Attempting to breed clownfish - log

[FB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11726202#post11726202 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by billsreef
Make sure there are enough rot's and nauplii to maintain good density till you get home. This is also were greenwater rearing techniques really come in handy to keep the food nutritious

I have been greenwater rearing.

I also started my first batch of BBS. Although I'm not really sure I should feed them to the larvae tomorrow as that will only be day 4. I thought you were not supposed to feed those till day five or they could choke.

Thanks

FB

 

[sandman5sanders]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11721158#post11721158 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kerusso316
Set your brine on the 30th so on the next day you can feed.Do not over feed and no shells.Hatch bbs every day for 10 days.Harvest in the morning & start your new bbs for tomorrow.Keep em fresh in the fridg. all day and feed a little every few hours.More just befor bedtime.

I hatch BBS for my reef regularly and never have I succesfully not gotten shells in my tank, is there a tip or suggestion that you can give me? Sorry FB didn't mean to cut in on you success, good luck on you next batch of eggs you lucky B.

 

[FB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11727609#post11727609 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sandman5sanders
I hatch BBS for my reef regularly and never have I succesfully not gotten shells in my tank, is there a tip or suggestion that you can give me? Sorry FB didn't mean to cut in on you success, good luck on you next batch of eggs you lucky B.

No worries I had the same problem with the trial run I did. Lots of shells. Any tips?

 

[kerusso316]

Day 4 is OK just do not over feed.It is easy to do.Dont worry to much about shells.Natural selection says a clown that eats shells should not reproduce.Let the bbs settle for at least 10 minutes.Then don't collect off the bottom.

 

[FB]

78 hours now. Doing well, they are all still alive (a whole 6 of them LOL).

Brine shrimp are bubbling away and I will feed them first thing tomorrow morning.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

FB

 

[sandman5sanders]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11728913#post11728913 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kerusso316
Day 4 is OK just do not over feed.It is easy to do.Dont worry to much about shells.Natural selection says a clown that eats shells should not reproduce.Let the bbs settle for at least 10 minutes.Then don't collect off the bottom.

does the no shells or the clown won't reproduce, go for a grown clown fish also?

 

[billsreef]

No shells goes for all fish, they can cause gut impaction. The best trick is to decapsulate the cysts before hatching.

 

[heap]

only anecdotal addition i'd throw into what's been said already...

i use reeds algae paste for rotifer culturing and enrichment (nano and tetraselmis for culture, isochrysis and nano for pre-larval-feeding enrichment)

i've noticed about a 20% improvement in 1st week survival rates by using either fresh cultured nano or DTs to feed the rotifers in the larval tank rather than algae paste. the rotifer cultures themselves propagate much better w/ the paste, tho. i don't know if it was a matter of larval tank 'pollution' being the difference, or if it's some difference in the nutritional profile.

not exactly a scientific study or anything, just my experience.

 

[FB]

102 hours now and all 6 appear to be doing great. I fed some bbs last night and they ate like pigs. As soon as they looked pretty full I turned the lights off so they wouldn't over indudlge. I had put some in the fridge last night and fed them some more this morning. Not as much as last night they went right after it. It's a snow day today so I will feed them small amounts every couple of hours.

I am going to do a 20% water change today. dripping breeding tank water to the larvae tank.

I have been using about 3 gallons of water in a 10 gallon tank. I was thinking of increasing the volume to 5 gallons now to help keep things more stable. Is this a good idea. If I did it would be done slowly over the entire day.

Thanks

FB

 

[FB]

My water has turned a whitish colour and I am currently doing a water change. The larvae are full and appear very healthy.

My ammonia indicator still says safe.

EDIT: Bacteria bloom my guess.

 

[Reef Mongoose]

FB,

Cool thread, I will have to watch it, as my clowns just laid eggs for the first time. I would love to try and raise them but I just don't have the equipment(wasn't exactly expecting to see eggs in my tank). Keep us updated and good luck. Oh yea and how about so pictures.

 

[Reef Mongoose]

that should say (some pictures) not (so pictures)

 

[FB]

115 hours now. They are eating very well and their bellies are getting really big.

I will try and get some pics tomorrow.

The parents just layed down another patch of eggs sometime while we were out for dinner. So next Sunday morning they should be hatching. I cannot tell how my rotifers are doing but I don't think to well. I noticed that the phyto has not been consumed in a couple of days and I'm getting a little worried. Hopefully I can get my backup ramped up for next weekend.

I don't want to get too excited about my six living ones but I can't help it.

FB

 

[kerusso316]

Add more live phyto.The tank should not clear or go white.It is tempting {so you can see the fish better}.You should only be able to see the fish when they are close to the glass,or with a flashlight.

 

[sandman5sanders]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11735593#post11735593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by billsreef
No shells goes for all fish, they can cause gut impaction. The best trick is to decapsulate the cysts before hatching.

how do you decapsulate the cysts before hatching, and would I still need to bubble them? thank you for your input. FB did you get any new larvae? Congratulations new life of any kind is always an amazing experience to the end degree, I wonder if the clowns I have can have eggs now that I continue to learn something new, is it posible to tell if the fish have gut impaction? Thanks for everybadies imput go N.Y. Giants!

 

[billsreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11752212#post11752212 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sandman5sanders
how do you decapsulate the cysts before hatching, and would I still need to bubble them?

Here's a good set of decapsulating instructions from brineshrimpdirect.com . It's what I do at work, except I mix up 5 gallons of decapsulating solution at a time

After decapsulation, hatching is done as normal with lots of bubbling. However, you no longer have egg shells to worry about. Just drain into your sieve, rinse and feed

 

[FB]

Day 7

Well all the larvae are doing well growing longer and actively hunting food.

I noticed my ammonia indicator had moved this morning so I tested my water.

PH 7.8
Ammonia 8ppm.

Doing a water change now.

First time to 7 days and an ammonia reading. Is this really high or normal. I'm just trying to determine a base line.

Thanks

FB

 

[otto486]

good luck and keep the pics comin

 

[FB]

Two of my larvae are definately going through metamorphasis. they have very long curled tails and it is quite amusing watching them try and swim.

I did a 60% water change this morning and added some ammonia binder.

I won't be home till late tonight but I plan on doing another 60% water change tonight.

I took some pictures but they did not turn out. I will try and get some better ones soon!

FB

 

[sandman5sanders]

billsreef, thank you, thank you, we thank you, it's probably easier to buy them decapsulated but that's instant gratifacation and since I've yet to get eggs it will keep me occupied and keep me looking smart in my girls eyes, LOL. FB congratulations on your continued success eager as the rest for pics.