When to remove the eggs and how?

[iziko]

Hi everyone,

My false percula as laid last night in the flower pot and I've some questions:

1. when to move the eggs to the larva tank?
2. how do that? the flower put can't get into bag it's huge. can I expose them to air for a few seconds?
3. I've reading that the eggs have no problem of salinity changes. so I going to set their tank on 1.019 due to my rotifer culture is 1.016, it's o.k?
4. any advices and help will be welcomed.

Thank you!

 

[zeeter]

1. On around the 8th day the eggs should turn silver and you might even see some eyes. At that point you can take them out. Conversely you can let them hatch in the main tank; it will happen around an hour after lights out and could continue for several hours or even into the next night. Then you need to siphon the larvae out. Eight days is a good hatch time. The higher the temperature the faster they hatch. The lower the temp the longer it takes. I don't know if varying from the 8-day formula will have any adverse effects on the larvae.

2. Find a large enough container to move them or if it's only a few feet just move it from the broodstock tank to the larvae tank. According to Wilkerson you can expose the eggs to air for a moment or two. She does often to inspect the eggs. Note: if you remove the eggs you need to aerate them in the larvae tank.

3. I'd bag that idea and use water from the broodstock tank. That will prevent any shock as it will be of the same pH as they're used to. Then replace over time with fresh make-up water at the same salinity as before. You'll be doing water changes every day after the first day. You'll want to strain the rotifers so it doesn't really matter what the salinity of the rotifer culture is. Try not to get any of the rotifer water into the larvae tank as it is usually very foul water. Rotifers eat constantly, which means they do something else constantly. You don't want that something else getting into your fragile larvae tank.
4. As for advice, I'm not sure your experience level so I don't want to insult you by asking obvious questions. I have done extensive study on breeding, though I haven't actually bred anything yet so you may be further along than me.

One last thing. You might notice your male acting funny for around 3 days after you remove the eggs. He may become aggressive towards tank mates. Don't be alarmed; he'll forget that batch of eggs on the 3rd day or so.

 

[nauticac4]

siphoning the eggs can cause issues with the health, development and survival of the larvae. Do a search for larval snagger, a million ideas out there but the concept is the same.

If this it the first batch you can give it a shot but typically the first few lays are not prime material. The clowns are still getting the swing of things ect. Like stated above 7-8 days you can remove the pot and diffuse some water movement over the eggs.

I like to let my clowns hatch in the parents tank and use a catcher to pull the larvae. Less for me to worry with. Plus I dont like to disturb the nesting site of the clowns, IMHO it causes undue stress and I fear for distrupting their rituals and causing any issues. If you pull the pot allowing the eggs to be in air for a few seconds should have no adverse effects.

 

[billsreef]

If you opt for removing the pot with the eggs when they are ready, have a second identical pot to replace it with at the same time. This minimizes the disruption to the parents, and they just figure the eggs hatched

BTW, I like to keep my rots at the same salinity as the larval rearing tanks. This minimizes any shock from salinity change to the rots.

 

[reefstew]

If you opt for removing the pot with the eggs when they are ready, have a second identical pot to replace it with at the same time. This minimizes the disruption to the parents, and they just figure the eggs hatched

BTW, I like to keep my rots at the same salinity as the larval rearing tanks. This minimizes any shock from salinity change to the rots.

x2. And move the eggs instead of trying to catch them. I work hard & need my sleep at night not sitting & waiting for fish to hatch. I'm getting fish to hatch in the 300 + range on moving the pot.

 

[zeeter]

Are you guys all clown breeders? What types do you breed? Just curious.

 

[reefstew]

Are you guys all clown breeders? What types do you breed? Just curious.

I am breeding Ocellaris & Black clownfish along with Orchid dottybacks & erectus seahorses.

 

[iziko]

I've a 2 similar flower pot ready for this.
If I understand right I should make the larva tank at 1.019 and up my rots tank from 1.016 to 1.019.

The larva tank will be right next the parents tank and be covered in black.
The parents have there own tank, so there is no other tank mates.

does any one have a pic of how spouse to be a larva hatching tank?
I read on Wilkerson book that I spouse to defending the larva from the heater by potting an air bubble next to.

Thank you all for your help!

 

[jbax]

this link will give you some answers

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1914497&page=2

 

[zeeter]

I've a 2 similar flower pot ready for this.
If I understand right I should make the larva tank at 1.019 and up my rots tank from 1.016 to 1.019.

The larva tank will be right next the parents tank and be covered in black.
The parents have there own tank, so there is no other tank mates.

does any one have a pic of how spouse to be a larva hatching tank?
I read on Wilkerson book that I spouse to defending the larva from the heater by potting an air bubble next to.

Thank you all for your help!

I wouldn't worry so much about the rotifer SG vs the larvae SG. If you're reading Wilkerson she says to use the broodstock water rather than new make-up water. What I've heard others do is to fill the larvae tank halfway with broodstock water, then every day vacuum the bottom for dead rotifers and add about a gallon of new make-up water at the same SG as the larvae tank - which should be the same SG as the broodstock tank.

You can put the bubbler near the heater - but also make sure you wrap it with electrical tape to hide the light unless it's got a black sleeve on it like the marineland ones.

 

[zeeter]

I am breeding Ocellaris & Black clownfish along with Orchid dottybacks & erectus seahorses.

That sounds cool. I just started the breeding craze back in December so nothing is brewing yet. I've got two definite mated pairs - two percs and two GSM's. I also have two saddlebacks, two fire, two tomatos, two sets of ocellaris, another set of perculas, and a couple of clarkiis, but I think they're both females so I need to get rid of one. The rest of them get along, but I wouldn't exactly call them mated pairs except for the first two sets I mentioned.

I had a couple of ausies but they got fin rot. Last time I buy from Petco! Thankfully it happened last week as opposed to this coming week as I'm going to be putting them all on the same system. Less maintenance and less electricity.