My Breeding attempt - Perculas:

[Lifes A Beach]

Happy Birthday!!!

Hope you have a great day! In response to some of your concerns, I don't rinse my rots. I do the same thing as you. I think you'll be okay as long as the rot water doesn't get in your larvae tank.

When I siphon the bottom, I discard this water. I wouldn't return this water to the tank. I replace the amount of water that I've siphoned out with water from my reef tank, adjusted to proper specific gravity for the fry.

In my opinion, if you only have a few fry left, I wouldn't try to keep them in a big tank like a 10 gallon. You would really have to put alot of food in that large space in order for the fry to find it. I would suggest that you use a smaller container that would be easier to manage as far as feeding, water changes, etc. If you have enough rotifers, keep feeding them at day 5. I think Day 5 is a little early to start BBS unless you don't have any rots.

I seasoned my sponge filters for 3-4 weeks in my reef tanks (I posted this same question a few months ago and this was pretty much the popular answer).

Question: Do you have enough aeration in the tank?

--Barbara

 

[maroun.c]

thanks for the info Bill will check to see if there are such programs anywhere near me.

Chris
sorry for the trouble you are facing with Ammonia. I'm wondering why can't one add a piece of LR to the tank or maybe some sand maybe in a cup and covered with a thin mesh if it's not good for the fry to get in touchwith the sand and rock for some reason?
Hope it works out and you can save some of your first atch fish.

 

[rkelman]

I rinse my Rots with a turkey baster and fresh sw. The ph of your newly mixed SW is likely lower than the tanks. At least that's been my experience. Today is day 9 definately should be on the move to BBS. I agree with Barbara 3-4 weeks is about right. You could do the LR thing depending on how strong your larvae are.. The problem with using LR mauroun.c is that it becomes just another thing for the larvae to get stuck on and die. They can get stuck on just about anything.

 

[FB]

I have a different kind of rotifer screen than most of you. It's kind of a pain to work with now that I actually have rotifers It's only about 1/2" thick.

This is what mine looks like except with a rotifer screen

I screen the rotifers and just dip the whole thing in the water until all the rotifers come off.

What kind of water are you using for your SW. Fresh, RO/DI. I have been using my RO/DI reject water. The reject water has been through the sediment and 2 carbon blocks so it's cleaner than tap water. This way I don't waste as much water either.

It could be you are getting ammonia from your source water so when you do a water change you are adding ammonia not removing it. Just a thought.

FB

 

[dazed]

Happy Birthday!!!

Hope you have a great day! In response to some of your concerns, I don't rinse my rots. I do the same thing as you. I think you'll be okay as long as the rot water doesn't get in your larvae tank.

When I siphon the bottom, I discard this water. I wouldn't return this water to the tank. I replace the amount of water that I've siphoned out with water from my reef tank, adjusted to proper specific gravity for the fry.

In my opinion, if you only have a few fry left, I wouldn't try to keep them in a big tank like a 10 gallon. You would really have to put alot of food in that large space in order for the fry to find it. I would suggest that you use a smaller container that would be easier to manage as far as feeding, water changes, etc. If you have enough rotifers, keep feeding them at day 5. I think Day 5 is a little early to start BBS unless you don't have any rots.

I seasoned my sponge filters for 3-4 weeks in my reef tanks (I posted this same question a few months ago and this was pretty much the popular answer).

Question: Do you have enough aeration in the tank?

--Barbara

Happy Birthday!!!

Thanks, stuck at the office though

When I siphon the bottom, I discard this water. I wouldn't return this water to the tank. I replace the amount of water that I've siphoned out with water from my reef tank, adjusted to proper specific gravity for the fry.

When i siphon the water out i dump it i have not been returning the water to the tank. I have been using new saltwater instead of diluting water from my reef maybe i should start doing that instead.

If it takes 3 to 4 weeks to season the sponge i have a loooong way to go.

I thought it was to soon to try and move them at all? Would that not create even more stress on them at this point?

As for the aeration in the tank i just have 1 single airstone and i have slowly turned it up over the stretch of a couple of days when it seemed like the larvae could handle it.

I just don't get it i took out so much water last night started my drip and the ammonia badge looks exactly the same this morning:rolleye1:

 

[dazed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12730111#post12730111 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maroun.c
thanks for the info Bill will check to see if there are such programs anywhere near me.

Chris
sorry for the trouble you are facing with Ammonia. I'm wondering why can't one add a piece of LR to the tank or maybe some sand maybe in a cup and covered with a thin mesh if it's not good for the fry to get in touchwith the sand and rock for some reason?
Hope it works out and you can save some of your first atch fish.

Funny you mention that i was staring at pieces of rock rubble in my sump last night and was thinking what could it hurt at this point, lol, i may still just go ahead and do that because the ammonia apparently is still there this morning. I sat last night in front of the tank watching some of the little ones spin to doom and thought i don't know how these little guys ever make it out in the wild no wonder they lay so many eggs.

I am very disappointed at this point but definitely not discouraged if this were any easy task everybody would do it

 

[dazed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12730187#post12730187 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rkelman
I rinse my Rots with a turkey baster and fresh sw. The ph of your newly mixed SW is likely lower than the tanks. At least that's been my experience. Today is day 9 definately should be on the move to BBS. I agree with Barbara 3-4 weeks is about right. You could do the LR thing depending on how strong your larvae are.. The problem with using LR mauroun.c is that it becomes just another thing for the larvae to get stuck on and die. They can get stuck on just about anything.

Ok that's one for rinsing & one for not rinsing the rotifers hmmmmm.

If the ph is lower would that not be a good thing??
Someone correct me if i am wrong but any free ammonia in the tank would be less toxic at a lower ph value then at a higher one?

I have added bbs since the start of day 5; according to the book that was an ok thing to do, i noticed that some of the larger ones were actively hunting them at that point.

If it takes that long for the sponge to be of any use i may just have to add some rock to the tank today then because the badge is still screaming at me

 

[dazed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12730890#post12730890 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FB
I have a different kind of rotifer screen than most of you. It's kind of a pain to work with now that I actually have rotifers It's only about 1/2" thick.

This is what mine looks like except with a rotifer screen

I screen the rotifers and just dip the whole thing in the water until all the rotifers come off.

What kind of water are you using for your SW. Fresh, RO/DI. I have been using my RO/DI reject water. The reject water has been through the sediment and 2 carbon blocks so it's cleaner than tap water. This way I don't waste as much water either.

It could be you are getting ammonia from your source water so when you do a water change you are adding ammonia not removing it. Just a thought.

FB

FB;
I have been using fresh RO/DI water.

I had not thought of using the reject water from the system maybe i will start to use that.

I just don't understand what is going on, I have done water changes i have added amquel and the badge does not budge. This morning i lost another 10.

So i think i have about 10 of them left; bummer bummer......

 

[Lifes A Beach]

Have you tried testing the water with a test kit? Maybe the alert badge is defective??? Are you testing the water before you add it to your fry tank? The problem with using Amquel is that it will give you a false reading on testing (see the explanation on the bottle). Sounds like you've tried alot of different things to lower the ammonia and still no luck.

--Barbara

 

[Lifes A Beach]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12729495#post12729495 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dazed
I don't like changing all of this water either but i don't know what else to do. i have been siphoning the bottom and returning all water via the drip method to the tank. I have been using new mixed saltwater as well maybe the ph value of it is to high and is causing the ammonia to become more toxic.

Sorry, I guess I misinterpreted what you were saying above. It sounded like you were returning the siphon water to the tank and using new saltwater as well. I was confused!

--Barbara

 

[dazed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12732803#post12732803 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lifes A Beach
Have you tried testing the water with a test kit? Maybe the alert badge is defective??? Are you testing the water before you add it to your fry tank? The problem with using Amquel is that it will give you a false reading on testing (see the explanation on the bottle). Sounds like you've tried alot of different things to lower the ammonia and still no luck.

--Barbara

Yes last night i tested the water with a test kit and it turned lime neon green in no time at all (no need to wait the 5min.), i don't think the badge is defective as it has been showing somewhere between "alert" & "alarm" and i figured that the higher reading from the test kit was due to the interference from the amquel.

Yes i have tested the water going into the tank and it shows no ammonia.

Yes i have tried what i can and still do not see the light at the end of the tunnel. Last night i removed all but a gallon of water from the tank and started replacing it with (new) water drastic yes but i was at my wit's end lol. I plan to continue dripping water into the tank until there is about 6g total or until there is no more life in the tank..

I checked on them again at lunchtime and i lost 3 more..

I may be kidding myself but it looks to me like the badge is starting to come down.

 

[dazed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12732874#post12732874 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lifes A Beach
Sorry, I guess I misinterpreted what you were saying above. It sounded like you were returning the siphon water to the tank and using new saltwater as well. I was confused!

--Barbara

i just re-read what i had typed and can see that it was not worded very well my apologizes for the confusion.

and thank you for your help & suggestions.

 

[FB]

Wilkerson's books talks about the relationship between PH and the toxicity of ammonia. I know she talks about not doing a water change if your ph is already low. As a last resort you could try and slowly lower your PH. This would lower the toxicity of the ammonia. Also remember that if the water you are adding is of a higher PH you are actaully making it more toxic.

FB

 

[billsreef]

Do you have live phyto in the tank?

 

[dazed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12733609#post12733609 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FB
Wilkerson's books talks about the relationship between PH and the toxicity of ammonia. I know she talks about not doing a water change if your ph is already low. As a last resort you could try and slowly lower your PH. This would lower the toxicity of the ammonia. Also remember that if the water you are adding is of a higher PH you are actaully making it more toxic.

FB

FB; i just finished reading that section again and i think that might be the issue. I may have been doing more harm than good......:rollface:

 

[dazed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12733708#post12733708 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by billsreef
Do you have live phyto in the tank?

yes as far as i know i do i have been bubbling away and harvesting on the 7th day.

after placing my initial rotifer's in the tank the population exploded i think i had more rot's in my larvae tank then in my culture tanks...

i have been adding phyto since they hatched.

 

[billsreef]

How's the color of the water?

 

[dazed]

green lol; i have been adding some in the morning to the larvae tank and some to my 2 rotifer cultures as well; i repeat again at night if the tanks water looks clear.

there was some sediment of algae in the larvae tank and there is definitely settlement in my rotifer culture tanks is that of any concern?

I had thought that the greenwater (phyto) was suppose to help with the ammonia is that true?

 

[billsreef]

Usually green water does help with ammonia. If it's clearing out in the tank, might need to use more. With the sediment, it's definitely good to siphon that out of the larvae tank, not a big deal in the rot cultures.

 

[jmadison]

Still got any little swimmers?