clown babies dying

[lizardlady]

I have or I guess had a batch of maroon clown babies hatch out three days ago. I used the original water,(sg of 21)and did small water changes every day. I had a light turned on about seven feet above the tank. Would that affect them at all? they seemed to be doing fine until yesterday. They suddenly all died off. The rotifers that are left are doing just fine. Before I put them in this tub I disinfected it and rinsed very well. I checked the babies under the microscope and their little tummies are full of rotifers. I put just enough green water in to turn the water a slight green tinge. Anyone got any ideas? I am new at this and advice is welcome, thank you

 

[nauticac4]

Ammonia levels?
Temperature?
Flow?

If the ammonia shot up for one reason or another that might have caused it but I figure that a few would have survived. What type of water were you doing changes with?

 

[lizardlady]

I found no ammonnia, but high nitrate levels. I also checked the nanochloropsis that I put in to feed the rotifers and there is no nitrates there. I am using new water that was made up a week ago. I have a carbon filter in the replacement water tub to remove metals, etc. I did one small water change a day, about a cup full, the tank is only five gallons. The temperature is 78 and I have an airstone set at very low, just enough to keep the water moving. I can't use the original tank water because I got the eggs from a pet store. They have been kind enough to give me the eggs that their fish produce. The eggs didn't hatch for two days after I got them and only half the batch hatched. I suspect I didn't have the air flow up high enough. Also, when I did the water changes, I dripped the new water in.

 

[JHemdal]

When you say they died suddenly, how fast? What type of container are your raising them in? I once lost a batch of boarfish larva when a stray sunbeam came through the blinds and hit their tank (as the seasons changed, the light rays came under the blinds differently).

IDK - any more, if I have a batch of eggs that don't hatch on the predicted night, I don't bother with trying to raise them. Too many times I've seen a nest disturbed so that the eggs hatch a night or two later, and those fry always die for me.

Did you look on the dead fry for any signs of protozoans? I've had non-obligate parasites such as Uronema just ravage a batch of larva.


Jay

 

[lizardlady]

The fish died within 12 hours. I am raising them in a black hard plastic tub with rounded sides. It is amazing how things like stray light can be so detremental to larvae. Makes me wonder how in the world the little fellas make it in the wild. I had a 48" flourescant light about seven feet above the tank, something I was wondering, the light cycle at the pet store is different then mine. Would that have affected the hatch rate? Also, next time I will pick up extra water from the broodstock tank to do water changes just in case that was the problem. I did check for protozoans, but found nothing but rotifers. Well, I will try again, failure can be discouraging but it can be a good way to learn. I try to document everything so hopefully with time and practice I can get it right. Are you still raising fish and if so what kind? Thank you for the input,

 

[john68camaro]

A couple of things... If you are going to do water changes on the larve tank before Meta, put a few drops of ammonia blocker in the water. I use amquel.

Also you said the water in the larve tank was a slight green color? You want the water in the fry tank pretty green. Green enough so that you can not see more then 2 inches in the tank from the sides. It could be that the rotifiers they were eating were not getting fed enough nano/paste. What you described with full bellies would be the result. The fry would eat the rotifers that had no nutritional value and died due to lack of nutrition. Rotifers are only as nurtritous as what is in their gut.

 

[lizardlady]

Good to know! I will feed more algae next time. Also I will put ammonia blocker in the tank when doing water changes. thank you

 

[lizardlady]

I have since learned by trial and error that broodstock diet is everything when it comes to larvael viability! Once I got the pair home and started them on my prepared food, larvael survival rates went way up! Eggs where much brighter, batches where bigger and more tightly packed and the larvae where much more active.

 

[mwilliams62]

clown babies dying

I have since learned by trial and error that broodstock diet is everything when it comes to larvael viability! Once I got the pair home and started them on my prepared food, larvael survival rates went way up! Eggs where much brighter, batches where bigger and more tightly packed and the larvae where much more active.

What are you feeding the parents now days?

 

[GreshamH]

Rotifers are only as nurtritous as what is in their gut.

Sorry, we have dispelled that myth, its simply not true. Rotifers do pick-up nutrition.

When we did extensive testing of RotiGrow Plus, the numbers returned from the participating labs and hatcheries proved that myth to be untrue. It still gets repeated just as much as people claiming airstones/too much air knocks rotifer eggs off and should be kept to a gentle rolling. We aerate the heck out of our cultures and we produce billions.

 

[lizardlady]

What are you feeding the parents now days?

I am feeding a home made concoction made from beef heart, squid, astaxanthin powder, krill meal, algae meal, whole shrimp tails, scallops, fish roe, vitamins and minerals plus Selcon. I refrigerate all my food including my flaked foods.

 

[temper76]

Is the container food grade?? On the bottom it has a triangle arrow with a number what's the number??

 

[temper76]

Also to much rotifers + lavae =need a certain amount of oxygen so sometimes they die for not having enough air