Suddenly eggs
- Thread starter Tomoko Schum
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Tomoko Schum
New member
Hi Kiran,
Thank you for the kind words.
I think it might have been an O2 issue. I have four babies still swimming around this morning. If it was something toxic, wouldn't you think that they'd be all gone? Mysids are getting visibly larger and the tiny collonista snails I have in the tank as a clean-up crew are doing well, too.
I used a small round container for the larvae tank and had the air turned down to a slow gentle bubbles since some babies were getting blown around when it was turned up a little higher. If I save another batch in the near future, I am going to use a 5 gallon tank with two air bubblers on each end. I will probably modify my larvae collector to be gentler, too. I'm afraid that I am learning as I go. I hope the next time I can do better. It's so sad to see dead baby fish on the bottom of a tank.
Tomoko
Thank you for the kind words.
I think it might have been an O2 issue. I have four babies still swimming around this morning. If it was something toxic, wouldn't you think that they'd be all gone? Mysids are getting visibly larger and the tiny collonista snails I have in the tank as a clean-up crew are doing well, too.
I used a small round container for the larvae tank and had the air turned down to a slow gentle bubbles since some babies were getting blown around when it was turned up a little higher. If I save another batch in the near future, I am going to use a 5 gallon tank with two air bubblers on each end. I will probably modify my larvae collector to be gentler, too. I'm afraid that I am learning as I go. I hope the next time I can do better. It's so sad to see dead baby fish on the bottom of a tank.
Tomoko
Tomoko Schum
New member
Hi Nicole,
I think the badge is okay, too. I was wondering about a possible contaminant on a badge and also on my fingers, but it does not seems to me now that the loss is toxicity related.
I did not expect clownfish larvae to be so much more sensitive than other fish larvae. Having a large amount of rotifers in the container probably added to the condition using up a lot of O2. (The presence of rotifers is one big difference in caring for FW fish babies and SW fish babies.) The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that the loss is O2 related. These babies swim amazing fast. Fast swimming fish usually require a lot of oxygen. I am going to add an O2 test kit to my shopping list.
By the way, have you used Otohime A before? I just got hold of 3 oz bag. It almost looks like rotifer size Golden Pearl. I am wondering if I should keep them in freezer since I will be using such small amount at a time. Any idea?
Tomoko
I think the badge is okay, too. I was wondering about a possible contaminant on a badge and also on my fingers, but it does not seems to me now that the loss is toxicity related.
I did not expect clownfish larvae to be so much more sensitive than other fish larvae. Having a large amount of rotifers in the container probably added to the condition using up a lot of O2. (The presence of rotifers is one big difference in caring for FW fish babies and SW fish babies.) The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that the loss is O2 related. These babies swim amazing fast. Fast swimming fish usually require a lot of oxygen. I am going to add an O2 test kit to my shopping list.
By the way, have you used Otohime A before? I just got hold of 3 oz bag. It almost looks like rotifer size Golden Pearl. I am wondering if I should keep them in freezer since I will be using such small amount at a time. Any idea?
Tomoko
kiran523
New member
I was thinking along the lines of a contaminant on the badge as well.
What do you (or Nicole) think about rigging up something that will allow you to use a bag that allows gas diffusion (ie. Kordon bag?)? It could be an alternative instead of the semi non-permeable material (HDPE?) that the soda bottle uses.
http://www (dot) novalek (dot) com/kordon/breathing_bags/index.htm (modify the url after pasting into the address bar)
Edit: I do understand that they were designed for shipping. I'm not sure how the water (instead of air) on the outside would affect the diffusion properties of the bag. If I remember correctly Tomoko, I believe you use a ASM skimmer. I'm sure the O2 content of your tank would be as good (if not superior) to using air stones.
Okay, let's hear it from those with hatching experience.
What do you (or Nicole) think about rigging up something that will allow you to use a bag that allows gas diffusion (ie. Kordon bag?)? It could be an alternative instead of the semi non-permeable material (HDPE?) that the soda bottle uses.
http://www (dot) novalek (dot) com/kordon/breathing_bags/index.htm (modify the url after pasting into the address bar)
Edit: I do understand that they were designed for shipping. I'm not sure how the water (instead of air) on the outside would affect the diffusion properties of the bag. If I remember correctly Tomoko, I believe you use a ASM skimmer. I'm sure the O2 content of your tank would be as good (if not superior) to using air stones.
Okay, let's hear it from those with hatching experience.
Last edited:
8BALL_99
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13349380#post13349380 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tomoko Schum
I know, it's quite a Rube Goldberg... Leave it to Tomoko to come up with a make-shift weird looking contraptionI gotta sweet talk 8Ball into make-ing me a nice professional looking acrylic snagger like an expensive CPR's larvae collection unit.
Tomoko
I might could lol, But I can't find a decent picture of it or any information on how it works.. CPR has just a very small picture of it on their site with the outer dimensions.
Will
Tomoko Schum
New member
I have a better picture of the CPR's.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/rbdesigns2/IMG_4565.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/rbdesigns2/IMG_4554.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/rbdesigns2/IMG_4558.jpg
Do these help?
Tomoko
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/rbdesigns2/IMG_4565.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/rbdesigns2/IMG_4554.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/rbdesigns2/IMG_4558.jpg
Do these help?
Tomoko
8BALL_99
New member
I think I get the just of it.. So is a box with a divider between a PH and the other section. Then another small section by the inlet. It looks like the other section has a small hole up at the top with a led light to lure the larva in.. Then that champer looks like its sort of a curved section with a gap at the top for flow into the next chamber. So I guess the idea is to catch all the fry in that Pipe section by the light? or is that just a trap area so once they make there way into the larger chamber they can't go back. Why does it have a magnetic slider. It looks as if it just moved the divider back and fourth? Why would the divider need to be moved.. Haha Sorry for so many questions. I've never tried to catch fry so I'm not sure on the principles!
Tomoko Schum
New member
Will,
The container is divided into two sections with a divider with a big rectangular hole on it. A blue sponge is placed in the pump chamber against the divider to keep the fry from getting sucked into the pump chamber through the rectangular hole. I think the divider is stationary. The fry chamber has an LED light mounted on top of it. There is a small cut-out on the sidewall of the fry chamber right under the LED from which fry enters the fry chamber.
The small pump draws water from the fry chamber through the rectangular hole in the center of the divider and discharge the water to the outside of the collector through the tiny water return hole. This creates a gentle flow through the fry chamber so that the fry that comes to the light will get sucked into the fry chamber through the cut out in the sidewall.
The unit is held in place with a magnet (magnet mount) which slide into the slider (magnet holder). The suction cups seem to be just a back-up to the magnet mount system. A magnet mount is nice but not necessary. The unit can be hang from a tank with a strap (or two) like a frag tray. The unit is mostly submerged in the parent's tank. Only the top 1/2" of it should be above water so that fry cannot get out from the top of the collector.
Does this make sense? The unit retails at $125 to $145 ea. Ameka (CPR) has a few on eBay at the introductory price of $99 right now. Can a collector like this be made for a half of that price using a black acrylic plate? The dimension is 10.5x 4.25 x 8.
I am okay with my Rube Goldberg thingie as long as I slow down the flow. I may actually use a 1/2" PVC pipe as in this picture instead of the green sponge filter part :
Tomoko
The container is divided into two sections with a divider with a big rectangular hole on it. A blue sponge is placed in the pump chamber against the divider to keep the fry from getting sucked into the pump chamber through the rectangular hole. I think the divider is stationary. The fry chamber has an LED light mounted on top of it. There is a small cut-out on the sidewall of the fry chamber right under the LED from which fry enters the fry chamber.
The small pump draws water from the fry chamber through the rectangular hole in the center of the divider and discharge the water to the outside of the collector through the tiny water return hole. This creates a gentle flow through the fry chamber so that the fry that comes to the light will get sucked into the fry chamber through the cut out in the sidewall.
The unit is held in place with a magnet (magnet mount) which slide into the slider (magnet holder). The suction cups seem to be just a back-up to the magnet mount system. A magnet mount is nice but not necessary. The unit can be hang from a tank with a strap (or two) like a frag tray. The unit is mostly submerged in the parent's tank. Only the top 1/2" of it should be above water so that fry cannot get out from the top of the collector.
Does this make sense? The unit retails at $125 to $145 ea. Ameka (CPR) has a few on eBay at the introductory price of $99 right now. Can a collector like this be made for a half of that price using a black acrylic plate? The dimension is 10.5x 4.25 x 8.
I am okay with my Rube Goldberg thingie as long as I slow down the flow. I may actually use a 1/2" PVC pipe as in this picture instead of the green sponge filter part :
Tomoko
Tomoko Schum
New member
Kiran,
Thank you for the idea of the breathable bag. It's very thoughtful of you
.
My friends used to ship apistogramma fry in breathable bags. It works well for shipping a small fish. I have seen Matt at Sustainable Aquatics use those for selling his young clownfish at frag swaps, too.
The collector is a temporary device that hang inside my reef tank just for a short time. After a good number of fry is captured into the collector, I move them to a larvae rearing tank. The O2 level in the larvae tank is the issue. I wish I could keep a breeder net inside my reef tank to rear the fry, but the flow is too much there and the amount of waste out of the breeder net (due to numerous feeding) would make my SPS's angry for sure. I just have to be vigilant about O2 level in the larvae tank and do water changes as needed. Luckily the water in my 120 reef is so clean that it is an excellent water for water changes in the larvae/fry tank.
Tomoko
Thank you for the idea of the breathable bag. It's very thoughtful of you
. My friends used to ship apistogramma fry in breathable bags. It works well for shipping a small fish. I have seen Matt at Sustainable Aquatics use those for selling his young clownfish at frag swaps, too.
The collector is a temporary device that hang inside my reef tank just for a short time. After a good number of fry is captured into the collector, I move them to a larvae rearing tank. The O2 level in the larvae tank is the issue. I wish I could keep a breeder net inside my reef tank to rear the fry, but the flow is too much there and the amount of waste out of the breeder net (due to numerous feeding) would make my SPS's angry for sure. I just have to be vigilant about O2 level in the larvae tank and do water changes as needed. Luckily the water in my 120 reef is so clean that it is an excellent water for water changes in the larvae/fry tank.
Tomoko
Tomoko Schum
New member
Here's a picture and a video of the older babies:
Don't they look like tiny clownfish now?
Tomoko
Don't they look like tiny clownfish now?
Tomoko
Tomoko Schum
New member
Thank you, Monica
They grow really fast indeed. They have 24 hour all-you-can-eat-buffet going in their tank. I don't know if I am growing clownfish or culturing brine shrimp in their tank. :spin2:
Tomoko
They grow really fast indeed. They have 24 hour all-you-can-eat-buffet going in their tank. I don't know if I am growing clownfish or culturing brine shrimp in their tank. :spin2:
Tomoko
Tomoko Schum
New member
Here's an update on my clown babies. They are almost two month old. They are about 1.5 to 2 cm long. I took the picture last night after they went to sleep in their new home (2.5 gallon acrylic tank.) They are inside a 1" PVC pipe section.
Tomoko
Tomoko
WickedReefer
New member
Thats awesome Tomoko!!! Congrats!!!
Tomoko Schum
New member
Thank you for the nice comments. Reilly was surprised to see them all squeezed in there. He was commenting how big they had become earlier in the evening.
I stayed up late again to capture some new babies on Sunday. This time I used a tiny LED lamp (taped onto the aquarium with a small lithium watch battery) to attract the larvae. It worked really well and I caught more than I should have. I am sharing some with Patriot School in Madison - students are keeping marine aquariums at school and trying to breed clownfish as well. This should be a good practice for the students. Please keep your fingers crossed for them.
Tomoko
I stayed up late again to capture some new babies on Sunday. This time I used a tiny LED lamp (taped onto the aquarium with a small lithium watch battery) to attract the larvae. It worked really well and I caught more than I should have. I am sharing some with Patriot School in Madison - students are keeping marine aquariums at school and trying to breed clownfish as well. This should be a good practice for the students. Please keep your fingers crossed for them.
Tomoko
Andrew_Adrian
Member
Congrats on your rearing success!
I'm just chiming in to shoot down the idea of breather bags in water. It will not work! The only reason they are able to work is due to the huge difference in oxygen concentrations between water and air. The gradient between stale water and fresh water will be too insignificant enough to allow for efficient gas exchange. (fish shipped in breather bags will oftentimes suffocate if water from an adjacent bag leaks out) While breather bags may assist with your oxygen problem a little, It won't solve your problem.
I would suggest embedding a sponge or a very tiny mesh screen to allow for limited waterflow between the contraption and your tank.
How many juvenile clowns do you have now?
I'm just chiming in to shoot down the idea of breather bags in water. It will not work! The only reason they are able to work is due to the huge difference in oxygen concentrations between water and air. The gradient between stale water and fresh water will be too insignificant enough to allow for efficient gas exchange. (fish shipped in breather bags will oftentimes suffocate if water from an adjacent bag leaks out) While breather bags may assist with your oxygen problem a little, It won't solve your problem.
I would suggest embedding a sponge or a very tiny mesh screen to allow for limited waterflow between the contraption and your tank.
How many juvenile clowns do you have now?
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