax]

joyce d wilkerson book gives a day by day schedule when to do water changes and which water to use (parent or nsw). her book is perfect when your first learning what to do.

 

[billsreef]

For my home rearing of clowns, I use water from the broodstock/display tanks. Primarily because it is good quality water, and let me do water changes on the parent tanks as well. When I was rearing fish for a research lab, it was new seawater all the way, primarily because I had lots and lots of water to change and hot and cold running seawater plumbed throughout the lab

 

[alaska clowns]

Stripes The babies are at various stages of development. I have one that doesn't have his headstripe yet...but he acts just like the other fish (his name is Junior). Fat ones, skinny ones, orange and then not-so-orange ones..... It's as hard to get them to hold still for pictures as it is to get my own kids to hold still long enough for a picture!

I've been managing the water quality with 50-90% water changes per day. Last night I didn't notice that the airline to the sponge filter was a little kinked, so apparently it wasn't working properly; I believe that's why there was a little ammonia this morning. BTW, I'm wishing I had seawater plumbed to my sink

A couple of them have claimed "territory." One has claimed a spot under the heater (I tried to discourage him by turning up the airstone, to no avail). Another one was vying for the same territory - since it was nearly bedtime, I turned out the lights hoping they'd quit. I'm wondering if the whole 5 gallon tank is too big for them? They don't really group together.

 

[alaska clowns]

I'm wondering if someone can critique my thoughts as to the next step with this group of babies, please.

If someone can grow out 50+ clowns in a 10 gallon tank, can I grow out my 18 in this 5 gallon tank? I just measured one of the babies that was on the edge of the tank, and they are at least .75 cm (head to tail). Can I add a HOB power filter (Like a Whisper 20), stick the foam of the sponge filter into the HOB, and call it a grow-out tank? Are the babies to small (would I need to modify the HOB)?

The next hatch of babies that I raise, I'm going to experiment with a different rearing vessel, so I won't need this particular tank.

Thank you for your help!

 

[larrypoe]

sorry I cant be much help with your clown fish project...however I can give you some advice about HOB filters and small fry :xlbirthday: from lots of FW experence

still trying to wrap my head around the entire metric/standerd conversion :mad2: ..........but i can tell you in standerd and you can convert :sad2:


I use them, even with live bearers (like guppys/mollies ect) whos fry are born in the 3/8 range.....ish.....and constantly find the babys in the filter chamber :uhoh3:.......usualy till there half inch or so then its not so much of a problem.

I have used a piece of sock and a rubber band to cover the strainer a bit and keep the fry from being sucked in, but it kind of defeats the purpose of the filter because lots of stuff just gets caught in the sock (never goes though the filter process :/...so I just quit using it and live with the occasional filter baby .........maybe if you change the sock every day or 2 ???? idk it was easier for me to just deal w the loss because there mostly feeders anyway.

its a different kettle of fish for you, as these arent....but I just wanted you to know they have been known to suck up small fishys :twitch:

 

[alaska clowns]

Hmmm... Thanks, larrypoe. That's good to keep in mind! I don't really want any filter babies At least, not if I can help it.

 

[billsreef]

I've found placing a foam filter over the HOB intake as a prefilter will diffuse the flow around the intake

 

[larrypoe]

I've found placing a foam filter over the HOB intake as a prefilter will diffuse the flow around the intake

:bounce3: hey whadayaknow that will work way better than a piece of sock and a rubber band

:lolspin: sad thing is it works on the same principle as my redneck gadget....only looks way nicer


ima have to have a few of those :idea:

 

[alaska clowns]

I've found placing a foam filter over the HOB intake as a prefilter will diffuse the flow around the intake

Thank you for the pic! Now that makes sense Do you think that 4 week old babies (that are probably about 3 weeks along in development) are ready for the HOB instead of the sponge filter?

 

[alaska clowns]

:bounce3: hey whadayaknow that will work way better than a piece of sock and a rubber band

:lolspin: sad thing is it works on the same principle as my redneck gadget....only looks way nicer


ima have to have a few of those :idea:

The sump under my main tank is made up of a bunch of redneck gadgets...Sometimes it's more fun to make your own

 

[billsreef]

Thank you for the pic! Now that makes sense Do you think that 4 week old babies (that are probably about 3 weeks along in development) are ready for the HOB instead of the sponge filter?

I'd probably go another few weeks before introducing the currents that will be created by the HOB.

The sump under my main tank is made up of a bunch of redneck gadgets...Sometimes it's more fun to make your own

That's how such things got invented

 

[alaska clowns]

Well, I couldn't help myself. Last week I bought something ugly at Petco to trap fish food and waste and help foul my baby tank water. But it's awfully fun to watch the baby clowns in their new playhouse So I'm a little extra diligent with the cleaning regime. It was actually an experiment to see how it would affect the sibling squabbles.

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