Green Mandarin breeding

[Aww7979]

Hello, for the last few weeks my pair of Green Mandarin have been going through the paces of their spawning ritual. They seem to only be doing it after lights out (I was anticipating them doing it during dusk phase) so my intrusion with a flashlight may have been ruining the mood. I have not seen the spawning event nor has the female's belly gotten any smaller. I've read that she will release eggs again and again, but for how long? Could it be possible that they haven't spawned yet and are just courting? I have some video, but haven't figured how to post them.

I'm not planning on trying to rear their offspring, at least not yet. I'd like to see them go through this spawning phase so I can observe and be ready for the next event. I've also read that having multiple pairs or at least a pair of females may increase the spawning regularity and the amount of eggs released.

Like everything else, I'd like to hear about it from every angle then do what I think is best.

 

[bda614]

Any chance of video of the ritual?

 

[bda614]

Did you get them as a pair or pair them yourself?

 

[Aww7979]

I paired them. The female is about half the size as the male. I'll try to upload the video to you tube and then add the link.

 

[Anemone12]

They are know to spawn twice in one night every 2 moths. They also lay in the water cloumm so it can be very hard to collect the eggs.

 

[Aww7979]

Mandarins on display.

http://youtu.be/ti-q2NLmtzc

 

[Aww7979]

Well, tonight I witnessed a spawning. I saw them rise slowly then she released 5 or 6 eggs. I was not able to get it on video. Unfortunately I only saw them rise the one time.

 

[RossTheReefer]

Do you have a simulated sunset? Lighting plays a huge factor in their spawning.

 

[Paul B]

My blue mandarins seem to spawn every two months or so but only early in the morning just as the lights come on. I never raised them as it would be imposable to find the eggs.

 

[RossTheReefer]

I think to successfully collect the eggs you need to house them in a tank made specifically for that. Matthew whittenrich writes about it a bit in his breeding book in the pelagic spawning section.

 

[RossTheReefer]

Also you can definately get them to spawn wayyy more often if your lighting has gradual changes, stress is low, and they are well fed

 

[DJ_Kelley]

This is something I am definitely going to have to try to do.

 

[stevef22]

following along.....

 

[mighties_keeper]

Way cool picture of your pair of mandarins.

 

[snorvich]

Do you have a simulated sunset? Lighting plays a huge factor in their spawning.

With my LED simulating sunset and dusk, mine spawn just before total darkness.

 

[Paul B]

Mine spawn just after National Geographic specials.

 

[GreshamH]

With my LED simulating sunset and dusk, mine spawn just before total darkness.

mine always spawned around the same time as well, just before total darkness. Ditto with them in the wild.