YWG - Day 6 and still kicking
- Thread starter NicoleC
- Start date
NicoleC
New member
I saw another skinny and weak one (clearly dying), but overall the group looked vigorous and happy. By now they are hanging out around the edges a lot instead of bunched in the center like they did for the first 6 or 7 days.
I run a 16/8 light cycle. It's not completely dark since there is a big reef tank on the other side of the room (about 20' away) with a strip of blue LEDs for moonlights, but otherwise it's pretty dark.
Just for reference -- you can see that this batch seems to be much fatter than the last batch. Here's day 9 (top) and day 12 from the previous batch:
The food is larger than the last batch (S-strain rotifers) but there is less of it, so energy expended for food is probably a wash. I think the difference is the new enrichment process I'm using. (Thanks, Edgar!)
I run a 16/8 light cycle. It's not completely dark since there is a big reef tank on the other side of the room (about 20' away) with a strip of blue LEDs for moonlights, but otherwise it's pretty dark.
Just for reference -- you can see that this batch seems to be much fatter than the last batch. Here's day 9 (top) and day 12 from the previous batch:
The food is larger than the last batch (S-strain rotifers) but there is less of it, so energy expended for food is probably a wash. I think the difference is the new enrichment process I'm using. (Thanks, Edgar!)
Some larval species, especially shallow water reef species, have increased feeding opportunities at night due to the moon. As well, plankton migrates on a diel cycle. I'm noticing that many of the negative events are occuring at night, and am wondering if these larvae have evolved to feed with the assistance of moonlight at night.
Another thought...Have you monitored pH at night, or more specifically just prior to the lights coming on?
Another thought...Have you monitored pH at night, or more specifically just prior to the lights coming on?
NicoleC
New member
That's an interesting thought. They do need rest, however, and they seem to almost sleep at night. A few will be lazily swimming around, but most will hang near the bottom or along the edges at night (moreso that what I just mentioned about about them starting to do that more anyway.)
I have not monitored pH with this batch, but with the last batch I did the aeration test several times in the evening/morning/midday with no significant change. I also put a probe in for a couple of nights after the last batch had their Day 9 dieoff, and the pH did not drop very much at night.
Normally, I have a pH probe on the other tank in the room and only get a .01 to .02 drop at night. So Cal house; no such thing as "airtight" or "insulated" and I keep the window in that room cracked anyway. (Funny sidebar -- I got new windows, and with the windows cracked about 2", I still have less drafts from the new windows than the last ones!)
I also buffer the water changes, which are every two days. I think that helps a lot.
A moonlight might be an interesting experiment. I don't think I have a good grasp of normal yet, so I don't know if running such an experiment would be productive right now. Maybe in another couple of batches?
I have not monitored pH with this batch, but with the last batch I did the aeration test several times in the evening/morning/midday with no significant change. I also put a probe in for a couple of nights after the last batch had their Day 9 dieoff, and the pH did not drop very much at night.
Normally, I have a pH probe on the other tank in the room and only get a .01 to .02 drop at night. So Cal house; no such thing as "airtight" or "insulated" and I keep the window in that room cracked anyway. (Funny sidebar -- I got new windows, and with the windows cracked about 2", I still have less drafts from the new windows than the last ones!)
I also buffer the water changes, which are every two days. I think that helps a lot.
A moonlight might be an interesting experiment. I don't think I have a good grasp of normal yet, so I don't know if running such an experiment would be productive right now. Maybe in another couple of batches?
Yea, I wouldn't suggest changing too many variables at once. But maybe something to consider down the road. My gut says that they will feed at night.
pH will be more of a concern as organics (dead rotifers, algae, larvae waste, etc.) build up. I would definitely continue to monitor those pH fluctuations.
Keep up the excellent work.
pH will be more of a concern as organics (dead rotifers, algae, larvae waste, etc.) build up. I would definitely continue to monitor those pH fluctuations.
Keep up the excellent work.
NicoleC
New member
You read my mind. 
I just took the pH monitor off the reef tank and put it in the larval tank. The reef tank is always fine anyway...
pH was a little low in the larval tank, so I started a super-slow buffer drip that should run most of the night.
I don't doubt that given enough light they WILL feed at night, but it may be counter productive, because they don't get the rest they need. They certainly aren't shy about feeding during the day, so I wouldn't think they were normally nocturnal. They are also not photophobic, and only slightly phototropic.
I've got quite a merry group of rotifers in the larval tank now. I guess I few have been able to avoid getting eaten. Guess I'll skip AM feeding, and if still pretty dense by tomorrow night I will have to thin them out so I can replaced with enriched rotifers
I just took the pH monitor off the reef tank and put it in the larval tank. The reef tank is always fine anyway...pH was a little low in the larval tank, so I started a super-slow buffer drip that should run most of the night.
I don't doubt that given enough light they WILL feed at night, but it may be counter productive, because they don't get the rest they need. They certainly aren't shy about feeding during the day, so I wouldn't think they were normally nocturnal. They are also not photophobic, and only slightly phototropic.
I've got quite a merry group of rotifers in the larval tank now. I guess I few have been able to avoid getting eaten. Guess I'll skip AM feeding, and if still pretty dense by tomorrow night I will have to thin them out so I can replaced with enriched rotifers
NicoleC
New member
Feed twice daily (AM and PM) with rots that have been enriching since the previous feeding in Ratio HUFA.
It's pretty inexpensive to start with, and a little tiny drop goes a long, long way. If I have used half the bottle by the time it expires in a year, I'll be surprised. It'll be from overfeeding, not volume of rotifers to enrich!
The babies are waking up this morning now. It's so cute -- they clearly don't wake up in a hurry. A good portion of them were asleep on the bottom, a handful were just floating in the current. Most of them I couldn't find where/how they slept.
It's pretty inexpensive to start with, and a little tiny drop goes a long, long way. If I have used half the bottle by the time it expires in a year, I'll be surprised. It'll be from overfeeding, not volume of rotifers to enrich!
The babies are waking up this morning now. It's so cute -- they clearly don't wake up in a hurry. A good portion of them were asleep on the bottom, a handful were just floating in the current. Most of them I couldn't find where/how they slept.
ediaz
Active member
Well Nicole always gets my jokes.
I don't know if they are eating, hope they are, but if the enriching is being done right the larvae will grow faster. Some of my clownfish grow so fast they take artemia at day 4 with no problem.
The only problem I see with the RH is the size of the bottle, it is targeted to hatcheries that will use it up in a week, maybe small breeders like us should split bottles when ordering it ships really well.
Nicole , what are those white dots on the 9 day pic? Rots? If those are rots those fish are days away form artemia.
Ed
NicoleC
New member
Gotta be eating. And that one day's set of pics sure looks like a stuffed tummy to me.
I'm sure all the dots are rotifers. The Day 9 pics are actually from the last batch, and that batch would not take artemia at Day 16. Small mouths? Just preferred rotifers? I don't know. Once I had the artemia in the tank, though, it got really hard to see the gobies for all the brine shrimp swimming around.
It's hard to say if they are bigger than the other batch that survived this far and therefore might take artemia sooner. They look fatter and rounder and more developed. The other report on Breeder's Registry cited artemia at 15 days; I don't recall oceanarus' schedule for sure but I think it was 20 days.
Very true! However, Salt Creek did not make be feel in any way unwanted or unimportant just because I placed a tiny order. I will probably try their shrimp diets when I get around to trying to raise pistol shrimp. (One of these days.)
Split bottles might have to be locals -- once you open it, you have to refrigerate it. I have a hard time getting locals to do group orders from Brine Shrimp Direct, and they have lots of non-breeder products.
mano
New member
Those larvae look great Nicole! I hope they continue to do well. Great pictures too!
Salt Creek makes excellent products. I used a lot of their enrichments and Artemia products over the years at the hatchery I was at here. It's good to hear that they treat the hobbiest like they do the large scale hatcheries.
Salt Creek makes excellent products. I used a lot of their enrichments and Artemia products over the years at the hatchery I was at here. It's good to hear that they treat the hobbiest like they do the large scale hatcheries.
