Clarks Clownfish - 2nd attempt

I got the system online, but it's still showing some ammonia and the nitrite is pretty high yet. I've been cycling a new filter in my magnum 350, so I moved it onto the sum for the growout, that should help speed things up.

I have 24 from the second hatch, and they are looking great now...whew. Still about 50 from the latest hatch, and they are all eating well and growing quickly.

I might just get the hang of this yet. Now if I could get the phyto thing down I'd be happy!
 
Oh, if I only knew Kathy. I kept loosing probably one bottle per week, then last week, I came home Thursday, and two of my ripest cultures had crashed. Next evening, ALL of them had crashed. I'm using the methods you and Ed talk about, mix up water, 8 drops of bleach, let sit over night, dechlor., fertilize, inoculate. I have an inline air filter on my air pump, I bleach the rigid tubing that goes into the bottle everytime. I bought some chlorine test strips to ensure that I was removing all of it. I'm basically doing everything I can.

The whole system is down right now, everything but the air pump is soaking in a STRONG bleach solution. I had James start a 2 liter for me, so I'll start again from scratch and see how it goes. James couldn't kill phyto if he inoculated it with bacteria. He just rinses the old bottle with a mild bleach, rinses that out, and puts it back online with water that has never been bleached. He doesn't have an inline air filter, he doesn't clean the tubing that goes in the bottle, and the worst part, I gave him the first culture from mine!

I'm starting to think that the environment plays a significant role. My house has hard wood floor, and isn't very well insulated, his house is newer (and they keep it a few degrees colder than I do). Not to mention that his wife keeps their house spic and span, while mine, well, it's a bachelor pad....I'll leave it at that :D

He does culture in 20 oz. bottles, is it less likely to crash in smaller amounts? I'm at a loss, any ideas?
 
I would say that you are probably culturing bacteria in your f/2 bottle, but you use that to give water to James, so that's not it. He's not chlorinating, is he? Perhaps the contamination is coming from your dechlorinator. What are you using, and can you switch to a different bottle, or formulation? (I had an old bottle of chloramX in solution once, that sat too long at room temperature and started growing something green in it that poisoned my rotifers....i didn't use it for the phyto, though, so I don't know how that would react)

i don't think volume makes a difference...

HTH
 
You might have something there Kathy, I had been using an older bottle of Novaqua for the phyto water. I have a bottle of Prime that is less than a month old, I'll be sure to use that on the new batches after I start them back up. I also have new salt, new bleach, and will have a new culture to start from, so we'll see how it goes this time. It did fine for a month, then all this started. I'm using a 1.5 month old bottle of Micro Algae Grow at 1 mil per gallon (14 drops in a 2 liter).

For reference, I seem to have 2 types of contamination. Some of them take on a yellow tinge and get stringy bits floating around, while others get clear, with all of the phyto sinking to the bottom, almost looks like powdered phyto in the bottom. Once, a culture crashed with all the green going to the bottom, and then regrew into a usable culture (I didn't start a new bottle from it, but the rotifers ate it). Are either of those indicative of a known problem other than bacterial infection?
 
Got another one for you. This morning was the start of day 4 for the newest hatch. I fed them their rotifers this morning, still had about 50 fat, heaalthy, active babies at 7:30 AM. I went home for lunch, and every last one of them was dead?!? Fat, plump, dark little bodies scattered across the bottom. I'm at a complete loss this time, but I have a few ideas that might mean something to someone more experienced.

1) I fed the rotifers from a bottle of phyto that had crashed (bacteria) and then regrown to a useable level. I was careful to pour gently from the top, and nothing but liquid phyto went in the rotifers or baby tank, and i just used a tiny bit to cloud the water in the fry tank (this was yesterday morning (36 hours before the mass death).

2) I started up my system with a sump and one tank (right next to the fry). The sump had some pretty old, stagnate water in it (I had been filling it with water syphoned out for water changes (minus the gunk at the bottom of course). It is possible that tiny amounts of this water could have splashed into the fry tank. I checked the normal parameters of the water in the fry tank, and it was better than either of my previous fry tanks, not bad for a display, much less a fry tank.

The only thing out of the ordinary in the fry tank is some tan-ish stringy stuff that looks kinda like Cyano but it's nearly clear. There's a 4" string hanging off the heater, and a smaller string wrapped around the ammonia badge. I never would have even seen it if not for the die off, any ideas?

I guess I'm getting used to this stuff, I'm not terribly upset about it this time. I just looked at my other two tanks with LIVE babies, and fed them instead. I'll look at it closer when I get home, but I'm stumped!
 
jnowell,

Sorry to hear about the losses, hopefully you can pinpoint something. Glad you aren't terribly upset, you are one of the most dedicated new breeders I know and you sharing your successes and failures is critical to new people who want to try.

Steps off pep talk box. Keep at it so I can live vicariously through you, I wish I had a breeding pair of clowns and the time to raise the babies.

Brian
 
I suspect the phyto. Probably got a bacterial culture in the fry tank that took over.

Sorry for your loss, Jason. I echo Brian's statement that you are one of the most dedicated new breeders I know, and I am glad you are not too discouraged by this sudden turn of events.

How's that new hatch?
 
ps, you may want to bleach treat the tank before you use it again. Just fill with tap and 1 ml bleach per gallon. Dechlorinate next day and drain.
 
Kathy, that WAS the new hatch :( Have 3 from the first hatch (don't ask) and still about 21-23 from the second, all post meta.
 
Just a quick update, I was feeling proud because ALL of the babies (from both hatches that were successful) are still alive, and growing like weeds. I had to skip the last batch because my rotifers crashed, they are now restarted, and I am regrouping.

With everything I learned along the way, I should be pretty well prepared with the next set. My growout system is just about finished cycling, so I now have the capacity to handle things if I happen to get a bunch through!

I'm considering getting a few pairs of seahorses to try also (yes, I know that I'm insane!). I'm bored with my coral propagation tank, and just came into 2 free 55g's so the corals are going into them, and the 58g is getting setup for seahorses. At this rate, I'll have more water volume than some public aquariums :D

Also, I have to say thanks again to everyone for the support, knowledge, patience, and guidance that has gotten me this far. You guys are the best!

Jason
 
Seahorses! Now, you're talking. I'll be roadtrippin' to WF to see that! I just caught up on your threads after being absent for over a month. I actually prefer it that way...reading the entire thread and watching you go through all the ups and downs.

Great stuff, buddy. Keep up the enthusiasm. I'm really looking forward to seeing the new setups next visit.
 
Hi Jason,
I just read your post and it looks like things are moving along good for you.
I'm in a similar position as your self
I have officially attempted 8 hatches to date. But as poor as the first few were, I don't think they count.
I am currently rasing false perc.'s and have 10 juveniles with 100+ post metamorphs right behind. Also have the next hatch due in three days.
In addition I have a pair of Back Percs that I hope to have breeding within the next month.

I was wondering if you would be interested in trading some fish? Your Clarks look great and I would like to try to raise some of my own.
I'll post some pictures of the parents and kids soon. They are very hardy and nicely colored. The female almost looks like a 1/2 true 1/2 false percs. Or maybe the offspring of such an arrangement. It's hard to tell sometimes. The male is a false perc.
I'm in Denver, Colorado and travel into Texas fairly offten.
Keep it up!
I would stay away from the sea horses till you got the Clarks rolling along in automatic.
keep us posted.

Lance
 
T-Badd - You and your wife are welcome to come back anytime...but that kid of yours ;) hehe

Lance, that sounds like fun, I'd be willing to swap a batch with you anytime you're ready. You ARE talking about the black percs right? :D

I'm a glutton for punishment, I've been researching seahorse breeding since before my Clarks even layed eggs. Thanks for the thoughts on the seahorses, but holding off is not one of my strong suits :D The Clarks will be on automatic starting in about 7 days (new hatch). I skipped a few to correct some of my problems. My phyto is going well now, rotifer populations have doubled (with back up cultures to boot).

After having learned all this stuff the hard way, I really think my next set will do very well. I had over 125 through metamorphasis last time, right up until I screwed up! I have eliminated most of my "trouble areas" and expect great things from my new setup. We shall see!

The seahorses are a completely different experiment all together, completely seperate. I have two new 55g tanks sectioned off for them on a different system catering to their needs. As they grow, I will remove dividers in the 55s to spread them out when they can eat better and food densities don't have to be so high. I have a lot of expert help as well, but I know I'm in for a challenge. If this stuff was easy, I would have never tried it ;)
 
Great Jason!
I race motorcycles in Texas and I am working on my race schedule right now. It looks like some time in late April or early May, I'll let you know.

I haven't got the Black Percs. to breed yet. I bought them as a mated pair about a month ago. I think they are a little bit uncomfortable in their new home. It's like they're still looking for their area in the tank. I have them in the same 150 Gallon tank I'm breeding my false percs in. They seem to get along with the false percs surprising well. I'm working on setting up a small 30 gallon reef tank, that will probably end up being their new home.
Here's a thought, what if they cross breed, what do get, true percs?
 
I would say Halloween Percullaris. Or you could just call them Mutts! LOL

If your black percs do breed before you race near here, I'd even be willing to swap some cash and clarks or whatever works. I'm dying to get some...have a tank that would be great for a broodstock pair too, just haven't done it yet. I need to contact Rob and get that ball rolling.

Let me know!

Jason
 
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