transfered Clown Baby larvae to holding tank? BUT

[Hendersonracing]

Im not sure I have enough Rotifers???Is there an alternative? I can always call & get some shipped overnight but any other alternative...I think I have about 200 eggs & I see rotifers in the tank but not loaded? what should I do????any help appreciated..

 

[Hendersonracing]

anyone?

 

[HoopsGuru]

From a fellow beginner breeder perspective, so take with a grain of salt

From a fellow beginner breeder perspective, so take with a grain of salt

No alternatives that actually work, and I have tried a few different things (artificial rotifers and baby brine right from Day 1).

I take a small cup out of my rotifer tank and larval tank (separately) count and approximate the total number as best I can, I believe 15ML (15 rotifers to 1 ML of water) is the target in the larvae tank at for the first 1-2 days.

If your density isn't there, you'll have time to get the density going by the next hatch.

 

[Hendersonracing]

THANKS Ill keep you posted~

 

[Hendersonracing]

oK kinda strange about 25 of the couple hundred eggs hatched last night? Is this normal for not all to hatch the same night? and about 10 has survived & swimming good...I put about 40 or so rotifers in last night and going home at lunch to add some more. And I kept the lights off all noght and turned them back on this morning

 

[HoopsGuru]

Not sure on the hatching, mine have always been all or none. However, on the rotifers, did you literally count 40 rotifers? If this is the exact number, it is not nearly enough. You need to have enough rotifers so that the larvae don't have to travel more than one larval length to bump into one.

 

[Hendersonracing]

I estimated that? but pretty close? Ill have to do some major syphoning to get a ton out? I may have to overnight some to my house?

 

[Hendersonracing]

Im planning on at lunch to clean most of the cultures out & mabe some new cultures will start with the existing rotifers that are left behind!

 

[HoopsGuru]

Do you have a plankton collector? I use a plastic coffee filter with a mesh screen that works well, you should not add rotifer tank water to the larval tank (water quality issues). If you literally only have a handful of rotifers I would not even overnight rotifers unless it is to start a culture for your next batch of larvae. With two days of no food before the live culture gets there, I don't see them doing well and they could easily consume your overnighted rotifers before the density increases enough to sustain them. Keep in mind each larvae needs approximately 1000 rotifers per day (in Wilkerson's book) and almost 50% extra of that in density to account for "misses" while they learn to feed.

 

[Hendersonracing]

Ill strain my rotifers at lunch and get what I can out...I do have a plankton colector so I'll use that. should I do a wc before I add them? and how much If I do? Its a 3 gallon tank. also I can get some new rotifers overnighted keep in mind there are over 100 still not hatched! First Ill go home & syphon and see how many I can get out of my existing cultures

 

[HoopsGuru]

Strained rotifers in the plankton sieve can be added directly to the larval tank. I do a 20% water change ever morning on my larval tank regardless of what went in (may increase % if it looks especially fouled on the bottom by my additions of phytoplankton).

Ordering rotifers would be up to you, I don't think there is a "right" answer for that.

 

[Hendersonracing]

Well just went home & pulled out a BUNCH of rotifers....I guess I had more than I thought I have 3 cultures and done a 50% wc on all of them and I was amazed with how many rotifers I really had...I also have quite a few nuplii In there with the larvae and the rotis, will the nauplii eat the rotis? and yes Ill do a 20% wc everyday also..

 

[HoopsGuru]

I believe I saw Billsreef mention larvae will eat copepod nauplii but brine shrimp nauplii are too large at first.

 

[gpsmart]

Just to answer an earlier question - I have a pair of B & W Ocellaris whose eggs always hatch over 2 nights and they do quite well. It seems that nothing I do will change this which is a pain because I snag my larvae and have to stay up 2 nights. My other 2 pairs hatch on 1 night unless I disturb them too much.

 

[Lrood]

My perculas usually hatch out over 2 nights. I have actually had a hatching take 3 nights too.

 

[Hendersonracing]

well all hatched and I have about 100 clowns at this point...about 20 dead on the bottom....do I need to get them out tonight or wait til morning?