True Percula spawn

[kerusso316]

Play with the light intensatiy{sp}until you see the fish move into the water colum.Too much they will be head down on the bottom.Too little they can't see to eat.When you are a newbe there are things that will fill your fish at different stages.It is important to start with as manny fish as possable.It helps to learn 5 lessions with one batch,rather than only one lession.YOU MUST get your mom and pop breading on a tile.Snaggers are not going to work.Step 1 tile{terracotta,backside of a ceramic tile} in tank 2 feet away.2 days later move it closer.The closer you get to the nest the less you move it each time,until they use it.My other trick is the use of plexy plass.Ancor it over the nest,some clowns will use it right away.You need two the same size.Each time you swap the tile,your replacment should be hayzed a bit more with sandpaper,until it is not seethrough.Then use the plex or replace it with terracota.

 

[Ploppers]

Any update?

 

[Abominable Reef]

Only bad news to report. All dissapeared after about 48-54 hrs. Not sure what caused their demise, but here are the water params of the larvae tank that I took as soon as I discovered that they didn't make it:

Ammonia: 1 ppm
NO2: 0.5 ppm
NO3: 20 ppm
pH 7.8
Rotifers: 15/ml

I'm thinking that, while not the best, these params were not the cause. Based on their appearance the night before, with no "silver bellies", they were not eating. I am changing the bulb in the tank for the next round to a brighter one, to see if that helps them see the food.

Next spawn should be on Tuesday, so we'll see.

 

[Ploppers]

Bummer.

Also make sure you feed the parents well. I had a huge increase in survival in my second hatch just from feeding the parents more often.

I fed them once a day before the first batch was laid and ended up with 14 out of a couple hundred. I fed at least twice a day before the second batch was laid and had closer to 150 out of a couple hundred make it the first week.

I saw quite an increase in size of the yolk sack from the first hatch. More yolk sack = more time to figure out how to catch rotifers. :thumbsup:

 

[FB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11652731#post11652731 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ploppers
Bummer.

Also make sure you feed the parents well. I had a huge increase in survival in my second hatch just from feeding the parents more often.

I fed them once a day before the first batch was laid and ended up with 14 out of a couple hundred. I fed at least twice a day before the second batch was laid and had closer to 150 out of a couple hundred make it the first week.

I saw quite an increase in size of the yolk sack from the first hatch. More yolk sack = more time to figure out how to catch rotifers. :thumbsup:

That much of a difference. I may have to try that.

 

[FB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11649043#post11649043 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Abominable Reef
Only bad news to report. All dissapeared after about 48-54 hrs. Not sure what caused their demise, but here are the water params of the larvae tank that I took as soon as I discovered that they didn't make it:

Ammonia: 1 ppm
NO2: 0.5 ppm
NO3: 20 ppm
pH 7.8
Rotifers: 15/ml

I'm thinking that, while not the best, these params were not the cause. Based on their appearance the night before, with no "silver bellies", they were not eating. I am changing the bulb in the tank for the next round to a brighter one, to see if that helps them see the food.

Next spawn should be on Tuesday, so we'll see.

My first attempt went exactly the same 48 - 54 hours they were done.

 

[billsreef]

Yup, parental nutrition is very important to the larvae. It's where they get their first nutrition Feed the parents high quality foods several times a day.

 

[kerusso316]

Got them on a tile yet?You can learn alot more lessions with 400 babies,than with 40.

 

[Abominable Reef]

It now looks like they will skip this spawn, probably due to all of the fussing. Hopefully in a couple of weeks there will be another one must... be... patient...). As far as there nesting site goes....Well, since it is on a large chunk of rock, I really had no way to attach any tile to it, and just leaning it up against the current nesting site it made Mama unhapppy, and she would move it out of the way. So, I took a hacksaw, and cut off about a 3"X5" chunk of the rock with the nesting site on it, then placed it back. Then, a few days later, I took a piece of clear plexiglass and cut it to about 3"X5", and rubber banded it to the rock over the nesting site. As I came to check on how things were a couple hours later, Mama ( I think she waited until I came to look, I kid you not) pushed the rock and plexiglass out off of its ledge with a couple of mighty flicks of her tail. Keep in mind this rock weighs at least a pound! :eek1:

Anyway, I am not going to mess with it any more. I am going to move the (now much smaller) rock into the larvae tank for the hatching, and see how that goes.

 

[Abominable Reef]

Finally after two months without eggs, there's a new spawn today. About 300 eggs this time.

Now I need to restart my cultues. :rollface:

 

[Ploppers]

WOW, two months?:eek1: Time to get ready. :thumbsup:

 

[kerusso316]

Pm if you need help.48 Hours is starvation.If the yokes where bad they would not have lived 24 hours.Play with the light until you see tail flicks indicating feeding.{Skinnys} can recover if they can feed.Lots of rots and phyto.I use 14 watt power compac light bulbs with a circle plain alum reflicter,about 3 feet away.With alot of phyto bright is ok because the light is diffused.

 

[Seanewb]

Tagging along to see what happens this time. Good LUCK!

 

[Abominable Reef]

Thanks,
I also think it was starvation at 48 hrs. Will try different (higher) lighting this time.

Here is papa tending the nest, while mama looks on:

 

[Abominable Reef]

OK, Fire drill is over...eggs all gone this morning. This is a frustrating aspect of the hobby, for sure. I have to assume that mama ate them?

Well, this gives me the time to get cultures going again.

 

[Abominable Reef]

Another batch of eggs, another mysterious loss of all eggs on the second night. I'm sensing a patteren here

One thing I have noticed since they started laying again is that they are staying a bright orange through the second day. On the one batch that did make it several months ago, they were definately more of a brownish orange by the end of the second day. I'm thinking that they may not be fertile, and mama is eating them? Is there anything I can do to help that situation?

 

[rkelman]

My eggs stay orange for probably 3 days if that means anything..

 

[Ploppers]

I think mine stay orange for about 3 days too.

 

[Abominable Reef]

Well, they are back at it again. This time I think it's for real. A few weeks ago, they laid eggs, but I decided to let them go and see if they actually would hatch, which they did. So now, I have a much larger batch, and it's been 5 days, all looks good.

The stars are lining up. A big clutch, they laid on a removable rock, made it past the critical two day period and didn't dissapear, and I have lots of rotifers. Hoping for the best....

 

[Abominable Reef]

Nevermind.

i think...I ...am...going to lose... my flipping mind.

The rock they laid eggs on toppled over last night, and all are gone this morning. Maybe I'll have to glue it on.

Teeny, tiny baby steps...