Chromis are breeding

[wfuavenger]

I have had my chromis for about 6 months now. There are four of them.

Today at 1:50pm est (lights have been on for ~2 hours) they started laying eggs on the back glass. There is one which is tending them and swimming back to the shoal and flashing its fins and gaping its mouth. It will bring back one of the others and they will lay eggs and fertilize them at the same time.

here is one with ovipositer out.

The one that is tending them is a large male. The females with exception to one) are opposite than in breeding clownfish (female is usially larger [kinda odd since they are cousins]). I know the smaller ones are females because I saw one lay down a line of eggs on a new area. The eggs are also smaller in size than clown fish eggs (I know because I have 2 Osc. that are breeding).

every tiny dot is an egg.

The male and female swim touching each other and the male "herds" the female in the direction he wants her to lay the eggs. They have been at it for 2 hours now and have covered an area the size of an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper.

I am thinking about trying to raise the fry. Not sure yet. I will continue to post on further developements.

 

[msman825]

wow,8 1/2 x 11 thats a look of eggs. congrats.

 

[FB]

Can the larvae be raised easily?

 

[tunicata]

wow, that is definitely cool. I would at least try and raise the eggs just to see. Haven't seen much documentation online about their hatchery process. Most folks have chromis, make it a more viable hobby!

 

[wfuavenger]

They finished spawning at 6:45pm. The male is defending the hell out of the back glass.... He attacks anything that comes near.

The egg patch is two sheets of paper big (17" x 22").

 

[Hendersonracing]

can you raise them? I have 3 chromis not sure If they have had eggs yet?

 

[wfuavenger]

no idea

no idea

I have no idea if I would be able to raise them. I was hoping to get some ideas from fellow breeders. The eggs are smaller than clownfish eggs. Each one is about the size of the period at the end of this sentence (and that includes the stucky stuff used by mamma fish to attach them). Tiny, huh? There are hundreds of them too.

I think what I might do is wait until they start breeding again, and place a large piece of dark tile over the spot and see if I cannot get them to lay eggs on it. This way I can remove them and place them in a 10 gallon with one airstone and give it a try. They are breeding every 2-3weeks.

I will have to culture rots and maybe get lucky. still trying to research how to do that.

Any ideas on ways to go about "robbing the cradle" and getting the babies?!?!?!?

 

[ediaz]

So far raising them is almost impossible, I only seen them live for one to two weeks.

Ed

 

[FishGuttz]

Wow that's a lot of eggs. They must naturally have a very low survival rate if they need to put out so many eggs. Good luck. Maybe you'll get really lucky and one will survive.

 

[wfuavenger]

looks like I will not have a chance to try to raise them..... unfortunatly, the blue tang and the wrasses have found them and despite the chromis best efforts have eatten almost all of them....

 

[wildernesstank]

thats cool ! wish my cromis did that

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12342706#post12342706 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ediaz
So far raising them is almost impossible, I only seen them live for one to two weeks.

Ed

Edgar,reapareciste,hermano! Que paso?
Wfuavenger,any chance you take microscopic photos of the larvae?

 

[ZooShark1029]

live roifers would allow you to raise them

 

[ZooShark1029]

rotifers....

 

[elmorejl]

I tried raising blue damsels (C. cyanea) several times and like Luis AM said they only made it to 2 weeks at best. I was using rotifers. They are very small also and may need something smaller, such as copepod nauplii or ciliates, but this has not been worked out by anyone that I know of. Maybe you can work this out, but be prepared for a long road!

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12848809#post12848809 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ZooShark1029
live roifers would allow you to raise them

Don´t think so...
Damsels are difficult to raise,while Chromis and Dascyllus hatch very small and are the most difficult within the family.

 

[JRechcygl]

Don't chromis have a planktonic larval stage?

 

[elmorejl]

Luis AM,

Have you tried growing smaller larvae of any of the reef fishes on ciliates, copepod nauplii, etc.? I am planning to establish a pair or trio of Flame Angels and going to play around with trying to raise a few of the larvae. I know rotifers will not work. Have you heard of anything other than plankton tows (I am in Tennessee) that would be a good area to research. I have a lot of expertise with copepods (although freshwater). Not meaning to highjack the thread but I think this is pertinent here.

Jim

 

[Luis A M]

Yes,Chromis as almost all damsels (and most SW fish,BTW) have a planktonic larval stage.Too small to feed on rots.
But even larger larvae like Chrysiptera which take rots,are hard to raise.
Yes,copepods (calanoids) and eventually some ciliates could make it possible some day.But now we´re in research time...

 

[tahiti422]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12358901#post12358901 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wfuavenger
looks like I will not have a chance to try to raise them..... unfortunatly, the blue tang and the wrasses have found them and despite the chromis best efforts have eatten almost all of them....

mine are in a 55g all by themselves, i hope they will spawn. what size aquarium are your chromis in?