My Black Ocellaris pair are spawning!!!
- Thread starter rkelman
- Start date
rkelman
New member
I got my 4th tank plumbed into the "System" yesterday. Its not running as I don't need it yet but its ready at least. I need to get another heater going too. I already have 350w of heater going in the sump but its barely hanging on to about 77degrees.
I bummed some Rotifers again and got my cultures going. I think they are doing pretty well. They aren't as strong as I'd like yet but I'm going to try. A note for anyone who's Rotifers crash on them.. I was able to revive the culture by running the whole culture through my Rotifer Sieve and rinsing it well in clean fresh water then putting it in a jar with some new SW and Rotifer diet. I put an airstone in it and put it in the sump and they came back. It seems its something in the water causing the problem I had.
I also got the glass lids made and I drilled the top for the return. No more dried fish laying on top of my tanks in the morning. This pic was taken before I plumbed the other tank in.
I had someone asking me on another forum how long it takes for them to go black. Soo I figured I'd put together a timeline for anyone who is interested..
I picked average fish to get pictures of. I wasn't concerned with striping as much as the overall colour.
Here's my last hatch. These guys are about 3 weeks old at this point. (I skipped one at Christmas because of lack of Rotifers)
Here's the one before. So these guys would be about 5 weeks
Here's the one before that. Probably 8 weeks old to 12 weeks
You can see the progression of the black as they are in the same tank.
Here's the big guy tank. These guys are anywhere from 3 - 6 months of age and are mostly black. Some have almost completely black faces.
I bummed some Rotifers again and got my cultures going. I think they are doing pretty well. They aren't as strong as I'd like yet but I'm going to try. A note for anyone who's Rotifers crash on them.. I was able to revive the culture by running the whole culture through my Rotifer Sieve and rinsing it well in clean fresh water then putting it in a jar with some new SW and Rotifer diet. I put an airstone in it and put it in the sump and they came back. It seems its something in the water causing the problem I had.
I also got the glass lids made and I drilled the top for the return. No more dried fish laying on top of my tanks in the morning. This pic was taken before I plumbed the other tank in.
I had someone asking me on another forum how long it takes for them to go black. Soo I figured I'd put together a timeline for anyone who is interested..
I picked average fish to get pictures of. I wasn't concerned with striping as much as the overall colour.
Here's my last hatch. These guys are about 3 weeks old at this point. (I skipped one at Christmas because of lack of Rotifers)
Here's the one before. So these guys would be about 5 weeks
Here's the one before that. Probably 8 weeks old to 12 weeks
You can see the progression of the black as they are in the same tank.
Here's the big guy tank. These guys are anywhere from 3 - 6 months of age and are mostly black. Some have almost completely black faces.
rkelman
New member
Thanks. It is a concern but there is more chance of a problem with individual tanks. A heater could go bad or water quality in one of the tanks. Unless you are testing every tank all the time its hard to control. I have a UV light I'm going to put on the system as well to help with any bacteria / parasites. Its a completely closed system so the chances of anything getting in are not good. I have a QT tank but nothing that touches the QT touches my fish system.
rkelman
New member
Here you go. I have another tank online now but I haven't had the camera down there yet. I just filled it last night. I put some Chaeto in there and put a light on it. Hopefully I can get my Chaeto growing again. I used to have to harvest it from my sump every few weeks. Now its the size of a squash ball. In that system it should grow like nuts I would think.
rEd86
Premium Member
I have a couple of questions about your setup:
1) There doesn't appear to be a lot of flow with the way you have the return set up. I'm guessing that's not a problem when you have large schools of clownfish? I was going to mount a loc-line return in my tanks but that gets costly/complicated for a lot of tanks. I like your solution better.
2) If I read your post correctly from when you accidentally cracked one of your tanks, those are 10g tanks, correct? How many clown fish do you have in one tank as they grow up to 1" in length? Do you ever have a need to split a group or do you start to sell them as they reach a size that is going to exceed the space in the tank? I am about to purchase some tanks and was considering a few 40g breeders but I'm now reconsidering after following your setup and seeing these latest posts.
Thanks!
--Ed
1) There doesn't appear to be a lot of flow with the way you have the return set up. I'm guessing that's not a problem when you have large schools of clownfish? I was going to mount a loc-line return in my tanks but that gets costly/complicated for a lot of tanks. I like your solution better.
2) If I read your post correctly from when you accidentally cracked one of your tanks, those are 10g tanks, correct? How many clown fish do you have in one tank as they grow up to 1" in length? Do you ever have a need to split a group or do you start to sell them as they reach a size that is going to exceed the space in the tank? I am about to purchase some tanks and was considering a few 40g breeders but I'm now reconsidering after following your setup and seeing these latest posts.
Thanks!
--Ed
jtreefdweller
New member
I was also wondering at what size you start selling them at?
I started selling my maroons at about 1" but they still seem kind of small.
I started selling my maroons at about 1" but they still seem kind of small.
rkelman
New member
"1) There doesn't appear to be a lot of flow with the way you have the return set up. I'm guessing that's not a problem when you have large schools of clownfish? I was going to mount a loc-line return in my tanks but that gets costly/complicated for a lot of tanks. I like your solution better."
You really don't need alot of flow.. As long as you can turn the water over enough to keep it oxygenated. My tanks aren't overstocked so I'm not concerned. If you have too much flow you could end up with fish stuck in the overflows. I don't like Loc line so I stay away from it. As well as the cost factor. They are not setup the way I would normally do it but I have no choice due to room / height constraints. I would have preferred the return to be farther back on the tanks.
"2) If I read your post correctly from when you accidentally cracked one of your tanks, those are 10g tanks, correct? How many clown fish do you have in one tank as they grow up to 1" in length? Do you ever have a need to split a group or do you start to sell them as they reach a size that is going to exceed the space in the tank? I am about to purchase some tanks and was considering a few 40g breeders but I'm now reconsidering after following your setup and seeing these latest posts.
I did crack one. They are 15g tanks. I have 3 10g on the go as well for smaller fry / larvae. I have probably 200 at least in each tank I'd say. The system could handle 400 a tank I think but I don't get the same survival rates as one would with regular Ocellaris so I can only combine so many batches before the size differential is too great.
Why 40g tanks? That is huge. Unless you are breeding a species that could yield 1000+ per hatch those tanks are way too big I think. Even split in 2 they are too big. Many only use 10g tanks even for growout. I like my 15's and would do it again.
"I was also wondering at what size you start selling them at?
I started selling my maroons at about 1" but they still seem kind of small."
I am selling them at 1 1/4" at least. LFS here want them bigger because ORA ships them at like 2". 1" is pretty small I agree. I don't think 1" is wrong just small.. I prefer to buy my fish small but they are more fragile and require a more placid tank until they grow up. I think that is especially important for a fish that is so slow and defenseless as a small Clown.
You really don't need alot of flow.. As long as you can turn the water over enough to keep it oxygenated. My tanks aren't overstocked so I'm not concerned. If you have too much flow you could end up with fish stuck in the overflows. I don't like Loc line so I stay away from it. As well as the cost factor. They are not setup the way I would normally do it but I have no choice due to room / height constraints. I would have preferred the return to be farther back on the tanks.
"2) If I read your post correctly from when you accidentally cracked one of your tanks, those are 10g tanks, correct? How many clown fish do you have in one tank as they grow up to 1" in length? Do you ever have a need to split a group or do you start to sell them as they reach a size that is going to exceed the space in the tank? I am about to purchase some tanks and was considering a few 40g breeders but I'm now reconsidering after following your setup and seeing these latest posts.
I did crack one. They are 15g tanks. I have 3 10g on the go as well for smaller fry / larvae. I have probably 200 at least in each tank I'd say. The system could handle 400 a tank I think but I don't get the same survival rates as one would with regular Ocellaris so I can only combine so many batches before the size differential is too great.
Why 40g tanks? That is huge. Unless you are breeding a species that could yield 1000+ per hatch those tanks are way too big I think. Even split in 2 they are too big. Many only use 10g tanks even for growout. I like my 15's and would do it again.
"I was also wondering at what size you start selling them at?
I started selling my maroons at about 1" but they still seem kind of small."
I am selling them at 1 1/4" at least. LFS here want them bigger because ORA ships them at like 2". 1" is pretty small I agree. I don't think 1" is wrong just small.. I prefer to buy my fish small but they are more fragile and require a more placid tank until they grow up. I think that is especially important for a fish that is so slow and defenseless as a small Clown.
rEd86
Premium Member
You're right, that is HUGE in comparison. My smallest tank is a 180g and I'm about to get a 700g so it's hard to think about all those fish in something so small! 
I am going to go with 15g tanks instead. So besides moving the overflows back, are there any other tweaks you would recommend on your setup?
Thanks!
--Ed
I am going to go with 15g tanks instead. So besides moving the overflows back, are there any other tweaks you would recommend on your setup?
Thanks!
--Ed
Did you ever figure out what happened to the 20 you sold to the fish store? Have you repeated this tragedy?
This has been a wonderful read. Thank you very much for sharing this with us.
This has been a wonderful read. Thank you very much for sharing this with us.
FB
New member
My original fish sold to a different fish store had the same fate. They were put in a system with wild caught fish and must have caught something they had no immunity to. They now go into a seperate system with fish that have been through a full quarantine and he has not lost one since.
FB
Wow, it makes perfect sense, but I never would have imagined that being such a hurdle. I guess it's true that these type of endevors have a limited market. I'm sure it's extremely rewarding though. I've been toying with the idea of getting a pair just to see what happens. I don't know what I would do with numbers like these though, I only know of a few locals that would take some.
I guess on the bright side, clownfish eggs/larvae make for good reef food!
daughertyja
New member
i just read this whole thread and i have to say it is one of the best that i have ever read thanks for all the work you put into it. how much time a day do you spend on taking care of all the babies
rkelman
New member
"Did you ever figure out what happened to the 20 you sold to the fish store? Have you repeated this tragedy?"
No I can only figure they caught something from the WC fish in his system or it was some kind of acclimation problem. I haven't had a repeat in any of my sales before or since.
"My original fish sold to a different fish store had the same fate. They were put in a system with wild caught fish and must have caught something they had no immunity to. They now go into a seperate system with fish that have been through a full quarantine and he has not lost one since."
Mine are still going into main fish systems but they are doing well. I wish I could get them on their own like you did.
"Wow, it makes perfect sense, but I never would have imagined that being such a hurdle. I guess it's true that these type of endevors have a limited market. I'm sure it's extremely rewarding though. I've been toying with the idea of getting a pair just to see what happens. I don't know what I would do with numbers like these though, I only know of a few locals that would take some.
"I guess on the bright side, clownfish eggs/larvae make for good reef food!"
There is definitely a limited market. I count myself lucky I have fish that can be hard to come by at times. Every LFS I've talked to wants them. Yes the larvae do make quite a treat for the reef.
"Awesome thread!!! Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us
Thanks. I love threads with lots of pictures so I try and post pictures fairly regularly. As well it may help a future new breeder. A few of us here kind of watch each others threads and make suggestions / work through the problems that come up. Its really helpful to us as well.
"i just read this whole thread and i have to say it is one of the best that i have ever read thanks for all the work you put into it. how much time a day do you spend on taking care of all the babies"
Thanks. I spend on average probably close to an hour or so looking after them and my main tank. Some days less some days much more. I've never really added it up. It could be closer to 2.
No I can only figure they caught something from the WC fish in his system or it was some kind of acclimation problem. I haven't had a repeat in any of my sales before or since.
"My original fish sold to a different fish store had the same fate. They were put in a system with wild caught fish and must have caught something they had no immunity to. They now go into a seperate system with fish that have been through a full quarantine and he has not lost one since."
Mine are still going into main fish systems but they are doing well. I wish I could get them on their own like you did.
"Wow, it makes perfect sense, but I never would have imagined that being such a hurdle. I guess it's true that these type of endevors have a limited market. I'm sure it's extremely rewarding though. I've been toying with the idea of getting a pair just to see what happens. I don't know what I would do with numbers like these though, I only know of a few locals that would take some.
"I guess on the bright side, clownfish eggs/larvae make for good reef food!"
There is definitely a limited market. I count myself lucky I have fish that can be hard to come by at times. Every LFS I've talked to wants them. Yes the larvae do make quite a treat for the reef.
"Awesome thread!!! Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us
Thanks. I love threads with lots of pictures so I try and post pictures fairly regularly. As well it may help a future new breeder. A few of us here kind of watch each others threads and make suggestions / work through the problems that come up. Its really helpful to us as well.
"i just read this whole thread and i have to say it is one of the best that i have ever read thanks for all the work you put into it. how much time a day do you spend on taking care of all the babies"
Thanks. I spend on average probably close to an hour or so looking after them and my main tank. Some days less some days much more. I've never really added it up. It could be closer to 2.
rkelman
New member
Well I haven't updated in a LONG time so here it goes. I've been having alot better survival rate for some reason. I haven't changed anything. I wish I could take credit for it but it must be just an egg quality thing. I'm feeding the same home made food I have been.
I had a hatch last night that took 2 days to complete. I saw them hatching Saturday night so I put some Roti diet and Rots in the tank and Sunday morning there were very few that actually hatched. They appear to have hatched out alright though this morning. Oh well it gave the rots a head start. Speaking of Rots since I started using Rotifer Diet my Rots are crazy. Its nice having an abundance of Rotifers. I'll never go back to culturing phyto again. Its just too much work when you have 2000 fish to look after.
My last batch is well over 400 survivors. Much better than the 100 to 150 I was getting. Sorry for the dirty tank but these guys are only 2 weeks old so I'm not real keen on scrubbing at the tank yet. I had an Ammonia badge go bad on me with this batch. It went for a week and no change in colour so I figured I'd test and woah there was alot of ammonia. I dropped in a sponge filter and it was gone the next day. It hasn't hurt them any. Another breeder once told me. (Ammonia doesn't kill Clownfish babies) I believe him now.
I currently have 7 tanks on the go. 4 15g that are plumbed to the system and 3 larvae tanks. (2 10's and a 15g) I may need to put the last 15g on the system at some point but the ones I needed to move out of a 10 to free it up were too small.
There are very few of these guys with the black faces after only a few months. I'm now getting very few misbars and even fewer flared gills.
Well that's about it for now. I have a 75g that I'm going to make into a sump / dsb for the system. I'll post some pics again when its done. The glass is ordered. I need a way to mechanically filter the system and run carbon. Preferably integrated into the sump. I may run a separate Phosban reactor for the carbon. The mechanical filter is my biggest concern.
I had a hatch last night that took 2 days to complete. I saw them hatching Saturday night so I put some Roti diet and Rots in the tank and Sunday morning there were very few that actually hatched. They appear to have hatched out alright though this morning. Oh well it gave the rots a head start. Speaking of Rots since I started using Rotifer Diet my Rots are crazy. Its nice having an abundance of Rotifers. I'll never go back to culturing phyto again. Its just too much work when you have 2000 fish to look after.
My last batch is well over 400 survivors. Much better than the 100 to 150 I was getting. Sorry for the dirty tank but these guys are only 2 weeks old so I'm not real keen on scrubbing at the tank yet. I had an Ammonia badge go bad on me with this batch. It went for a week and no change in colour so I figured I'd test and woah there was alot of ammonia. I dropped in a sponge filter and it was gone the next day. It hasn't hurt them any. Another breeder once told me. (Ammonia doesn't kill Clownfish babies) I believe him now.
I currently have 7 tanks on the go. 4 15g that are plumbed to the system and 3 larvae tanks. (2 10's and a 15g) I may need to put the last 15g on the system at some point but the ones I needed to move out of a 10 to free it up were too small.
There are very few of these guys with the black faces after only a few months. I'm now getting very few misbars and even fewer flared gills.
Well that's about it for now. I have a 75g that I'm going to make into a sump / dsb for the system. I'll post some pics again when its done. The glass is ordered. I need a way to mechanically filter the system and run carbon. Preferably integrated into the sump. I may run a separate Phosban reactor for the carbon. The mechanical filter is my biggest concern.
Similar threads
