Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) Breeding Log!
- Thread starter mwp
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mwp
In Memoriam
OK, I'm back, got home around 8:30 pm Sunday. RENEE did a PHENOMENAL JOB! We have at the very least 5 (FIVE) baby mandarins with eyes. At least one is doing EXTREMELY well with a big fat gut. I'm hesitant to pull any out to take pictures - So far the only larvae I've been able to locate are the ones in the kriesel! More soon!
Matt
Matt
mwp
In Memoriam
Well, it's 5-8-06 - 8:45 AM...I can now find only 3 babies in the kriesel. I'm sticking with the feeding regiment I laid out as it *kinda* seems to be working - one of the mandarins is just chompin' away at the sides of the kriesel!
HMM...I was pretty confident yesterday, but if we keep losing larvae this may all be over real soon. I guess we still need more luck???
MP
HMM...I was pretty confident yesterday, but if we keep losing larvae this may all be over real soon. I guess we still need more luck???
MP
OldmillXxX
Premium Member
Hang in there buddy! You are still accomlishing a lot despite losing fry. Superb effort in dedication. I cannot wait to see the success rate climb with each and every spawn!
jnowell
New member
Yeah Matt, 5 days with developed eyes is a BIG step, way to go man!
I recall you said you were running your kreisel air only right? Once the fry start eating, you should really consider setting up water also. I had a HUGE hang on filter on the ten gallon, and about twice a day I would turn the water on and flush the fish bowl out with new water. Then the dirty water would get filtered in the 10g where the high flow didn't matter. I have to guess that the mortalities of fry with fat bellies has got to be a water quality thing, maybe they require incredibly pristine conditions? Are you enriching the rotifers?
At any rate, this is awesome! Keep it up, you of all people know that it gets better with every spawn
I recall you said you were running your kreisel air only right? Once the fry start eating, you should really consider setting up water also. I had a HUGE hang on filter on the ten gallon, and about twice a day I would turn the water on and flush the fish bowl out with new water. Then the dirty water would get filtered in the 10g where the high flow didn't matter. I have to guess that the mortalities of fry with fat bellies has got to be a water quality thing, maybe they require incredibly pristine conditions? Are you enriching the rotifers?
At any rate, this is awesome! Keep it up, you of all people know that it gets better with every spawn
ricordiaking
Premium Member
Nice thread,congrats on the success. Alot to read in one sitting, more pics please.
My psychadelic manderins spawned last night (second time I have ever seen eggs released) - I was not fast enough to catch any of the eggs before the clowns devoured them, but this thread has given me lots of good info, and hopefully next time (they tend to spawn or atleast do the dance every 3-4 days) I will be ready, and try out my seahorse kreisel for these guys.
Good luck with the remaining two, anything more than keeping the adults alive is a feet, so keeping fry alive only 5 days is an acheivement.
Mark
Good luck with the remaining two, anything more than keeping the adults alive is a feet, so keeping fry alive only 5 days is an acheivement.
Mark
jnowell
New member
2 at 5 days is still great Matt, I never would have thought my cheapo-simple kreisel setup would have an impact. Don't give up on them, their easier to take care of in smaller numbers....look at Nicole with Lad, most died within a week, but one made it all the way. My first clownfish success was the same way, all died by day 3 except one, I still have him.....
Those two are no doubt the strongest, best eating, most likely to survive of the whole batch, never forget that...and congrats again!
Jason
Those two are no doubt the strongest, best eating, most likely to survive of the whole batch, never forget that...and congrats again!
Jason
mwp
In Memoriam
5-9-06 - Good words of wisdom Jason! It's 9:20 AM and we still have 2 Mandarin larvae in the kriesel. The water is starting to look like a ROTIFER CULTURE though...simply tons of rotifers swimming around in there. I can't say I've seen many copepods in there; either my rotifer/copepod co-cultures are giving out (on the copepod side) or the mandarins are indeed getting all the little copepods before they grow up!
I'm leaning towards ceassation of adding in strained foods at this point considering there is so much in there, and only adding my "mandarin phyto mix" going forward for a week or so. What do you guys think?
MP
I'm leaning towards ceassation of adding in strained foods at this point considering there is so much in there, and only adding my "mandarin phyto mix" going forward for a week or so. What do you guys think?
MP
mwp
In Memoriam
Mark - GOOD LUCK! Go for it, definitely go for it! My advice would be to turn off all the pumps when the lights go out and then wait...shouldn't take too long. If they're spawning with the lights on, turn them out 30 minutes earlier maybe. While I still have the two larvae, I'm eagerly awaiting the next spawn which should be soon!
MP
MP
mwp
In Memoriam
A couple more questions that some more experienced breeders might have input on:
1. What do you guys think about dosing with reef plus in the larval tank?
2. With the mandarin larvae still in the kriesel for now, I'm contemplating adding in the larval Apogon leptacanthus I'm expecting in a few days. Eventually the mandarins will have to come out of the kriesel, probably around settlement (if they make it) but would there be any big downside to adding in more fish larvae in the rest of the 10 gallon tank?
MP
1. What do you guys think about dosing with reef plus in the larval tank?
2. With the mandarin larvae still in the kriesel for now, I'm contemplating adding in the larval Apogon leptacanthus I'm expecting in a few days. Eventually the mandarins will have to come out of the kriesel, probably around settlement (if they make it) but would there be any big downside to adding in more fish larvae in the rest of the 10 gallon tank?
MP
jnowell
New member
Matt - I'd almost think about trying to remove some of the rotifers, if you get them too dense, they will foul the water pretty quickly.
My sorta-educated guesses on the questions:
1) Reef Plus probably wouldn't help the larvae much, and might cause a pH spike...use very sparingly if you do.
2) Other than stepping up the required water changes, I think it would be OK, but I'd like to hear from Dman, RSman, Edgar or the likes too.
My sorta-educated guesses on the questions:
1) Reef Plus probably wouldn't help the larvae much, and might cause a pH spike...use very sparingly if you do.
2) Other than stepping up the required water changes, I think it would be OK, but I'd like to hear from Dman, RSman, Edgar or the likes too.
mwp
In Memoriam
Well, it's 12:45 PM - one of the larvae seems to have escaped the kriesel and is swimming around the main tank. They got a 3 gallon water change and 5 "basters" of the mandarin phyto mix, but no new rotifers/copepods this morning. I'm going to try to gauge things again this afternoon/evening and see where we're at.
MP
MP
mwp
In Memoriam
Mandarin "Fry" at 133 hours (5.5 days) post spawn
Mandarin "Fry" at 133 hours (5.5 days) post spawn
So, with only 2 mandarin larvae left (at least that I can find) the on in the kriesel is just kinda floating around...I thought he was dead so I sucked him out to examine at 10X and nope...it's definitely alive still. Talk about a HUGE mouth relative to body size, all bucket shaped, ready for eating!
Here's a picture as of 1:00 PM today, the adult rotifer next to him gives you some idea of scale:
I think, after seeing what the rotifer looks like next to the larvae, I'm going to continue seiving my cultures a bit longer to make sure these guys get enough tiny food...this larvae didn't look very "fat" to me.
MP
Mandarin "Fry" at 133 hours (5.5 days) post spawn
So, with only 2 mandarin larvae left (at least that I can find) the on in the kriesel is just kinda floating around...I thought he was dead so I sucked him out to examine at 10X and nope...it's definitely alive still. Talk about a HUGE mouth relative to body size, all bucket shaped, ready for eating!
Here's a picture as of 1:00 PM today, the adult rotifer next to him gives you some idea of scale:
I think, after seeing what the rotifer looks like next to the larvae, I'm going to continue seiving my cultures a bit longer to make sure these guys get enough tiny food...this larvae didn't look very "fat" to me.
MP
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