edandsandy
Active member
Congrats! Im glad to read you have golden pearls, how do the larvae like them compared to Octomine A?
My Ocellaris breeding thread
- Thread starter ernieq
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ernieq
New member
The larvae eat both the same. The "kids" are surface feeding which is very important with these kinds of foods. I get better results with the golden pearls because they stay in the water column a bit longer, so I siphon less junk off the bottom. I alternate days feedings between the two so that's how I can tell they are eating one better than the other. They do not eat the stuff when it hits the floor, only when it is floating around. Maybe they will learn someday. When they go to grow out, I will put some sort of cleanup crew for the food that hits the bottom.
On another note, looking closely at my older ones, I see now that the pectoral fins are beginning to get the orange color, so they are almost done with their orange coloration. It's pretty cool! I also was finally able to get a good picture where I could count them. Batch 3 is 69 and Batch 4 is 110+ (some are hiding around the heater so I didn't count those as I'm not sure how many were hiding there when the picture was taken)
On another note, looking closely at my older ones, I see now that the pectoral fins are beginning to get the orange color, so they are almost done with their orange coloration. It's pretty cool! I also was finally able to get a good picture where I could count them. Batch 3 is 69 and Batch 4 is 110+ (some are hiding around the heater so I didn't count those as I'm not sure how many were hiding there when the picture was taken)
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ernieq
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Batch 3 not much change. They ate more of the Oto B2 today, but still siphon out more than 1/2 the feed. The golden pearls is eaten almost 100%, and they are close in size to OTO B2, so the amount of time it stays in the water column matters a lot here. I should note that in the pictures they look REALLY BIG, but they are at most 1/2 inch. I should put a dime in the next picture for scale.
Batch 4 Growing. I'm going to start taking away NHBS and I'll do it every other day for the next 5 days or so, then only once in a while as a treat like I do their older siblings.
Batch 6 darker eggs.
Batch 4 Growing. I'm going to start taking away NHBS and I'll do it every other day for the next 5 days or so, then only once in a while as a treat like I do their older siblings.
Batch 6 darker eggs.
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edandsandy
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Thank you so much for your updates. I look forward to reading your post everyday. Your Journal/log sheets are very informative. I enjoy seeing your photos too! It is amazing how fast these guy grow and change. Everyday I see a significant amount of changes.
Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work.
ernieq
New member
Batch 3 now gathers up in a bunch for quite a bit of the time. When they are hungry they all come up to the top poking at the bubbles. I drop some golden pearls and they devour them within a minute, then they go back to the bottom to their bunch. During tank maintenance, they huddle really close together under the sponge filter base. They swim away from the cleaning activity. The photo posted here, they are "looking up" at me. :rollface:
Batch 4 they are beginning to fight amongst themselves. There is 1 fry left that doesn't look like he is past Meta. Everybody else has at least their head stripe and most have the second stripe. They still do not huddle in groups like their older siblings. A couple of guys have adopted the water heater. They have abandoned the thermometer. During tank maintenance these guys poke at the turkey baster, much the same way the older guys used to.
Batch 6 eggs are developing nicely.
There must be some sort of bug in the forum software, whenever it gets to the bottom of the page, the pictures upload normally, but they don't display.
Batch 4 they are beginning to fight amongst themselves. There is 1 fry left that doesn't look like he is past Meta. Everybody else has at least their head stripe and most have the second stripe. They still do not huddle in groups like their older siblings. A couple of guys have adopted the water heater. They have abandoned the thermometer. During tank maintenance these guys poke at the turkey baster, much the same way the older guys used to.
Batch 6 eggs are developing nicely.
There must be some sort of bug in the forum software, whenever it gets to the bottom of the page, the pictures upload normally, but they don't display.
ernieq
New member
Batch 3 not much to report. I do note that a few of the clowns have their entire tail orange colored. Click on the picture to view video.
Batch 4 growing up fast. Bickering is more common now, some are beginning to get their tail stripe. Click on the picture to view video.
Batch 6. The eggs have been "culled" by the male. There are still quite a bit, but not as many as there were 2 days ago. Some of the eggs are beginning to get their silvery eye spots. Click picture to enlarge.
Batch 4 growing up fast. Bickering is more common now, some are beginning to get their tail stripe. Click on the picture to view video.
Batch 6. The eggs have been "culled" by the male. There are still quite a bit, but not as many as there were 2 days ago. Some of the eggs are beginning to get their silvery eye spots. Click picture to enlarge.
ernieq
New member
During this morning's feed and care routine I found a dead juvi from Batch 4. I wouldn't feel so bad except that it was probably my fault. During last night's regular cleaning, I might have been a little too daring with the turkey baster. The young ones do not yet run away from it, so sometimes I have to "nudge" them out of the way. Well last night I might have hurt him while nudging as I was trying to get to an area where there were a whole bunch of them grouped. So my first fatality from this group since 9 DPH.
A few observations on this batch. They are now congregating as a single group. In the mornings before lights on, they are all spread in little clumps all over the tank. After about 30 minutes of lights on, they all hang out together on the brighter side of the tank. Interesting to note that some that are hosted by the thermometer stay on it the longest but eventually leave to join the large group. A lot of bickering and fighting now, at least 10 to 12 pairs fighting at any given time.
I put a PVC elbow joint with Batch 3, who are now 31 DPH, and within minutes they were going in and out of it and about half the large group moved closer to it. Today I am moving the sponge filter from Batch 3 to Batch 4 as I think the power filter I put in last week should have enough bacteria colony to hold up for now. Grow out is their next step, but my overflow opennings are too big for them still, so I either wait for a bit more growth, or put some sort of screen around the overflow openings. The bickering in this group is not as prevalent as it was when they were younger. Maybe 1 or 2 pairs going at it at any given moment. Sometimes there is no fighting. I expect this to change eventually as they grow older the pecking order forms.
I am probably not going to be able to raise Batch 6, as my growout tank is not yet deployed and they are due to hatch tomorrow. So no space for them. Probably a good excuse to split my rotifer culture into a second bucket as the density of the culture is now pretty good.
A few observations on this batch. They are now congregating as a single group. In the mornings before lights on, they are all spread in little clumps all over the tank. After about 30 minutes of lights on, they all hang out together on the brighter side of the tank. Interesting to note that some that are hosted by the thermometer stay on it the longest but eventually leave to join the large group. A lot of bickering and fighting now, at least 10 to 12 pairs fighting at any given time.
I put a PVC elbow joint with Batch 3, who are now 31 DPH, and within minutes they were going in and out of it and about half the large group moved closer to it. Today I am moving the sponge filter from Batch 3 to Batch 4 as I think the power filter I put in last week should have enough bacteria colony to hold up for now. Grow out is their next step, but my overflow opennings are too big for them still, so I either wait for a bit more growth, or put some sort of screen around the overflow openings. The bickering in this group is not as prevalent as it was when they were younger. Maybe 1 or 2 pairs going at it at any given moment. Sometimes there is no fighting. I expect this to change eventually as they grow older the pecking order forms.
I am probably not going to be able to raise Batch 6, as my growout tank is not yet deployed and they are due to hatch tomorrow. So no space for them. Probably a good excuse to split my rotifer culture into a second bucket as the density of the culture is now pretty good.
edandsandy
Active member
Great write up! But sorry to hear about your one loss 
But your odds have been great up to this point... So how many do you have now??? 
I'm guessing some of the bickering will stop now since you place the elbow in the system.
Have you thought about using tulle (weding veil) from the hobby store to cover your over box?
But your odds have been great up to this point... So how many do you have now??? I'm guessing some of the bickering will stop now since you place the elbow in the system.
Have you thought about using tulle (weding veil) from the hobby store to cover your over box?
ernieq
New member
Great idea!!! I was just going to cut up a filter media sock, but the veil stuff might be easier to wrap around the overflow.
I have 69 from the Batch 3, and now 111 from Batch 4.
I took an iphone video from Batch 4 since they were all gathered in 1/2 of the tank this morning. They look very close to Batch 3 at 21 DPH, maybe 1 day behind or so. The image is click through the video, sorry for the handshake, but it's hard to hold an iphone over water without fear of a disaster. They had just finished their morning meal, you can see their bellies extended!
I have 69 from the Batch 3, and now 111 from Batch 4.
I took an iphone video from Batch 4 since they were all gathered in 1/2 of the tank this morning. They look very close to Batch 3 at 21 DPH, maybe 1 day behind or so. The image is click through the video, sorry for the handshake, but it's hard to hold an iphone over water without fear of a disaster. They had just finished their morning meal, you can see their bellies extended!
edandsandy
Active member
Your welcome
Incredible video! I can not believe how big they have gotten! Their color is amazing too, you have got a nice looking clutch there! I can see their big bellies.... LOL....
I know what you mean by holding your iPhone over water.....yikes!!!!
Incredible video! I can not believe how big they have gotten! Their color is amazing too, you have got a nice looking clutch there! I can see their big bellies.... LOL....
I know what you mean by holding your iPhone over water.....yikes!!!!
ernieq
New member
Batch 3, 31 DPH. The PVC elbow can be seen in the picture. The water is getting cloudy, I'm hoping it will clear up as the bacteria take hold in the power filter, if not, they are going to require a sooner than anticipated move into growout. I didn't move the sponge into Batch 4 waiting for the water to clear up. You can see the extent of the orange in the caudal (tail) fin on one of them.
Batch 4, 21 DPH. More bickering. They are all huddling together now. Still have the 2 or 3 that look like pre-meta. I was more careful tonight with the turkey baster. No nudging.
Batch 4, 21 DPH. More bickering. They are all huddling together now. Still have the 2 or 3 that look like pre-meta. I was more careful tonight with the turkey baster. No nudging.
ernieq
New member
Batch 3. Growing strong, not much to report. Click on the picture below to watch a video taken today. They seem more at ease with the PVC elbow joint. Water is still cloudy, but a bit less today.
Batch 4. Lost another one today. I don't know why this time, maybe he was hurt from my previous cleaning? I need to get some sort of filtration going on. I am dosing amquel plus every two days to maintain ammonia levels down and about 20% water changes every two days and about 10% daily. The video is from the side this time.
Batch 4. Lost another one today. I don't know why this time, maybe he was hurt from my previous cleaning? I need to get some sort of filtration going on. I am dosing amquel plus every two days to maintain ammonia levels down and about 20% water changes every two days and about 10% daily. The video is from the side this time.
