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Shad's clownfish breeding log

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    Posted: May 11 2012 at 4:11pm
So I thought I'd start a log of sorts to go over my results.

Our clowns first laid eggs March 30, or April 1st.   We were unable to try and save them as we had a child in the hospital when they hatched on Easter. The clowns laid again on Tuesday, April 10th. Again, we were dealing with a child in the hospital, so we didn't attempt to save them.

The clowns spawned for the 3rd time on Tuesday the 24th. This time we attempted to save the babies. We stayed up late on Thursday the 3rd. We were able to recover about 30 larvae from the tank and transfer them into the waiting nursery tank. I had loaded it up with rotifers and phyto, and placed a light with some paper towels to dim it a bit. We went off to the midnight showing of Avengers and then to bed when we got home.. The next morning, we couldn't find any trace of the larvae in the tank. Not even dead bodies... I'm not sure what happened.

The clowns spawned again last Sunday. I sat and watched them do it.. It was an awesome sight to see. So, we are expecting them to hatch Monday night.

I have an idea of some of the changes that I need to make, but they seem small and not so important.. Anything else that I need to look at?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2012 at 12:47am

Need a little more info. How did you transfer them? Info on Nursery tank set up. How many rotifers? How much phyto?

Shaun
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 13 2012 at 1:21am
I transferred the larvae to a pitcher with an airline siphon.. I tried the flashlight in a cup and it didn't work all that well. Out of the pitcher to the nursery tank was with a small cup a few larvae at a time. Nursery tank is a 5.5 gallon. blacked out the sides with dark paper.

I'm a little unsure of the rotifers. How can I tell how many are in there? Are they the little white dots I see in the rotifer water? They seem to be moving on their own. I've been putting enough phyto-feast in to make the water a little green. I may have put too much phyto in the tank that first night as I was unsure. It was pretty green.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 13 2012 at 3:13pm
I have never siphoned them before so I don't know how well it works.
I think phyto paste works better than phyto-feast, I get mine from Brine Shrimp Direct.
Water needs to be tinted light green. Rotifers look like dust in the water. If they seem to be moving its probably rotifers. 
Do you have a heater in the larvae tank?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 13 2012 at 7:46pm
Larvae swim toward any light. If the flashlight is too bright or has a shining beam, the larvae will be attracted to spots of reflected light on all surfaces. Very dark room with very weak batteries and a paper over the flashlight lens is the way I've done it. Be sure to turn off all circulation.
Siphoning did not work for me. It seemed to damage the larvae.
Are these parents the Clownfish you got from me last year soon after you set up your first tank?
I agree with Shaun, Tahitian Blend phyto paste from BSD is like 10X more phyto for the money. I suggested it for a clam just the other day. Going in together on an order is a good idea so the phyto paste doesn't go bad before you have used it all.
I darken the water with phyto and grow tons of rotifers. Larvae need lots of rotifers, even more than this:

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 13 2012 at 11:31pm
OK.. Good to know. I will try without the siphon.. I was unfortunately in a bit of a hurry last time.. I'll take it a bit slower and be more patient this time. I'm pretty sure I didn't have THAT many rotifers.. I've had a bunch in a bucket for over a week now.. I know that there are a ton in there now.. Hopefully I'll have enough this time. I'll put an order in for some phyto paste. I think this new batch will hatch either tomorrow night or Tuesday night.

Mark, the male is from the pair I got from you. The female I got from you mysteriously died one day. The mother of these is a fish I got from a friend a while ago. She is probably double the size of the male.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 14 2012 at 12:43am
I use the Nannochloropsis Algae Paste from BSD. I also buy grade A Brine Shrimp eggs from BSD. Saves a ton of $$$ and get a lot better hatch rate over paying 6$ for 6 GH at the LFS.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 14 2012 at 11:01am
Is there a specific coffee filter I should use when separating out the rotifers? The filters I have take FOREVER to let the water pass through.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 14 2012 at 4:30pm
Cool
Did I ever show you how I restrict the flow in my rotifer straining process? It takes about 10 minutes to drip 1-2 gallons through a coffee filter.
Some people buy the specially made rotifer strainers which are faster.

BTW don't just leave the rotifers in the grow out tank until you have a batch of Clownfish larvae. To keep the population vibrant, continually feed them and continually remove some a few times a week to feed to the main tank.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 14 2012 at 5:01pm
No, you never showed me that.. I'd be interested in how you do it.. I have the rotifers in a 5 gallon bucket with an airstone.. I put a small squirt of the phyto feast in every other day..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 16 2012 at 1:55pm
Well, I'm not sure what happened last night.. It looks like they decided to hatch before the lights went out.. I tried to fudge it by leaving the lights on later because we had company over. When I got to it there were very few eggs left. I was able to retrieve one lone larvae and transfer it to the nursery tank. He was still swimming around this morning when I left for work, so bonus.. He made it through the night..

It looks like my rotifer cultures are doing well. I had a ton of them to transfer into the nursery tank.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WhiteReef Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 16 2012 at 3:01pm
Sweet! Mine are a day or so away from hatching, but I fear that my rotifer cultures are not there yet. Any way good luck to you.
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You'll get them on the next batch.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 21 2012 at 1:35pm
The lone larvae I saved made it just about 24 hours, then I found him lying on his side in the tank.. :(

The clowns laid eggs again last night.. This time in a different location. They are right on top of a rock above the anemone this time as opposed to up underneath like last time. Do they change spawning locations often?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2012 at 2:46pm
The eggs should hatch tonight.. I've picked up some BSD nanno as well as some golden pearls. The rock that the fish laid the eggs on is easily moved, so I am going to move the whole rock in a bucket keeping it submerged the whole time. That should help considerably. I know some people have said that they had less luck with moving the rock, but you can't get any more loss than the 100% loss that I'm already getting..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 31 2012 at 11:42pm

How did the hatch  go? I start feeding GP's at about 14 days I crush them up small at first.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 01 2012 at 12:40am
I'm not sure what happened.. Nothing hatched.. It's like they all died still stuck to the rock.. :(
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WhiteReef Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 01 2012 at 8:45am
Don't give up, but that does suck hair algae!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sabeypets Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 01 2012 at 5:45pm
Did you move the eggs? If so, did you aerate them?
Shaun
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