Back after 7 months

[agsansoo]

Big surprise yesterday ! I came home from work and noticed eggs. My maroons stoped laying eggs for 7 months. Not really sure why, though I think it's because it's been warmer here in So Cal lately. It's about time these two started breeding again. Now the big mission, to try to keep these fry alive. My last 5 attempts were not successful.

 

[heap]

best of luck...i couldn't get any maroons to live beyond 3 days until i strained smaller and smaller rots into S-strainish cultures. dunno if you're having similar problems, but it'd be worth a try.

 

[da1jewfish]

doesn't look like very many eggs... especially since marroons can lay up to 1200. What are feeding the breeders?

 

[agsansoo]

heap, what is S-strainish cultures ? Your right, I had very few live past day three ! I had one go to about day 7.

da1, That's because the anemone is covering most of the eggs.

 

[Evansbr]

You may have had problems with prey density or water quality on the babies.. we've been able to get a couple hundred per nest just on L-strain rots.

 

[agsansoo]

Where do you guys get your rotifer from ? Reed Mariculture messed up my order ...

 

[Evansbr]

actually, reed.... also you could try Florida Aqua Farms or Sachs...
I haven't actually bought rots in about a year as I just have cultures going.. no one local has rots for you??

 

[agsansoo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12344169#post12344169 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Evansbr
actually, reed.... also you could try Florida Aqua Farms or Sachs...
I haven't actually bought rots in about a year as I just have cultures going.. no one local has rots for you??

I'll check on the local forum ... Do you have a link for Sachs ?

 

[heap]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12341747#post12341747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by agsansoo
heap, what is S-strainish cultures ? Your right, I had very few live past day three ! I had one go to about day 7.

da1, That's because the anemone is covering most of the eggs.

it's a smaller strain. you can start with larger rotifers, and filtering cultures down to smaller and smaller sizes, or just buy s strain to start with.

i wouldn't say L's are what's keeping you from going past day 3 or anything...can't even say with any certainty that's what my problem was...i just know i offered them smaller food, and they lived.

their reputation for dealing w/ problems if you have any is absolute crap, but saltwaterfish.com sells s strain rots - smaller than i could get by filtering down L strains.

 

[agsansoo]

Thanks heap. Tried to order from saltwater.com but they have a minimum !
" For Live Goods orders a minimum order amount of $79.00". Not sure I want to buy $80 worth of rot's.

 

[Evansbr]

also look at Reeffrontiers.com toward the bottom there is a sponsor-- essential live feeds.. she sells s-strain rots, and alot of other feeds. So you dont have a problem keeping rots?
All our babies get only L-strain. how do you collect the babies?
you may have more survivors on S-strain, but we can get a couple hundred per nest on GSM. and for Sachs- just do a yahoo search. its sachs aquaculture. could be poor larval quality from the get go. or poor feeding of the rots?

 

[agsansoo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12349656#post12349656 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Evansbr
also look at Reeffrontiers.com toward the bottom there is a sponsor-- essential live feeds.. she sells s-strain rots, and alot of other feeds. So you dont have a problem keeping rots?
All our babies get only L-strain. how do you collect the babies?
you may have more survivors on S-strain, but we can get a couple hundred per nest on GSM. and for Sachs- just do a yahoo search. its sachs aquaculture. could be poor larval quality from the get go. or poor feeding of the rots?

Thanks for the link, even though it seems she only sells copepods. I emailed her anyways.
I really don't have a problem with keeping rotifers. Just after my clowns stop laying egg for months, I let the culture crash. Not sure what I was doing wrong the first five attempts. The larval tank was crawling with rotifer. I will keep trying until I get it right !

 

[Evansbr]

http://www.oceanreefaquatics.com/
talk to Mario.. he stocks s-strain and can probably get them shipped to you... He is ORA on the sponsor list at reeffrontiers.com
He is great and has some real good sources for about anything.
tell him Brian from Portland sent you....

 

[Evansbr]

also when you had the rots in the larval tank were you feeding greenwater to the rots? Rots after a few hours are worthless as feed to larva if not fed.

 

[agsansoo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12350479#post12350479 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Evansbr
also when you had the rots in the larval tank were you feeding greenwater to the rots? Rots after a few hours are worthless as feed to larva if not fed.

OK ... That's good to know. I wasn't feeding the rots once I placed them in the larval tank. I saw them swimming with the larvae. Will keep them well feed next time.

 

[Evansbr]

well there is definately one problem that will make a huge difference... starving rots are useless rots. I would recommend using live nanno in the larval tank, it helps feed rots, and helps keep the water quality up as it doesn't foul the water like dead nanno.

 

[agsansoo]

I was using dead nanno (Roti-Diet from reed).
I called Mario, and he's in the process of hooking me up with what I need. Thanks ! Yes, I told him Brian sent me. He remembered you guys (clown buyers) from Portland.

 

[heap]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12352054#post12352054 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Evansbr
well there is definately one problem that will make a huge difference... starving rots are useless rots. I would recommend using live nanno in the larval tank, it helps feed rots, and helps keep the water quality up as it doesn't foul the water like dead nanno.

yah, i can second that.

i got bored and did a couple of clutches split in two for comparisons sake. i didn't get out the beakers and the lab coat, so i realize it isn't a great experiment or anything, but it was enough of a difference that i stopped using algae paste to feed the rots in the larval tank. averaged over 4 clutches split in two, the larval tank that was fed live phtyo had a 20% greater survival rate than the larval tank fed paste.

the reproduction rates of the rotifer cultures themselves was much higher w/ the paste, so i still use it...just not in the larval tank.

again, not saying is anything other than another anecdote for the pile, but i've had the same experience.

 

[Evansbr]

I drove 6 hours round trip to visit Mario's store.. and I must admit it was well worth it. He has an amazing selection. two species of live pods... stocks s-strain rots.... and when I had questions on the pods he called a marine biologist for me to talk to... on a weekend!!! I tried to talk him into moving the store to Portland but he wouldn't budge.:sad2:
now the next question of why you had no luck, what was your water additions, tank cleaning, filtering like in the larval tank??

 

[agsansoo]

Water addition was 1/2 to 1 gallon from my display tank. Tank cleaning was once a day after evening feeding. As for filtration, I used a sponge filter.