Automated fry catcher sucess!

[saltyjo]

Day 1-:xlbirthday:
Thanks to the wonderful gadget I got from Chad Vossen, I know have approximately 75-100 one day old Onyx Percula clownfish larvae. Last night just before lights out I set the trap (so amazingly easy) and turned off all circulation in the tank. I couldnt help but peek just 40 minutes after lights out. There were so many little fry in the trap I couldnt not contain myself. So instead of going to bed like I intended I watched as the trap collected the most fry i have ever seen in person! This was so much better than holding a cup and a flashlight still for an hour and a half and end up with only a handful of fry. My last attempt I ended up losing all 12 that I collected. I am expecting better results this time.

 

[rgreene]

do u have a pic of the trap

 

[accordsirh22]

i too would like to see this

 

[coraltastic]

Pics please

 

[IdahoGuy]

Cmon! Share your awesome knowledge!

 

[coraltastic]

I am dieing to see the contraption that would make my nights of fry catching easier.

 

[saltyjo]

Happy New Year all. This is gonna be the year of the clownfish for me!
Here is a picture of the Vossen Fry catcher that I used to automate the fishing process. Anyone that needs more info on it PM me.
It is a simple acrylic Kressel that has a nice little LED light that gets suctioned to the outside of the aquarium. The fry get sucked up in the bubble flow created by the airline that runs down the chamber with the opening seen on the far left of the device, part of the LED light can be seen just under it. The chamber on the right (the largest chamber) has a circle of micron mesh so that the collected fry get circulation. It keeps the fry in and still allows water movement.
The whole device is just suction cupped just below the surface of the water and airline attached and led light on, I turned off all aquarium flow and powerheads and lights and after a very short time I had a container full of fry.
This is day 2 for my clowns and they seem to be doing quite well. There is so many I have a hard time counting. I have taken a picture and printed it and circled the fry, I counted around 75.







<a href="http://s1162.beta.photobucket.com/user/SaltyJo/media/trap_zps693eb569.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q536/SaltyJo/trap_zps693eb569.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>

 

[saltyjo]

lots and lots of babies! Happy New Year!
<a href="http://s1162.beta.photobucket.com/user/SaltyJo/media/babies_zpsbf82f5df.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q536/SaltyJo/babies_zpsbf82f5df.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>

 

[captc07]

Congrats on the success. PM sent for some more info.

 

[cichlidsrcool]

Cool gadget need to have one

 

[edandsandy]

I'm glad to see you got a collector! It's really makes it a lot easier to collect the fry!!!

 

[JimWelsh]

I absolutely love my Chad Vossen Larval Snagger! I have caught Ocellaris Clownfish larvae, Peppermint Shrimp larvae, and Cleaner Shrimp larvae with it, but most importantly (to me), I have caught hundreds and hundreds of Bluestripe Pipefish fry in numerous batches with it. I am currently working with Redstripe Pipefish, and used the Larval Snagger just last night to catch about 20 fry from the most recent hatch of these pipefish. It works very well!

The two things I've had to fiddle with are:

1) Getting the number of bubbles per second just right for the species I'm working with. Some species are more easily caught with a quicker flow of bubbles, but other species will swim away from the disturbance, and need a slower flow of bubbles in order for them to be lured into the trap without being scared away. Experiment from maybe 1-2 bubbles per second, up to perhaps 6 bubbles per second.

2) I have replaced the light with a small LED "Gorilla Torch". I can use the flexible legs to hook over the tank edge, and get the light positioned where I want it, and it has a dimmer switch to adjust the brightness. I have found that some species respond better if I put a layer or two of paper towels between the light and the glass to diffuse the light.

 

[goodtimes2]

Could someone reference where you can buy a Chad Vossen Larval snagger, it sounds like a great product. Thanks

 

[woodnaquanut]

If you google 'Chad Vossen' you'll find his blog.

 

[mwilliams62]

I have borrowed one to help catch my clownfish fry the first two batches I messed up third batch they ate the entire batch and waiting for them to lay the fourth batch so I can try thr collector out.

 

[saltyjo]

Sorry I havent posted in a while but I was on vacation in Maui! I left my little fry in the care of my boyfriend who was not able to go with me. For a first timer he did a remarkably good job and even suprized me by using the trap and collecting a batch of his own while I was gone. The first batch I have 15 strong little fish that are now 26 days old and the second batch is a collection of 5 little ones at 13 days old. I am so excited to see real baby clowns again in my fry tanks!

<a href="http://s1162.beta.photobucket.com/user/SaltyJo/media/251880_4757133459508_841383978_n_zpsca45ae0f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q536/SaltyJo/251880_4757133459508_841383978_n_zpsca45ae0f.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 251880_4757133459508_841383978_n_zpsca45ae0f.jpg"/></a>

 

[edandsandy]

I was wondering why we haven't heard from you in a while... MAUI!!!! how awesome was that???

I'm so happy for you on your babies! I always knew you could do it....

Congrats!

 

[mwilliams62]

Wow I wish I could go to Maui. Congrats on the babies.

 

[rgreene]

good news

 

[saltyjo]

I was wondering why we haven't heard from you in a while... MAUI!!!! how awesome was that???

I'm so happy for you on your babies! I always knew you could do it....

Congrats!

Thanks so much guys. Maui was the most amazing place I have ever visited and I need to post pictures that I took and create a seperate thread. I have some awesome pictures of some of the animals I could identify in the black lava tidal pools, which besides snorkeling and whale watching was one of my favorite things to do there.
While I was gone I think it helped that I had a care taker (my boyfriend) who is OCD to watch over my fry. I wrote every little task down for him and what time it was to be done. :reading: He vaccuumed the tank religiously, never missed a water change, and was precise with adding cups of strained rotifers. On top of this he text me all water perimeters every day and sent me a daily picture of them. Before I left I tried to automate as much as I could such as lighting and he just followed all my instuctions like a cook book recipie. I did not get my hopes up and did not expect any fry to survive! My clowns even laid eggs the day after I left and he collected a small batch of his own!
Now I follow my own instructions and have a daily checklist to make things easy for myself. I cannot wait for another batch to be laid should be today or tomorow to do it all again!
With all of your sucessfull batches do you have any tools like this you have made for yourselves? Thanks again for your encouragement and mentorship!~ Jo