Waiting for Ocellaris Eggs to hatch

[dela]

So my clowns laid eggs again. This time they seem healthier (bigger, brighter). I'm hoping they hatch. This is my first time trying to raise the babies, so I've got a couple of questions.

I have rotifers culturing. And it sounds like they will only be needed for a couple of weeks. But I've got 4 2L bottles brewing with them plus a five gallon culture. Is this too much? Besides redundancy, I have a feeling it's overkill.

Also, I was planning on feeding bbs after the rots, but I've been reading about this otohime product. Looks like it's not cheap. Any reason why I could not use brine shrimp direct's food? They offer different sizes and I know I have the bbs size of their golden pearls. Maybe just as a supplement?

Also, I have some copepod cultures. Three are tigriopus cultures and one is misc tank copepods. The misc tank copepods are actually much smaller than the adult tigs. Would it be a good or bad idea to add these to the larval tank? If good, when would be a good time to add?

I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks!

Mark

 

[dela]

In this picture the eggs are three days old. Have not noticed any disappearing this time.

 

[ClownfishSushi]

So my clowns laid eggs again. This time they seem healthier (bigger, brighter). I'm hoping they hatch. This is my first time trying to raise the babies, so I've got a couple of questions.

I have rotifers culturing. And it sounds like they will only be needed for a couple of weeks. But I've got 4 2L bottles brewing with them plus a five gallon culture. Is this too much? Besides redundancy, I have a feeling it's overkill.

Also, I was planning on feeding bbs after the rots, but I've been reading about this otohime product. Looks like it's not cheap. Any reason why I could not use brine shrimp direct's food? They offer different sizes and I know I have the bbs size of their golden pearls. Maybe just as a supplement?

Also, I have some copepod cultures. Three are tigriopus cultures and one is misc tank copepods. The misc tank copepods are actually much smaller than the adult tigs. Would it be a good or bad idea to add these to the larval tank? If good, when would be a good time to add?

I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks!

Mark

Congratz, Mark! So to answer your questions...

The 5 Gallon bucket is more than you need to raise your babies. You'll feed them 300 ml or so of rotifer solution 3 times a day at first but reducing that amount for about 3 weeks. You can honestly feed as many as 3-5 clutches off a single 5 gallon bucket. The reason for having more than 1 culture is to have a backup in case there is a crash. I personally have kept a culture going for more than a year now and have dropped my backup plan. I've helped a few locals restart their cultures and I know they'd return the favor if I ever needed help.

BBS and Pods are risky foods for a first-timer. The juveniles digestive track can get torn apart too easily. Consider that we're talking about feeding crustaceans to animals whose digestive track is just forming. Otohime is a great product but you can get the original Japanese version for dirt cheap and it will last you forever. The multiple sizes are just a marketing gimic to an extent. You can buy a large size and crush it up into powder form for the juveniles. I highly recommend Golden Pearls and feeze-dried Cyclopseeze for the third-stage food.

I'd like to hear more about your setup. For example, what is your lighting strategy?

PM me if you have any emergency questions and good luck!

 

[dela]

Thanks Jason!

I noticed this morning the eggs are changing color. They are a darker color and have lost much of the original bright orange color.

What is the original Japanese version? Where do I get this?

Now that I have gallons of green water and rots brewing, I'm hoping to get the larval tank set up this weekend. Unfortunately I just noticed one of my two Iso cultures appears to be crashing and the other is showing signs of stress. (Excessive clumping and water is clearing up.) I'm thinking of running the culture through a paper coffee filter in the hopes of starting it over... Never had a phyto culture go bad.

I have a 10 gallon tank I was going to use as the larval tank. This will be in the basement, so I will have to add a heater. Along with the heater I was just going to have an air stone. Also, I have lots of light in the basement as a result of the cultures, so I will cover the sides with brown construction paper, and put a single 15 watt fluorescent lamp on the tank. This will be on the same timer (16 hr) as the phyto. Is this too much?

Not sure if having lights on in the middle of the night (fuge lights) will be too much to let them sleep. Maybe I will run these lights during the day for the time being.

I will post a pic when it's set up.

 

[GROSSR]

I too am attempting to raise my first clutch of eggs. Mine have deposited eggs for the last 8 months, but I have the rotifers and the phyto ready to go. I have my trap setup for this evening.

The eggs just got that silver color to them. I described it as it looks like air bubbles.

Tomorrow should be an interesting morning.

rich

 

[ClownfishSushi]

Thanks Jason!

I noticed this morning the eggs are changing color. They are a darker color and have lost much of the original bright orange color.

What is the original Japanese version? Where do I get this?

Now that I have gallons of green water and rots brewing, I'm hoping to get the larval tank set up this weekend. Unfortunately I just noticed one of my two Iso cultures appears to be crashing and the other is showing signs of stress. (Excessive clumping and water is clearing up.) I'm thinking of running the culture through a paper coffee filter in the hopes of starting it over... Never had a phyto culture go bad.

I have a 10 gallon tank I was going to use as the larval tank. This will be in the basement, so I will have to add a heater. Along with the heater I was just going to have an air stone. Also, I have lots of light in the basement as a result of the cultures, so I will cover the sides with brown construction paper, and put a single 15 watt fluorescent lamp on the tank. This will be on the same timer (16 hr) as the phyto. Is this too much?

Not sure if having lights on in the middle of the night (fuge lights) will be too much to let them sleep. Maybe I will run these lights during the day for the time being.

I will post a pic when it's set up.

The light will most likely need to be diffused for the first week. I use a 7 watt nightlight and even with that I use 3 layers of paper towels across the top of the tank for the first few days. Then I gradually remove a layer at a time. After the first week, your 15 watt light should be just fine.

Consider running the light 24 hours on the first day only. In other words, don't give them a night cycle immediately after they hatch. I find it greatly helps to have the fry learn to hunt as soon as they are out of the egg casing instead of resting on the bottom for 12 hours. Your lighting schedule should be just fine after the first day.

Temperature is extremely important. I try to run my fry tanks 80-82 degrees. You want the fry getting through meta ASAP and lower temperatures seems to delay meta approximately 1 day per 1 degree. Also make sure the broodstock system temperature matches the fry tank temperature as closely as possible.

Hope this helps!

 

[ClownfishSushi]

I too am attempting to raise my first clutch of eggs. Mine have deposited eggs for the last 8 months, but I have the rotifers and the phyto ready to go. I have my trap setup for this evening.

The eggs just got that silver color to them. I described it as it looks like air bubbles.

Tomorrow should be an interesting morning.

rich

Good luck tonight, Rich!

Let me know how the trap goes. Have you considered catching them manually? It's really not that hard and I think it's a little kinder to the fry.

All you need is a single LED. Position it above the tank and turn off every light in the room. The fry will swim right to the surface underneath the light source and you can scoop out hundreds at a time with a mug.

Keep us informed!

 

[dela]

My clowns laid their eggs on a rock. I was planning on removing the rock as soon as it turns silver, rather than trying to catch the larvae.

 

[ClownfishSushi]

My clowns laid their eggs on a rock. I was planning on removing the rock as soon as it turns silver, rather than trying to catch the larvae.

Either way is fine. Just make sure the eggs are aerated. You want oxygen bubbles passing by them but not touching them. The idea is to mimic the male clownfish fanning the clutch. Watch the male and you'll get an idea of what you are trying to recreate.

 

[dela]

My one concern about the rock is that it will surely come with pods. I guess I will just have to watch for any large ones and pull them out.

 

[GROSSR]

I just took a look and I have about 10 or 12 that are silver and about 100 or more that are darker. I pulled the trap because I don't think it will happen. The light is a good idea for just a few. Will let you know in the morning.

thanks

rich

 

[dela]

Why not leave the trap in just in case?

 

[ClownfishSushi]

They can be silver for a few days. What I actually look for is copper-colored eyes. After a few hatches, you'll see what I'm talking about. The eyes are the secret!

 

[GROSSR]

Nothing happened overnight, so you are correct about the silver color lasting for a few days.

I have never noticed a copper color. Just the silver and then the next day they are gone. I will look closer for the copper color.

I have a bc 29 and the trap overwhelms the tank. So while I can leave it for a day or so, I would rather have it out and place it in tank when I think they eggs are going to hatch.

rich

 

[dela]

You can see the eyes!

You can see the eyes!

I wonder how many days away these eggs are from hatching.

 

[ClownfishSushi]

I wonder how many days away these eggs are from hatching.

48 hours. I'm guessing thursday night!

 

[dela]

I'm hoping you are right. I had an eye exam a little while ago and my eyes are still dilated. Can't see a thing!

One question regarding rotifer nutrition. What ratio of phytoplankton will produce the most nutritious rotifers? I was going to try something along the lines of 50% Nanno, 40% Iso, and 10% Tetra.

So while I'm producing the phyto in equal quantities, I would use the Tetra to keep the cultures going, while adding the Nanno and Iso to the larval tank as well as the batch cultures headed for the larval tank.

 

[dela]

No Clowns

No Clowns

Well I pulled the eggs last night from the DT, but they didn't hatch.

Hopefully they will hatch tonight! The only bad thing is that the eggs will be unattended during today. One drawback I can see to doing it this way (other than running the risk of pulling the eggs to early) is that after they hatch, unless I get up in the middle of the night and turn down the air, the larval tank will have more airflow than the larvae probably want.

Attached are pictures of how I have the larval tank set up.

 

[cdipasquale]

You shouldn't have any problem with aeration overnight. I hatch in a 10 gallon also and I run 1 or 2 (depending on clutch size) hard airlines under them and hit them directly with the bubbles. Put this at one end of the tank and the larvae will congregate at the other end of the tank when they hatch. Bubble right on them doesn't hurt at all, they are really well attached to the substrate...I haven't blown any off yet.

 

[Breadman03]

I have to follow this thread. I'm looking to do this once my tank is up and running.