Inducing spawning in jawfish?

[Pea-brain]

Hey, can anyone tell me how to get my yellow headed jawfish to spawn? I have (what I think is) a pair in my tank, and I'd love to get them to start spawning. I want a try at raising the babies. I read somewhere to increase the photoperiod to a 14 hour day. I've done this, but what else can I do? Also, any idea what first foods would be best? I'm thinking rotifiers, but I don't have any cultures or experience with them. I'm thinking of just ordering some wild plankton from aquaculturestore.com . Every success story raising them I've found used wild plankton. Tips please? thanks.

Dan

 

["Umm fish?"]

Feed 'em. Lots.

I think Martin Moe just raised some yellowheads. From what I recall, he used sorted wild plankton.

 

[Pea-brain]

OK, I can feed them lol. Isn't Martin Moe a regular here? The larger of the pair is becoming more active and eating well finally, but the smaller one hogs all the food...Too bad they're so afraid of the turkey baster :sigh: .....Can anyone give me an idea what micron size screen I should use to sift through the plankton? Thanks!

Dan

 

[FMarini]

Dan- Martin isn't a regular here. He pops in from time-to-time.
Thats said- please do a search you'll see his photos and a breedng log.
Anyway jawfish do spawn regularly in captivity, males mouth brood, and the fry wil require some sort of plankton, which one- don't know, but Martin collects from the wild. Are you near water?

 

[tcmfish]

The best way to get them to spawn is to keep a group. They feel more comfortable this way. If you get a 40 breeder and keep 6-8 or them in there with about 6 inches of rubble and sand to make burrows and tunnels in. Feed them a lot too.

Rotifers should be used as a first food and kept at a density of 10/mL. Then at about the 9th day newly hatched Artemia can be used. About day 15 they will start to resemble adults but they shouldn't be moved until they can eat a varried diet. Make sure there is a lid on the grow out tank and use PVC for caves so they don't have to make there own its less stressful.

Good Luck.

 

[Pea-brain]

Pretty far from anything but a lake, which makes this a bit difficult. I saw the log with the pictures of the babies after they settled and start digging. Pretty cool. Unfortunately I don't have the room to set up a dedicated 40 or the money for the livestock and equipment needed. I do have a 30 long acrylic that I'm not using but not nearly enough money for rock, filtration, sand deep enough, powerheads etc. But I do have some local people cultering greenwater and rotifiers, and the second of my 3 ten gallons close to empty, and I could slow the flow down and use some netting to make it baby safe, or pull it out of the system entirely to raise the babies (Which would be better since I don't want the foods to go over the overflow).

So I figured that if I could get my 2 to spawn I might be able to order wild plankton and use a plankton screen of the appropriate size, or culture my own food. Honestly I'm not entirely sure they are a M/F pair, but they were sent together and their burrows are connected, and I haven't seen any agression. Too bad they are so difficult to sex....

Dan

 

[tcmfish]

A lot of times if you get a group and put them together you will usually get a pair and then the pair will share a burrow so just them being connected may not mean they are a pair but who knows. If they spawn I would suggest culturing your own. I doubt you will be able to collect enough wild plankton consistently to keep them well enough fed.

If you have a 30 long you could use that all you need is a hang on the back filter like an aquaclear 70 or so. Then gravel and fish and water. But hopefully yours will spawn soon so you won't have to setup another tank.