My Breeding attempt - Perculas:

[jmadison]

Man o Man, maybe you should sit next to your tank and never leave it, just to be safe. is the nem ok?

 

[rkelman]

Touch wood / Throw salt over your left shoulder.... Stay away from me unlucky one!

 

[subman719]

Dazed- you said your eggs were laid on the 15th and some were still orange. Mine were also laid on the 15th and all changed color in just under two days. Does that mean this could be a very viable batch? If so, I better start sitting next to my tank with night vision goggles and a big net!

BTW... Please don't breathe on me... I have enough of my own "bad luck" thank you!!! LOL

 

[rkelman]

Lol. That sounds like normal coloring progression subman. Get your goggles out. No net though...

 

[subman719]

NO net? What about my "larvae catcher"? What are other "safe" options?

 

[rkelman]

I'd use a larvae catcher of some type or a bowl and a pail. <-- that's what I did. Nets are way to hard on them.

 

[subman719]

Thanks! This time I'll make sure my larvae catcher is safer and more effective. I'll also try to mainly rely on the bowl and pail.

 

[MYDRAAL]

Definitely no net. I just realized my clowns laid theirs on the 15th as well. I'll let you guys get the first two strikes and I'll jump in there to hit the grand slam:lol: . I think I have a pretty good clutch going 1000+ ,hopefully the changes I've made will give me a better success story this time around. They should start hatching out on the 22nd.

 

[MYDRAAL]

BTW dazed how's the nem? Did it get damaged when the rock fell?

 

[dazed]

The bta is fine it has been through much worse than just sitting upside down for a while

What ever swept through my reef has dare i say seemed to have stopped; i still have some corals that show damage but i am hopeful that they will be able to recover.

After losing the last batch of eggs i decided to try the tile method again so i placed it in last night in her normal nest site and will have to wait and see; she did seem disturbed by the tile but nothing like last time around when she was dead set on moving it away from her.

 

[dazed]

How long do we need to wait until we can move the larvae from one tank to another??

I do not have my notes in front of me here at the office but they are over 50 days old now.
I still have them in the same tank from the start (5g) i just kind of transitioned from larvae tank to growout tank.

I am thinking i might want to move them into a nice clean 5g tank of course i would take as much of the water that they are in right now as well as the sponge filter.

 

[rkelman]

I generally move mine at about 4 weeks. At 50 days no problem. I use a container still at that stage no nets.

 

[dazed]

Thanks; now all i have to do is get the nerve up to mess with them

 

[dazed]

Just a quick update for me: My 8 little survivors seem to be doing well; over the weekend i finally did see them start "arguing over" space or items; it was quite comical to watch i must say. The only downside is i did notice that one of them is now missing part of his tail but hopefully that will grow back.

They are over 60 days old now and still only 1 headstripe; but they do have some black starting to show up on the front fins; i have been feeding them the otohime A and on occasion some bbs.

 

[jbrinker]

I just finished reading through this whole thread for the second time. PHEW! I have to say 'thank you' to dazed for continuing to post your progress, lessons learned, and pictures!

I just had my false-percs spawn a couple weeks ago, and read everything I could find - and rushed to order everything I thought I would need. Predictably the rotifers and phyto crashed, and the eggs never hatched.

I am now starting over, and gearing up for the next batch (I hope).

If you have a few minutes, I wondered if you would consider compiling a list of "lessons learned" for the rest of us who are just trying to get started? I re-read the whole thread again, and I can see a few places where you appear to have worked things out, and/or decided to do things differently.

I'll even try to help out, here's what I have compiled from this thread so far (please add and/or correct):

- Try to get clowns to lay on an unglazed tile, so it can be removed to the rearing tank.
- In lieu of the tile, or if they lay somewhere else, use a "fry catcher" to gather them.
- Use a small tank (5 gal) for rearing tank.
- "Season" the rearing tank ahead of time, and "Season" a sponge filter. (Inoculate with beneficial bacteria/cycle)
- Raise a lot of rotifers ahead of time, and have at least 2 stable cultures going. (What SG/temp/pH do you find works best for the rots? Do you use ChloramX?)
- Raise lots of Phyto (nano) ahead of time. (Or do you now use strictly Instant Algae?)
- Add nano and rots as soon as the fry hatch. Monitor pH and ammonia daily in the fry tank.
- Water Changes - what have you found to work best?
- Add the sponge filter after meta? Or before?
- Keep the rot density high for the first week(?) and start feeding freshly hatched brine shrimp about day(?)

I suppose I will be happy if I can just get that far - hatched and eating!

I just ordered new cultures from Florida Aqua Farms (nano and rots). Hopefully I can get those rolling before the next eggs are laid.

Thanks again for all the info!!
Jeff

 

[dazed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13455265#post13455265 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jbrinker

If you have a few minutes, I wondered if you would consider compiling a list of "lessons learned"

Sure; scrub the whole idea of trying to raise clownfish, grab yourself a beer and read/live vicariously through Fb, rkelman & agsansoo threads and save yourself the hardship

ok so yes i was kidding; I must say that if you compiled all of that from my thread that's pretty good, (imo) and was the reason i originally started this thread. I read and re-read their threads as well and decided to jump in and give it a try. Even with all of the ups and downs that i have been through so far while attempting to raise the fry for me it all melted away the first day i saw my first headstripe on them.

-tile or fry catcher either will work/ both have their drawbacks as well; i have pulled the tile out to early and have had poor results because of it, improper bubble flow/rate same thing. With the fry catcher the larvae are with the dad (who knows best imo) for the longest amount of time but if you miss the hatch night or the flow is to strong during the capturing poor results will follow.

-For the rotifers i keep mine @ 1.020 sg i know they reproduce better at lower sg's but my perc's are in my reef @ 1.026 and since the rot's can not handle a change in sg of more than .007 at a time or they will go into shock and die i have to keep my rot's at a higher level then i would like, if your pair is in there own tank you can avoid this issue. Yes 2 or more cultures are good to have going in case something happens to one of them; or in my case so i can pull rot's from one culture one day and another the next giving them time to reproduce.

-due to work, life, etc. i stopped growing phyto and just use the ia. no more bubbling/splitting/writing down dates/crashing/cleaning tubes, etc. etc.

-ChloramX yes i use it for my rot water as well as the larvae tank
-water changes as often as possible for me except during meta. i left them alone.
-sponge filter after meta.
-i had better luck with live rot's rather than the rotifer cysts
-even if you don't think you have the food for them etc. go through the motions you will learn something new each time you do.

all of this typing and i have managed to miss the last 5 batches i think due to various different reasons, lol live and learn.

 

[rkelman]

"Sure; scrub the whole idea of trying to raise clownfish, grab yourself a beer and read/live vicariously through Fb, rkelman & agsansoo threads and save yourself the hardship"

ROFL

 

[subman719]

I may have to agree with the "scrub the whole idea of trying to raise clownfish" thing! My wife:furious: wants to throw me and the fish tank on the curb! :sad2:

 

[agsansoo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13466906#post13466906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rkelman
"Sure; scrub the whole idea of trying to raise clownfish, grab yourself a beer and read/live vicariously through Fb, rkelman & agsansoo threads and save yourself the hardship"

ROFL

:lol: :lol: :lol:
You should also add ..."save yourself the hardship & $ MONEY $"

 

[dazed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13466906#post13466906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rkelman
"Sure; scrub the whole idea of trying to raise clownfish, grab yourself a beer and read/live vicariously through Fb, rkelman & agsansoo threads and save yourself the hardship"

ROFL

Cheers :beer: lol