Our first attempt at raising Perculas

[edandsandy]

Very exciting stuff! I love reading about all of the breeders on here! I feel very ready (minus the actual goods and tank space) to take on babies if my clowns every get to it. Thank you for your info!

Thank you,
I have learned to much reading all these threads and asking as many questions as I could think of..... And finding answers to questions I didn't even think of!

 

[edandsandy]

Congrats on the Banggai babies as well! You must be one busy lady with so many fry to look after, plus rotifer cultivating and brine shrimp hatching. Do you do your own algae as well? I really do miss all that fun and have been feeding my parent clowns 4-5 times a day trying to get them to spawn again. Post some pictures soon. : )
~Jo

Hey Jo!
Yes it was a super busy day today in the fish room. But the hard work is so rewarding. No, I don't grow my algae... I found RG Complete and I've been very pleased with the product.

I'm sure with your hard work, you'll have those clowns spawning soon
I will post a video of all the babies tomorrow. The Banggais are hanging in there. It is so interesting seeing this group with the large yolk sack. They are just hanging out on the bottom in a group in the nursery.

 

[edandsandy]

18 dph, This morning before the lights were on the juvi's I noticed they were all in ball in the corner of the tank. Super cute!
There seem to be some aggressive and dominance behavior in the faster growing juvi's....
This is normal behavior from what I have read.
This morning I fed the a combination of Octomine A and B1 since there is such a size differance in the group. After an hour I cleand the bottom of the tank and replaced 1g of water. I offered some BBS again this morning and of course, they went NUTS and ate every one of them...
I haven't lost any fry since day 14.

I took a short video of the juvi's, batch 2 eggs and picture of the new Banggai this morning

Yesterdays birth of the Banggai

This morning, as you can see they still have the yolk sack.. It is half the size of yesterday's so I offered them rotifers, they didn't seem to interested, but then when I feed BBS, they started swimming to eat them.. It is difficult for them to swim with the large yolk sack

Batch 2 eggs

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/...379809FA-595-0000006B61D3A090_zpsdd906cc3.mp4


Juvi's
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/...ABA7523F-595-0000006CA007446A_zps1e6bf156.mp4

Hope you enjoy!

 

[edandsandy]

I still haven't figured out which link to use to post a video from photo bucket..
is it
direct
html
or img

I know img post the pictures on the forum, any advise????

 

[ernieq]

Your fry tanks are spotless!!! Those Bangaiis are way cool!!! I "NEED" to get into Bangaii Cardinals!!!

For the videos I use Full size from Images for bulletin boards. Here are your little guys.

 

[edandsandy]

Thanks ernieq for posting the video for me... I have been taking pictures and video with my iPhone and using the photo bucket app to upload them. I tired to use the web site to load the pictures and videos with no luck.... I guess its all the app has to offer.....

On the fry tanks... the Banggai nursery are always cleaned before I store them for the next batch... And I usually take pictures or videos after I clean the tanks....:lol:
Raising Banggai's are way easier to raise than clowns.... just my 2 cents....

I do have a question for you reguarding the sponge filter... I haven't read to much information on them... I have the air regulated so it just bubbles over the top keeping the water surface moving....

How are you supposed to clean the sponge.... daily?
Just remove it from the tank and squeeze it?
rinse with tap water or salt water?

 

[ernieq]

Sponge filter. I clean them once a week, you just need to keep it from being clogged. Also clean with saltwater. You can just use dirty water from a water change, you just want to squeeze it to get rid of the gunk on it. Never use tap water, you will kill the bacteria on it. I run mine with a pretty strong bubble flow so the sponge circulates more water through it's surface.

 

[edandsandy]

Sponge filter. I clean them once a week, you just need to keep it from being clogged. Also clean with saltwater. You can just use dirty water from a water change, you just want to squeeze it to get rid of the gunk on it. Never use tap water, you will kill the bacteria on it. I run mine with a pretty strong bubble flow so the sponge circulates more water through it's surface.

Thanks again!

19 dph, all the juvil's have their first head stripe now, 1/2 of them have their mid body bar opaque white and caudal bar beginning, and the dark band on their pelvic is visible now. about 1/4 of them now have all three body bars and are opaque and fully developed.

today's video


http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/...ABA7523F-595-0000006CA007446A_zps1e6bf156.mp4

and a video of the sponge filter in action.... does this look ok???

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/...A8C91B6-1309-000000FEEFFE80B5_zps42a8b40e.mp4

a couple of question for those of you using a clay pot for your breeding pair.
What size pots are your using?
Did you soak it in tap water,then ro/di and how long?

I have a pair of mated Sanjay photons and they used to spawn in his tank in a clay pot... I have had them almost a month now and have seen no signs of them spawning... I know it will take some time before they spawn again, but I'm just
trying everything I can think of to encourage them... PLUS, it appears to be easier to remove the clay pot on hatch night, than shutting down my tank for 3-4 hours to collect the fry......

 

[Sport507]

Sandy, your videos are really good and your fry look happy and healthy. Great feeling isn't it?:thumbsup: As for the clay pot I use a 4-1/2" measured across the top. Just rinse it in really hot water and drop it in. It will bubble for a short time but will not hurt anything.

I hatched 4 spawns in a row and have shut down for a break. Unless the market for Mocha/Photons clowns pick up in my area I will not be raising anymore. Next project for me is Black Ice, it's not going to be soon though because I don't even have any yet.:lol:

 

[edandsandy]

Sandy, your videos are really good and your fry look happy and healthy. Great feeling isn't it?:thumbsup: As for the clay pot I use a 4-1/2" measured across the top. Just rinse it in really hot water and drop it in. It will bubble for a short time but will not hurt anything.

I hatched 4 spawns in a row and have shut down for a break. Unless the market for Mocha/Photons clowns pick up in my area I will not be raising anymore. Next project for me is Black Ice, it's not going to be soon though because I don't even have any yet.:lol:

Thanks Sport!
Thats the size I purchased, .49 cents!!!!! What a bargain.... yes, it's a good feeling :celeb3:
I LOVE the black ice and the blacker ice! That's what I was planning to purchase, when I stumbled upon Sanjay's pair of photons....
Do you have a pair of Sanjay's photons?
They are SWEET looking!

Have you seen Booyahas Clown Fish? They are really beautiful!

You better hurry up and buy a pair before the market get saturated again....

 

[Sport507]

I looked up the Sanjay's photons online and they don't look any different that my pair. I know they are a cross between the blacks, ocellaris, and percula's. Please post a pic of your pair so we can compare notes. Some of my young clowns have the bright yellow eyes that look like percula's eyes.

Yes I know Mitch from Booyahas, I met him at the Indy frag swap last May. I almost pick up a pair then but was already up to my eyes in clowns. I showed Mitch my spawning thread on this site and he thought my pair was photons.

 

[edandsandy]

I looked up the Sanjay's photons online and they don't look any different that my pair. I know they are a cross between the blacks, ocellaris, and percula's. Please post a pic of your pair so we can compare notes. Some of my young clowns have the bright yellow eyes that look like percula's eyes.

Yes I know Mitch from Booyahas, I met him at the Indy frag swap last May. I almost pick up a pair then but was already up to my eyes in clowns. I showed Mitch my spawning thread on this site and he thought my pair was photons.

Sorry for the delay...
Yes, they are similar because of the cross breeding. I will post some photos this afternoon.... I'm very pleased with my pair...They are unique to me...:spin1: I added the clay pot to my main tank for them, they haven't even seen it yet....I named them Lucy and Ricky.... Ricky has grown since I've owned them... Hope they don't change sex.....:thumbdown:thumbdown:

I met Mitch at the TBRC recently, he is a super nice guy... Gave me the confidence I needed to start raising my clown fish larvae... Thank goodness Ed was listening to Mitch giving me some tips!

22 dph, There was a lot of pickering going on in the tank. So we had a few pieces of 2" PVC tees that we made a tower of curing, I decided to place them in the tank. So far so good, It has helped some with the pickering... They can really "fight" at this age... In the morning, before the lights are on, I notice them in a "big" ball in the corner of their tank. So cute so see them huddling together... I thought they would sleep in the tees..... They swim in and around the tee's all day... so cute.....:fish2:

Batch 2 is due tomorrow night. So it looks like I'm going to have my hands full....

I need to reorganize my fish room to make room for all the extra tanks...
Anyone want to help? lol.....

 

[Sport507]

Thanks Sport!
Thats the size I purchased, .49 cents!!!!! What a bargain.... yes, it's a good feeling :celeb3:
I LOVE the black ice and the blacker ice! That's what I was planning to purchase, when I stumbled upon Sanjay's pair of photons....
Do you have a pair of Sanjay's photons?
They are SWEET looking!

Have you seen Booyahas Clown Fish? They are really beautiful!
You better hurry up and buy a pair before the market get saturated again....

Are these what you are talking about?

http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums...ns/?action=view&current=NewBlackIceClowns.mp4

 

[edandsandy]

Hey Sport,
You know I'm no expert at guessing what is what, sorry..I really wish I was better at it..

This is my pair of black ice from SA

This is my pair from Sanjay

My batch 2 is not looking so good.... My male has been tending the nest more than I have ever seen. I've had the lights off for about an hour and only a few are in the colloctor..
I can see him working the nest hard and eating what is hatching... nature....

this is a video of the male working the nest this morning...

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/...C-A866-0B856D993B96-3282-000002AAEDFC7846.mp4

 

[edandsandy]

check these out

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+3&ddid=164744

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+3&ddid=164701

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+3&ddid=164144

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+3&ddid=164001

 

[edandsandy]

Batch 2
Yesterday the male was working the nest harder than I have ever seen him do before... As as I was setting up the collector last night I noticed the nest was about 1/2 the size it was in the morning. Then we observed the male eating the eggs off the rock and the larvae as they were hatching... Not sure why he was doing that... We were debating on pulling the 5 lb rock out of the water and placing it in the tank we just set up.... or just let nature do what nature does.... We decided to leave them alone. Hoping they will spawn again in two week and he will not eat the next batch...
All eggs were gone this morning.
I think I'm going to introduce them to a small piece of tile too.

The egg coloration was text book, clear reddish brown with the large silver eyes.... So I sure they were all fertilized.....

Nature...... :fish2::spin2::hmm4:

We think they are still getting use to their new home and "seeing" me work around their tank. When they were in the main tank, they were spawning towards the back of the tank, behind the rock work. Although they could see me when I was working in that area in the fish room. Maybe I'll move the rock over towards the middle of the tank and not up front like it is now.

Oh, my daughter calls me around 10:30 and say's please come over my clown fish babies are hatching.....:headwally:
They were supposed to hatch tonight according to her observation.

I sure hope they don't spawn and hatch again on the same day....

 

[ravi197699]

nice job. my clowns laid eggs and i found out when i noticed that my clowns stays behind seabae anemone all the time when i looked at the rock closely there were eggs. i was so happy to see that , my question is before they lay eggs again i want to be ready for fry and try to raise them. i have air pump, 10 gal tank, light , phytoplankton 5 gal bucket going on and i am starting rotifers culture this week , how often they lay eggs and if they lay eggs on the ceramic tile, can i just move ceramic tile to 10 gal tank and leave it there or i have to wait until they hatch and how long after they eggs they usually hatch ? since you have better experience please any suggestion will be helpful.

 

[edandsandy]

nice job. my clowns laid eggs and i found out when i noticed that my clowns stays behind seabae anemone all the time when i looked at the rock closely there were eggs. i was so happy to see that , my question is before they lay eggs again i want to be ready for fry and try to raise them. i have air pump, 10 gal tank, light , phytoplankton 5 gal bucket going on and i am starting rotifers culture this week , how often they lay eggs and if they lay eggs on the ceramic tile, can i just move ceramic tile to 10 gal tank and leave it there or i have to wait until they hatch and how long after they eggs they usually hatch ? since you have better experience please any suggestion will be helpful.

This is a post from ernieq yesterday:

In a nutshell here is what has worked for me after reading numerous threads and books.

1. Always leave eggs with parents until hatch night.
a. If the eggs were laid on a removable object like a flower pot or ceramic tile, you remove it the night of the hatch and place in a larval tank that has been prepared with water from broodtank and kept at the same temperature. Then you put an air stone with pretty good flow in order to run water current over the eggs so as to keep them clear of debris. The eggs will hatch after lights out, for me it has always been within 1 hour, but some have reported up to 5 hours. Once they hatch, you remove the flower pot/tile and lower the bubble intensity.

b. If spawned on a non-removable object, turn off all filters before lights out. Then after lights out wait about 2 hours and go look with a small flash light to see if they are swimming about. If you shine a flashlight in a corner, the fry will be attracted to it and you scoop them up, this is time consuming and you must be careful to not beat them up too much. You put the fry on a larval tank with about 2 gallons of water from the broodstock tank with the same temperature.

After the fry are in their own tank, then you put some rotifers and tint the water green. Provide light for the first 24 hours and just make sure that the water is tinted green (not too green, just enough so that it looks green) and keep the rotifer density around 10 to 15 per ml. I go to a normal day/night cycle after the first 24 hours. You keep this up for the first 5 days while daily scooping up dead larvae each day whenever you can. The light cannot be too strong. I use an old strip light from a 10 Gallon tank which I diffuse by putting 3 sheets of paper in front of it. Then I remove 1 sheet after day 3, another one after day 6 and leave the last one until after meta.

There is absolutely no filtration in the larval tank. Get an ammonia badge to keep your eye on the ammonia, if it spikes up, then use something like chloram X or Amguard or amquel to lower it. If you dose, make sure you have a good flow of air running through your system as it tends to lower oxygen levels.

After about 5 days you can do about a 20% water change using water from broodstock tank and drip the replacement water into the fry tank at a rate of about 1 drop per second. You can also increase the volume of water to about 3 gallons. Keep your rotifer count up and your water tinted green.

After 5 days some people like to use Newly hatched brine shrimp, I prefer to stay in rotifers until they enter meta at around day 8 or 9 if your water is at 80 F.

When they are in meta, I do not do any water changes, but do control the ammonia with amquel or whichever one you wish to use.

During meta I start feeding baby brine shrimp while lowering the desity of rotifers to about 1/4 of what it was before. I discontinue rotifers after meta and start mixing in Oto A with the brine shrimp.

The fry will be out of meta around days 12 to 13 some will take longer, but most will be out of meta by day 14. After meta you do a 20% water change and increase the water volume to 5 gallons and put in a seeded sponge filter (which you should seed in parent's tank/sump for at least 2 weeks beforehand).

Once you get out of meta, it's pretty clear sailing, just watch water quality and feed small amount frequently and clean up tank after feedings. Depending on your biological filtration continue to detox ammonia with amquel or chloramx and do 10 to 20% water changes daily. By day 21 or so most breeders move them to a larger grow out tank with similar water parameters in orde to make space for the next batch. But if you are not trying to raise multiple batches or don't need the room, you can keep them there for a bit longer depending on your batch size. I currently have 69 baby clowns in a 10 gallon tank, they are 39 days old and they still look small in it. But if you have like 200, it's probably a good idea to move them to something bigger. Then just feed and grow out, then you need to figure out what to do with all those clowns.

I'm sure I might have missed a detail or two. You can read some of the very good threads that various people have posted about their experiences. Everybody has something that has worked better for them. I have a thread where I chronicle my daily observations with the two batches that I'm currently raising now.

 

[edandsandy]

24 dph:

I lost one of the "tiny" juvi's the other day when I was cleaning the tank, it was sucked up the cleaning tube and into the lucky bucket... Unfortunately I didn't see it until I was emptying the bucket...and I seen it in the sink.. So we are down to 151 juvi's now.

Onto the progress of the juvi's..
They are now eating Octomine B2! All have their mid body stripe and most have their 3rd tail stripe! I will split them up in a few days to see if that helps with the pickering..
Or should I just put all of them in a 20g?

I took a picture with my real camera.. It was dusty and so am I... But here they are!

 

[ernieq]

151! Yeah, I'd say it's time to move them to at least a 20G. My fish kind of stopped bickering a whole lot since like 28 DPH. My 31 Day olds barely fight now, just a few scrapes here and there. My 41 Day olds hardly ever do those nasty battles, just chase the odd clown away when they get too close to their chosen spot. I've also noticed that the bigger ones have chosen differen spots throughout the tank and they defend it. Most of the time they just lay there as if they were hosting their spot and whenever someone gets close, he attacks and chases them away.