some last minut breeding help.

[gopens]

i posted this earlier today in the breeders forum with only a couple responses ( thanks to those that did). but if i could get some more info from the breeders that would be great. below is what i typed. they will be hatching tonight for sure. thanks in advance for any help

well today is the last chance i have to make this work. i have a clutch of maroon clown eggs that are going to spawn tonight. i have been reading tons of info and growing my rotifers for feeding time. i just want to see if i am missing anything. this is just a bunch of randon thoughts.

my rearing tank is going to be a 10 gallon aquarium. i have wrapped all sides of the aquarium with black trash bags so no light leaks in. i used white construction paper on the bottom for easier cleanings. i am useing a small heater with the light taped off with black electrical tape. for air i am useing an air-stone. can i just use the light in the room or do i need some fancy light setup?
well thats my rearing tank setup. is this going to work?

i have read joyce wilersons book and she says the night of the hatch to fill the rearing tank to the 2 inch mark with broodstock water. my only concern here is i was lucky enough that she spawned on a clat pot bottom. the clay pot bottom is taller than 2 inches. should i fill the rearing tank until the clay pot is barely covered?

ok these are the steps i will take tonight. a few minutes before my lights go out at 10pm, i am going to put the broodstock water into the rearing tank. when the lights do go out, i will transfer the clay pot from the broodstock tank to the rearing tank. i will put the airstone just under the eggs. than hopefuly all is going to work.

am i going to feed rotifers tonight or do i feed in the morning. also what kind of light schedule should i use. do the larvae need normal 12 hours light peroids or should i shorten/extend the light peroid.

well i think thats it. hopefully some of you seasoned vets can help me. sometimes i feel like i am the black sheep on here when it comes to getting questions answered. i know this is a lot of stuff, but i need just a bit of help. thanks for reading

 

[tpdpercula]

larvae are very sensitive to light keep a very dim light source on the top to allow them to feed (very dim). Transfer the pot before they hatch not after lights out. Put a good density of rotifers in the fry tank along with phyto for the rotifers to feed on. If this is the first spawn the eggs might not even hatch and if they do there will be a very low number of fry. I hope this helps.

Good Luck and keep us posted.
Ian

 

[gopens]

thanks. this is the 4th spwan. i did remove the pot last night before lights out. i woke up this morning and the eggs are still on the pot. i must of gotten excited and thought they were ready. i don't understand because the eggs are silver with 2 little eyes. i thought that was a signs of a hatch that night. well my next question is do i scrape the eggs of the pot and toss the eggs in the trash or is there a chance they could hatch tonight. i know you want to keep the eggs with the parents as long as possible but i am not sure if a day away is ok. thanks

 

[texreefer]

as long as you have good airflow over them just leave them be and they will probalby hatch tonight,,,, room light will work fin for now as long as it is not too bright.. you don't need to feed the first night just cover and leave alone in morning start a drip to bring down salinity a bit then stock the tank with rotifers and phyto as suggested... only problem i see is the 10 gal tank that means a LOT of rotifers and phyto.. i use a 2.5 gal i have had my current batch in it for 3 weeks with no water quality problems.. just need to stay on top of it

 

[gopens]

i am useing a 10 gallon but only really filling it up to the 5 gallon mark. so the fry will be fine until the morning before i feed?

 

[texreefer]

yes jus make sure they are in complete darkness.. and gradually introduce light in the morning.. also tonight at normal lights out make sure tank is in complete darkness or they wont hatch.. just a little light at the wrong time will delay their hatch

 

[gopens]

i am useing a 10 gallon but only really filling it up to the 5 gallon mark. so the fry will be fine until the morning before i feed?

 

[tanglovers]

Yup fry will be fine til morning, they do not feed when there are no lights on.

Make sure you enrich your rotifers if you are not using live phyto or instant algae paste.

 

[gopens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10575577#post10575577 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tanglovers
Yup fry will be fine til morning, they do not feed when there are no lights on.

Make sure you enrich your rotifers if you are not using live phyto or instant algae paste.

i am feeding the rotifers roti-rich. is that going to work? well a few hours ago i looked in the fry tank and i saw some little larvae swimming around. they were swimming on the bottom of the tank. they died shortly after. if i remember corectly should i add some phyto to keep the larvae near the top of the water?

 

[tanglovers]

Were the lights on or off? If on, yes add phyto and tint the water green, I also typically do not blast them with light, I have a 2 bulb shop light about 3' above them. I then do a few layers of window screen over them to keep it dimmer.

I have never used roti-rich but I beleive it is an enrichment diet that should be sufficient.

 

[gopens]

yes the lights were on. tanglovers, you have a pm

 

[mobert]

gopens, I found that the eggs will hatch in the same number of days every time. So your next hatch delay taking them out a day and you should get a better hatch regardless of how they look. The types of bubbles make a real difference in how the larvae fair. If too rough, they are beat up like punching bags and they will fall off and/or die early. Just the right enough of flow and they get oxygen and not beat up. You can add rotifers and phyto when you transfer the tank water. Do you have a 2nd clay pot in the sump to switch out on hatching nite? less stress for the parents I think.

 

[gopens]

hey thanks. no i don't have another clay pot. i was judt going to put it back whne the hatch was over. but i guess i should go get another one. well yesterday about 8 eggs hatched, i watched them swim for a bit than die. this morning ther are about 200 eggs still on the pot that look dead. man i bumbed. i realy wanted this clutch to workout. i think that i didn't have enough air on the eggs. i will post pics later of how it was set up. thanks