First attempt

[cbitsiaras]

Hello everyone,

As you saw on the last video, our clownfish couple decided to lay some eggs. The other night I was kind of restless and couldn’t sleep and as usual I went to the tank with a torch and saw tenths and tenths of little clown fish larvae flying all over the place.

Here is a small video from the pitch dark tank with the little hatched babies

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/th_IMG_1588_zpsabdac343.jpg (http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1588_zpsabdac343.mp4)

We decided to siphon them out and observe them for the next couple of days and here is what we were able to get out with our very sleepy eyes.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/th_IMG_1589_zpsbc4171e2.jpg (http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1589_zpsbc4171e2.mp4)


Unfortunately we only had baby brine shrimp which was too big for their little mouths and lacking nutrient value so in within 5 days we lost all of them.

That little experiment made us study more and more about breeding clownfish. Not because we want to make money out of it but merely to be able and be part of the natural processes taking place in our own tank. If clown fish wanted to make babies, as responsible parents that we are, then we have to give them chance in life, right?

Two days after our order, the package arrived from UK (couldn’t find any supplier in Denmark). 500ml of live rotifers, 100ml of super high concentration of Nannochloropsis & Tetraselmis Phytoplankton and a rotifer sieve.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/photo5_zpsdc9aa51b.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/photo5_zpsdc9aa51b.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/photo1gt_zpsb0ecd6a0.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/photo1gt_zpsb0ecd6a0.jpg.html)

Equipment used by both rotifer tank and phytoplankton tank:

- Air pump with 2 channels (36 Euros)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/photo1_zps39e5748b.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/photo1_zps39e5748b.jpg.html)

- 80cm double fluorescent lamp (26 Euros)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/fhdfhjrf_zps0fc199b4.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/fhdfhjrf_zps0fc199b4.jpg.html)

Equipment for rotifer tank:

- IKEA bucket (3 Euros)
- 2m of soft airline (free)
- 1m of rigid airline (free)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/photo2_zps1718afeb.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/photo2_zps1718afeb.jpg.html)

Equipment for phytoplankton tank:

- 2 x 2L coca cola bottles (9 Euros – Yes, even coca cola is much more expensive in Denmark than any other part of the world)
- 2m of soft airline (free)
- 1m of rigid airline (free)

Setting up the rotifer tank:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/gjgf_zpsa9a9aada.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/gjgf_zpsa9a9aada.jpg.html)

- Freshly mixed 10L RODI water with salt at salinity similar to the salinity of the live rotifer pack (1.017)
- Place 2 airlines in (without airstone as I read many articles that airstone skims which is not good for rotifers)
- Place the bag of rotifers in for 10 minutes to reach same temperature as the rotifer tank
- Pour the content of the rotifer bag in the rotifer tank
- Feed a few drops from the super high concentration of Nannochloropsis & Tetraselmis Phytoplankton



Setting up the phytoplankton tank:

- Remove the labels of the bottles and wash repeatedly with warm water. Place a bit of vodka and shake. Alcohol in vodka will act as disinfectant. Rinse thoroughly several times with hot water and allow to dry
- Drill a hole at the centre of the bottle cup. Open a secondary smaller hole to relief and built up pressure from the air bubbles

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/gjdfjd_zps4481ef2b.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/gjdfjd_zps4481ef2b.jpg.html)

- Freshly mixed water from the tap with salt at salinity of 1.017. Used tap water instead of RODI because phytoplankton needs food to grow and tap water supplies sufficient nitrates and phosphate.
- Added approximate 3ml of the super high concentration of Nannochloropsis & Tetraselmis Phytoplankton until a colour slightly darker than the flesh of a cucumber was achieved.
- Place the airline in (without airstone as I read many articles that airstone skims which is not good for rotifers)


And here is the end result:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/photo255_zpsd836337d.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/photo255_zpsd836337d.jpg.html)

Are we going to be successful? We really dont know but at least we try.

For the time being we are crossing fingers that our Clown fish couple will soon feel the need of laying more eggs.

Will keep you posted on our little project.


Thank you for reading the update and wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead from snowy Copenhagen.


Warm regards
Dino

[cbitsiaras]

So our couple of Pergola clown fish decided to lay some eggs on the same spot this morning. When we came back from work we could see the familiar bright orange colour.

Our phytoplanlton culture not so good. After 3 attempts to start a culture by the concentrate rotifer feed phytoplanlton we momentarily give up. We will keep on feeding the rotifers with the concentrate which is not that expensive and last for long (and saves us from the hustle). We will consider at a later stage starting our own phyto culture but for the time being we are well off with the concentrate one we bought.

Our rotifer culture is going well. We change 50% of the water every 4th day. Once the baby fry will be ready then we will be harvesting 10-20% a day. its simply INSANE how fast they reproduce.

Warm regards
Dino

[cbitsiaras]

The male clown is protecting the eggs and blowing fresh salt water on them to keep them well oxygenated. Seems that the batch is as big as last time.

Two pictures of how they look like:


http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1344_zps71f7226b.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1344_zps71f7226b.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1345_zps9d968b6b.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1345_zps9d968b6b.jpg.html)

Will keep on documenting the process as this is our real first attempt and is based on what we have read in various threads and sites.

Warm regards from snowy Copenhagen

Dino

[jf2381]

Awesome shots. Good luck with them.

[shifty51008]

great shots, can I ask what camera your using?

looks like you have everything else in place to be able to raise the fry though, what are you going to feed after the rotifers? BBS or go right to dry foods?

[cbitsiaras]

Since I am not sure how the need for rotifers will be, i split the culture in two different ones. This way if one crashes i will still have the other.

Doing a bit of research through the internet concerning what i should offer the fry after the meta period. Golden pearls and OTO B1 is what i read but hard to find in Europe. The EU equivalent seems to be from ZM Systems: http://www.zmsystems.co.uk/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=catshow&ref=Fryfood

I will be ordering the ZM-100

Site description: ZM-100: particle size 80-200 microns. The ZM-100 particle size is similar to rotifers and smaller than newly hatched brineshrimp. This diet serves as an excellent starter feed for marine and freshwater fish species and can be used alone or alongside livefoods.

Observations:
Most of the eggs have turned dark, very few still orange. Both clown fish takes better care protecting and "nursing" the eggs. Todays shots are not that clear due to full polyp extension of the turbinaria coral situated right below and the full extension of discosoma mushroom coral situated right above.


Female clown fish posing:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1386_zps4fa63856.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1386_zps4fa63856.jpg.html)

Hard working couple taking turns "nursing" their little ones

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1384_zpse765890c.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1384_zpse765890c.jpg.html)

Male clown fish:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1381_zps1c155d53.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1381_zps1c155d53.jpg.html)

Here you can see that most of the eggs have turned dark apart from a few who are still in the process:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1378_zpsb9cc20f6.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1378_zpsb9cc20f6.jpg.html)

[woodnaquanut]

Great shots, Dino. I really like the second to last, male with eggs, mostly hidden from view!

[cbitsiaras]

Both male and female keep on nursing the eggs. Today I could notice two dots at the end of the egg (eyes) and start becoming half transparent.

Later on today I will do water change on the display tank and will move some to the fray tank and have it run with the thermostat and air bubbler to see that temperature is stable and there is no problem with the air bubbler. I do this so i will not stress the fry by temperature fluctuations and sudden movements.

Shots of the day:

Love the look of the male clown fish. He got the "It wasn't me!" look

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1430_zps242f0c22.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1430_zps242f0c22.jpg.html)

The eggs start becoming transparent with the eyes visible

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/jjj_zps8ea2d79f.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/jjj_zps8ea2d79f.jpg.html)

A nice capture of the female nursing the eggs

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/ttt_zpsafc0ec80.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/ttt_zpsafc0ec80.jpg.html)

[cbitsiaras]

During the weekly water change at the display tank I got some water in the fry tank to check that air bubbler, thermometer and thermostat works well. I will make sure that the temperature and salinity is the same in both fry tank and display tank. We are only a couple of night away from hatching so I dont expect the rest parameters to change so drastically that the fry will get shocked.

Here is how the set up looks like. I want to put the air bubbler where the thermostat is so the fry doesnt get fried but that will require alot of water to cover the majority of the thermostat. Most probably i will end up having it right at the bottom of the tank and as i add water during the days post hatching and meta will move it on a vertical position

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1446_zps6e07fb62.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1446_zps6e07fb62.jpg.html)

And here are the two shots of the day. Not a huge difference from Day 5. It seems though that their bellies are a bit more round than yesterday.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1467_zpsdd8c010b.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1467_zpsdd8c010b.jpg.html)


http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1462_zps1a0da03d.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1462_zps1a0da03d.jpg.html)

[cbitsiaras]

Cant really notice much of a difference from Day 6. Late at night and minutes before they enter Day 8 i start noticing a bit silverish colour on them. Its now 10 minutes after the lights went off and havent hatched yet. I will se my alarm in an hour and if they havent hatched then its not their supposed day.

Shots of the day:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1477_zps98b81bd5.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1477_zps98b81bd5.jpg.html)
http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1474_zps32324dc3.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1474_zps32324dc3.jpg.html)

[HunterBryan]

Great thread! I'm in the middle of my first clown batch but I'm going to let this one go because its pretty small! Good luck tho and hope everything works out either tonight or tmrw

[cbitsiaras]

Tonight could be the night and everything is ready for the arrival of the little ones. Got equipped with pizza, coca cola and a couple of nice movies.

The eggs dont appear silver enough but they are having a silverish look, especially during the late ours of the day. Its 00.23 and the lights just went off on all Radion lamps and now its time to be patient..

Here are the shots of the day:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1494_zps852fc57d.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1494_zps852fc57d.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1491_zps51975929.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1491_zps51975929.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1481_zps1d7ced9f.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1481_zps1d7ced9f.jpg.html)

[saltyjo]

Your photography is amazing. My clowns always lay where getting a picture of them is next to impossible. But your photos are such awesome close-ups where the developing detail is nicely documented. Can't wait to see pictures of the fry!

[FDAWG]

subscribed.

[cbitsiaras]

Last night (Day 8) i stayed up 3 hours after the lights went off and nothing happened so i decided to go to bed as most of the forums mention that normally eggs hatch from 30mins to 2hrs after lights go off.

So I might not had baby fry but i surely had red eyes at work :hmm4:

Today is the 9th day. They look much more "silverish" than yesterday so I really hope that tonight is the night. Previous batch hatched on day 10. Hope this one will decide to hatch on day 9 :strooper:

Moved approximately 3 litres of water from the main tank to the fry tank to get it ready. I covered all sides with a black paper which i simply printed at home. The air bubbler has been placed just below the thermostat to even out the temperature. I still dont add any rotifers in it as I am not sure if the eggs will hatch tonight and dont want to foul the water.

Picture of the fry tank with the thermostat placed horizontal and the air bubble below it:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1487_zpsd3558fa1.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1487_zpsd3558fa1.jpg.html)

Not exactly scientifically but arranging my black print outs and taping them together

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1485_zpsff87bb12.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1485_zpsff87bb12.jpg.html)

Applying the "black artwork" around the tank. I leave a small window in front where i will apply a black paper but in such a way that i can easily lift it and view whats going on in the tank

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1488_zpsa110f587.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1488_zpsa110f587.jpg.html)

P.S.: Thermostats and thermometers dont necessarily have the same reading. Reason for me putting water in the fry tank and letting it heat up is to ensure that the temperature in the thermostat is +/- 0.5C

So.. for the time being i opened up a bottle of wine accompanied with some almonds from my home country (Greece) and waiting for "a star to fall". Time is 00.30 and lights are out!

Shot of the day taken just 25 minutes ago. Not as silver as I would like them to be... lets keep fingers crossed:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1510_zps6394d406.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1510_zps6394d406.jpg.html)

[HunterBryan]

Did it go down or what? Lets see some babies

[cbitsiaras]

Unfortunately no hatching last night. Seems that the eggs will be hatched same day like last batch - so tonight it HAS to be the night

Here are some pictures of today.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1532_zpsde68411c.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1532_zpsde68411c.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1524_zpsa17fb59f.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1524_zpsa17fb59f.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1517_zps77d62141.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1517_zps77d62141.jpg.html)

[cbitsiaras]

The lights went off in the tank at 00:10. An hour later, at 01:10 we saw the first larvae in the tank. But we were not the only ones to see it. A couple of cardinal fish we have also noticed the larvae and started chasing them (unfortunately some were eaten :( )

The plan was to siphon the fry out using a cable similar to the airline. It didnt work out well because the opening is very small and the larvae very fast. We quickly changed to a bigger cable (hose) similar to the one we do the water change. That created a much stronger vacuum current and with all the pumps off (including the return pump) and an LED light in one part of the tank we collected around 20 and placed them in the fry tank.

Half of the eggs hadn't hatched so we were standing by with the pumps off and an LED light on. Seems that the light and the no current prolongs the hatcing period. We decided to switch off the LED and let the pumps create sufficient current for 15 minutes. That did the magic and we managed to get the last bit.

We placed the remaining of the baby clown fish in the fry tank. Since we used a much bigger hose we also ended up having alot of water. With the cable we wanted to use initially to siphon the fry (airline type of cable) we removed the excess water and after checking that there is no fry we returned it back to the tank. Now approximately 25% of the 45L fry tank is full. Although I have read that the first 24hrs after hatching they dont normally eat i didnt want to jeopardise it and sieved a good amount of rotifers which i placed in the fry tank along with a few drops of phytoplankton (just to lightly colour the water - not to make it as green as the rotifer culture). This way there will be food for the rotifers to eat so when the fry will start eating, it will be an enriched meal.

A total of 58 little babies are in the fry tank and actively swimming. Some seem to be larger and they are the ones swimming the fastest.

I placed a glass on top of the aquarium which i covered with 4 sheets of paper to diffuse the light as i read that the babies are not coping that well with the strong light. I am using a 13W fluorescent lamp of the strong type that illuminate more than the normal 13W.

The temperature in the fry tank is standard 27C (28.1F). Will monitor closely as drop will mean that the metamorphosis stage will be delayed and "ain't nobody got time for this" :spin1:

Here is a closeup (not macro) picture from the fry tank. the small dots are the rotifers so that you will get a feeling of how dense the population is

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1542_zpsd46e586e.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1542_zpsd46e586e.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1544_zps3c195494.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1544_zps3c195494.jpg.html)

Noticed that although most are swimming all over, there are 4 that are swimming on the bottom only.

[cbitsiaras]

Its now approximate 19hours post hatching. Although roughly a day we could notice a slight size difference. Today the babies are more interested in the rotifers and they seem to be eating some. Still many rotifers in the fry tank which i fed with a few drops of phytoplankton.

Baby fry little bellies seem to be darker which is a good sign that they eat. More fry is swimming close to the bottom of the tank. They don't seem to have died though.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1549_zps09d34a78.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1549_zps09d34a78.jpg.html)

I open glass top of the fry tank frequently to allow fresh air enter the tank.

[Wifi]

Awsome photos you have taken. Congrats on the little ones. I have a pair that laid eggs for the first time last Sunday. It is challenging and rewarding rearing the little ones.

[shifty51008]

i would also put a little bit of phyto in the fry tank.

your doing great, pics are beautiful as usual.

[cbitsiaras]

Thanks you all for your comments . They warm my heart :) Concerning the phyto i add a couple of drops in the fry tank to get the rotifers enriched and the kids happy.

Today has been the 2nd day post hatching. They are getting bigger every hour. I think i figured out why some of the fry has been swimming close to the bottom of the tank. I blacked out only the sides but not the bottom. The tank is sitting on white surface so the reflection from the light above confused some that the light source was at the bottom. A few hours after i blacked it out there were all swimming everywhere but the bottom.

i was getting a bit concerned with the rotifer count as yesterday was only getting larger but today i noticed that there was a smaller amount of rotifers and the little ones where doing their move: run - twist the tail - dart away (sign that they are eating).

Today i siphoned out approximately 20% of the water (around 2litres) and cleaned all the debris at the bottom (mainly phytoplankton that had become solid). 2 of the fry were also belly up and removed from the tank. I checked the salinity of the fry tank and compared it to the salinity of the display tank and they were found the same (1.0265). Checked the temperature and was also found the same (27C). I then slow dripped equal amount of water i siphoned out at a rate of 2 drops per second. I drop the water right on top of the bubbles for better distribution of the new water.

Concerning the light: I removed 1 sheet of paper today leaving 3 sheets of paper still in place. The light is still running 24hr.

Rotifer culture: Did 50% water change. I sieved the rotifers out and placed them back in the new clean bucket along with the remaining rotifers. It ends up being a good idea to have a double rotifer culture. Might be a bit more work but it surely is less stress.

This is how the tank looks from above.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1565_zps0d9fd5ef.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1565_zps0d9fd5ef.jpg.html)

And a couple of a close up shots. Not the best but as a proud father i feel they are beautiful :fish1:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/1_zpsccc3a09e.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/1_zpsccc3a09e.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/3_zpsd167c97c.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/3_zpsd167c97c.jpg.html)

[HunterBryan]

awesome close ups! Are you taking out rotifer water everyday and replacing it with clean saltwater?

[FDAWG]

Great Job!

[Pederreefnerd]

Hello Dino,

i crossemy finger for U and Yr babies :-)
What a great job U have been doing her.

Best of luck

Hugs

[shifty51008]

Looking good, their stomach look nice and full.

I would also keep an eye on the heater, it dont look like you have it covered with bubbles enough and fry cab still reach the heating element.

[cbitsiaras]

Looking good, their stomach look nice and full.

I would also keep an eye on the heater, it dont look like you have it covered with bubbles enough and fry cab still reach the heating element.

Thats also my worry. Do you think i should add a second airline with a stone and take both parts/ ends of the heater?

[Breadman03]

Amazing pictures! I look forward to seeing this thread develop.

[shifty51008]

A second air stone should help, if you have access to a bubble wand that is the length if the heater that would work better imo, but if you can get enough coverage with a 2nd air stone you should be fine.

[cbitsiaras]

The fry seems to be more actively chasing food. Still feeding 3 times a day rotifers but today i could see that the concentration of them in the fry tank is sparse. That means that baby bellies' full.

Today i siphoned out approximately 10% of the water (around 1litres) and cleaned all the debris at the bottom (mainly phytoplankton that had become solid). 4 of the fry were also belly up and removed from the tank. I checked the salinity of the fry tank and compared it to the salinity of the display tank and they were found the same (1.0265). Checked the temperature and was also found the same (27C). I then slow dripped approximately 1.5litres of water i siphoned out from the display tank at a rate of 2 drops per second increasing the total volume of the tank by 0.5litres. I drop the water right on top of the bubbles for better distribution of the new water.

Tonight will be the first that to switch off the light. The plan is to have it off for 8 hours and on for 16hrs. I noticed yesterday and before yesterday than the later it would get the more they would be hanging around the bottom of the tank - maybe a sign that want to rest.

Was very lucky to take a good shot of one of the little ones. Its heart warming to see their little fins and big eyes. Would never thought that such a project would be so emotionally rewarding.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1568_zps8db67f24.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1568_zps8db67f24.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/closeup_zps140bf409.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/closeup_zps140bf409.jpg.html)

[cbitsiaras]

Today is the first time the fry looks like a tinny fish. Their bodies look more rounded and more orange than before. Today i could also notice them with my bare eyes eating (a small mouth move).

Based on recommendations I added a second airline with stone to cover with bubbles the entire heater so i dont up having fried fry :angryfire:

Today i siphoned out approximately 12% of the water (around 1.5litres) and cleaned all the debris at the bottom (mainly phytoplankton that had become solid). 3 of the fry were also belly up and removed from the tank. I checked the salinity of the fry tank and compared it to the salinity of the display tank and they were found the same (1.0265). Checked the temperature and was also found the same (27C). I then slow dripped approximately 2litres of water i siphoned out from the display tank at a rate of 2 drops per second increasing the total volume of the tank by 0.5litres. I drop the water right on top of the bubbles for better distribution of the new water.

Today I removed one more sheet of paper from the top so now there are only 2 layers of regular printing white papers between the lamp and the fry tank . I am planning to leave it this way until after Meta. Last week we bought decapsulated brine shrimp eggs which we plan to use 8-10 days post hatching together with rotifers. Today I am running a test drive to see how well they work. Tomorrow i will get back to you with an update.

Shot of today

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1578_zps54268f1b.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1578_zps54268f1b.jpg.html)

Just to see how much they grow in just a day i put below pictures next to each other. On the right you can see that their bodies are more round and they are getting more orange colour

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/beforeafter_zpsa8097bad.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/beforeafter_zpsa8097bad.jpg.html)

[HunterBryan]

awesome growth pics!! Do you keep any rotifers in the fridge for back up or do you have all of them in the buckets?

[cbitsiaras]

awesome growth pics!! Do you keep any rotifers in the fridge for back up or do you have all of them in the buckets?

I am just having two separate buckets with cultures. I will be travelling in a month though for 2 weeks and I would like (if possible) to be able and save some rotifers. Do you have any good tips?

[shifty51008]

From reeds website.

Rotifer vacation mode.

Poura liter or so of your culture into a 1 liter contaiiner, cover loosely to allow oxygen to enter

Add a bit of extra algae to darken the culture

Put the liter in the fridge

After 7 days 50% should be alive

After 14 days 15% should be alive

Restart culture as your normally would, acclimateing the temp slowly.

[cbitsiaras]

Same procedures like 4th day post hatching. The little ones become more dark orange. No dead ones found during water change :rollface:

Pic of the day:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/gtjdf_zps50010c76.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/gtjdf_zps50010c76.jpg.html)

[FDAWG]

They're looking nice and fat.

[saltyjo]

I love your pictures!!! I have a great digital camera with a Macro lens and seem to not be able to get the clarity and focus with the close-ups that you have. Can you share what you are using for camera equipment, lens, settings ect? Thanks!

[cbitsiaras]

I am currently back at home in Greece for the weekend. As soon as I go back to Denmark I will post all specs of my camera and equipment I am using. (cant remember then off by heart as i got a few lenses i am using)

In the meanwhile my better half send me a picture today

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3548_zpsb253f50f.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3548_zpsb253f50f.jpg.html)

Same procedure with the water change and light as day 5

[Chrisq0904]

They look awesome!! I hope one day I can do the same with my clown pair!! Cant wait to see all the little ones grown up. Congratulations on the progress and all the healthy fish. The development that occurs in one day is mind blowing.

[ndnreefer]

Awesome pics, and great detail of what to watch for especially for us amateurs who might want to breed clownfish.
Keep up the great work!

[saltyjo]

I am currently back at home in Greece for the weekend. As soon as I go back to Denmark I will post all specs of my camera and equipment I am using. (cant remember then off by heart as i got a few lenses i am using)

In the meanwhile my better half send me a picture today

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3548_zpsb253f50f.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3548_zpsb253f50f.jpg.html)

Same procedure with the water change and light as day 5

Thank you! I have been raising clowns for a couple of years now and my pictures are no where near the quality of yours! Because of your amazing photo work my better half bought me some new macro lenses and other great camera accessories for Valentines day. I would only be happier if I learn how to use them and be able to take pictures half as good as yours.

[cbitsiaras]

Amazing pictures! I look forward to seeing this thread develop.

From reeds website.

Rotifer vacation mode.

Poura liter or so of your culture into a 1 liter contaiiner, cover loosely to allow oxygen to enter

Add a bit of extra algae to darken the culture

Put the liter in the fridge

After 7 days 50% should be alive

After 14 days 15% should be alive

Restart culture as your normally would, acclimateing the temp slowly.

They're looking nice and fat.

I love your pictures!!! I have a great digital camera with a Macro lens and seem to not be able to get the clarity and focus with the close-ups that you have. Can you share what you are using for camera equipment, lens, settings ect? Thanks!

They look awesome!! I hope one day I can do the same with my clown pair!! Cant wait to see all the little ones grown up. Congratulations on the progress and all the healthy fish. The development that occurs in one day is mind blowing.

Awesome pics, and great detail of what to watch for especially for us amateurs who might want to breed clownfish.
Keep up the great work!

Thank you all for following the thread and for your comments. Sorry for not being very good in replying but I have been very busy with work these past few days. Rest assured though that I read all your comments and makes me happy to share knowledge and experience. Similar to my other thread about my reef tank i decided to be crystal clear and honest so that you dont have to go through the same problems that i have been through or mistakes i made.

I am not keeping rotifers in the fridge and I will definitely try to save some in the refrigerator. Last week in Greece i met a biologist who works in a breeding fish station and he told me that i could put a very very small amount of rotifers in a 1.5L bottle with some phytoplankton. The fear here is that the culture might crash either from overpopulation since i will be on vacation for 2 weeks or from starvation from not enough phyto in the bottle. In either way i will try and share the experience with you. One tip the guy gave me for high nutri value rotifers is to dilute some yeast in water and feed a few ml per day and yes i am referring to the same powder yeast we use for bread. Again dont try this at home - since my culture is about to finish i will try and share info.

Breadman03: Thanks alot for the encouraging message. Although i am awfully busy with work it is rewarding to see people reading the thread and actively participating in the development.

User FDAWG: they look more fat each and every day. We can actually notice differences even on the same day.

User saltyjo: thanks for your patience - so now i am back in Copenhagen and here is what i am using: DSLR camera Canon EOS 650D. All the macro shots have been done with a Tamron Di SP 90mm 1:2.8 Macro 1:1 set on full macro. I am not using any special setting other than the one without the flash. I also use manual focus instead of automatic. To sharpen certain areas of the picture you can use any program as it is a very basic function. i am using photoshop and although it doesnt change the elements of the picture, by sharpening you get a much more dramatic effect that gives you the impression of an even better macro shot.

Users Chrisq0904, ndnreefer: Only a few weeks ago i wouldnt even have thought of starting up such a project. If it wouldnt have been for that sleepless night when i accidentally noticed some newly hatched fry flying all over the tank and feeling guilty for not being able to save it, i wouldnt have decided to get the proper things, research and give it a try with the next available hatch. What i can honestly say is that it is truly rewarding. We are currently spend more time looking at the fry tank than our reef tank! Crazy .. i know :) I am an amateur myself. This is the very first attempt.

Warm regards
Dino

[cbitsiaras]

I was back home in Greece for a few days so this is an update for the past few days

7th day post hatching - 15.02.2014

Same procedure like day 6 with the water change etc. Today it was noticed that the fry was spending most of the time being a bit inactive and hanging around the corners and the area close to the glass. I read from another users thread that this is a sign of going into metamorphosis stage.

8th day post hatching - 16.02.2014

Same procedure like day 7 with the water change etc. Today it was noticed a further darkening of the body colour and that they start looking for like a fish. They also started doing some of the typical clownfish swim (upwards-downwards-upwards-downwards)

9th day post hatching - 17.02.2014

Same procedure like day 8 with the water change etc. Today it was the first time we tried to feed newly hatched brine shrimp (one feeding before lights went off). 2 of the fish ate a small brine shrimp but it seems that they still prefer the rotifers. Today we removed one more sheet of paper so there is only 1 layer of A4 paper between the top glass and the lamp.

10th day post hatching - 18.02.2014

Same procedure like day 9 with the water change etc. By now more than half of the tank is full which enables a bit more space for the fish to swim. By now we are sure that they have all made it through metamorphosis stage so we have 28 in the tank. Again fed some newly hatched brine shrimp. Hard to tell if they actually eat it or not but they do seem to be more fat than ever.

11th day post hatching - 19.02.2014

As there is alot of brine shrimp in the tank we removed half of the water and fed it directly to the display tank. We replaced with water from the display tank and added some newly hatched brine shrimps. We keep on feeding rotifers as well until we will run dry.

Here are some pictures from today (11th day post hatching)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3594_zpsd6bdae9c.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3594_zpsd6bdae9c.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3596_zpsd4e66e54.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3596_zpsd4e66e54.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/fsdghd_zps773bf8a8.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/fsdghd_zps773bf8a8.jpg.html)

To get a better feeling of how they are and swim i tried to make a small video. Is not perfect but it can give you a good idea. The small creatures flying all over is a combination of rotifers and brine shrimp. Click the image below to see the video

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/th_MVI_3599_zpsfb5a51a8.jpg (http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/MVI_3599_zpsfb5a51a8.mp4)

[cbitsiaras]

The little ones keep on becoming bigger. They seem to be targeting the surface to find food. Did 50% water change as there was alot "old" brine shrimp inside and wanted to renew it with newly hatched one.

Arent they just adorable?

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3601_zps13cbaf2f.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3601_zps13cbaf2f.jpg.html)

[shifty51008]

Great pics as usual, isnt it just very rewarding watching these guys grow up.

[cbitsiaras]

Great pics as usual, isnt it just very rewarding watching these guys grow up.

Is beyond description. I did read that its very rewarding but i didnt think how much it was. I no longer pay any attention to the 757L mixed reef we got int he living room. Most of the time I am in the smaller room with the little babies observing them. Highly recommend it to everyone who also had kids. I already arranged with a couple of friends that have small kids to come over to see how the cycle of life evolves. Thanks alot for the feedback :) :wavehand:

[woodnaquanut]

Arent they just adorable?


Extremely!

Great pic, as usual.

[HunterBryan]

are you changing your fry tank waater with your DT water or are you doing WC by mixing new salt water and how much per day? Mine are hatching tonight and was wondering exactly when to do a water change, how frequently, and how much?? Lil guys look big and healthy good job!!!

[cbitsiaras]

are you changing your fry tank waater with your DT water or are you doing WC by mixing new salt water and how much per day? Mine are hatching tonight and was wondering exactly when to do a water change, how frequently, and how much?? Lil guys look big and healthy good job!!!

Not sure if I do it the right way but i do daily water changes from the display tank (I am not mixing any new water). I do take care though when putting the new water in as i put it at a rate of approx 2-3 drops per second. I prefer to do this during night so when i wake up in the morning is complete. Good luck with the hatching! :wave:

[cbitsiaras]

are you changing your fry tank waater with your DT water or are you doing WC by mixing new salt water and how much per day? Mine are hatching tonight and was wondering exactly when to do a water change, how frequently, and how much?? Lil guys look big and healthy good job!!!

Extremely!

Great pic, as usual.

Thanks alot for the compliments on the picture. The little guys are growing bigger although today i have noticed that they are not as orange as they were a couple of days ago. Their bodies are slightly bigger so i am not sure if this is the reason why i no longer see the deep orange colour. Need to monitor abit more their eating habits tomorrow but i am under the impression that they do not really like the brine shrimp. Ammonia is 0 thanks to frequent water changes. Hope the little ones will be good .. :fun5:

[HunterBryan]

I just placed my rock in the fry tank and turned lights off!! waiting for a lil bit.. super excited!! cant hurt to try

[cbitsiaras]

When I woke up this morning i could see the couple of clownfish making some more eggs on the same spot. This time double as many as the one before. Since we will be going on vacation soon and we are running out of rotifers we decided to let it blend it with the aquarium.

This was not though the only surprise we saw this morning. Paying attention from the top i could see that more than half of the babies had developed overnight a head white stripe. I got totally ecstatic about it and started taking pictures. One of them was the sweetest and a little one was smiling :)

This one is dedicated to all of you following the thread and the ones attempting to breed clown fish. Here you go:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/closeup_zps11348109.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/closeup_zps11348109.jpg.html)

[HunterBryan]

Great pic man! I know it's hard letting batches going knowing how rewarding it is when they hatch! Mine hatch last night and everything is going great so far! How many do you still have from your last batch?

[cbitsiaras]

Thanks! I also love this picture and makes me so soft in my heart :bounce2:

Its hard to tell but i think I siphoned around 58 larvae. Each day for the first few days i would siphon out a few dead ones. So nearly 50% has made it for which i am very happy and proud of as first time attempt. The best of wishes for your batch!

:wave: Dino

[shifty51008]

very cute smile on the clown, I wonder if that BBS in the pic knows he is gonna be food shortly:p

50% is very good for your 1st time, you'll just get better at it as times moves on learning from your previous trys.

[cbitsiaras]

very cute smile on the clown, I wonder if that BBS in the pic knows he is gonna be food shortly:p

50% is very good for your 1st time, you'll just get better at it as times moves on learning from your previous trys.

Hahahahahaha probably not! I am actually not ever sure they like BBS. In all forums they are referring to a so called OTO food which is not that easy to acquire in Europe. After ALOT of research i found the equivalent which seems to be from ZM products. I am not advertising any brands but it seems that they love this one: http://www.zmsystems.co.uk/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=prodshow&ref=zm100

Whats too bad is that now that we will go for vacation I will run out of rotifers and the only option is when i come back to buy some more from UK and have the UPS send to me which is COSTLY! But again... the reward is so great that it worths the money

[cbitsiaras]

The updates will be coming now every few days as the development is not that noticeable from one day to the other.

The white stripe is getting thicker and some dark shading start becoming noticeable on some. There are two that are different than the rest 26. One is developing a grey/black first stripe and another one a very light shade of green instead of white.

Daily 50% water changes to ensure that all the debris is cleared off. Out of my curiosity i measured NO3 and Ammonia. They were 50 and 0 respectively. The high nitrates is yet another warning that the daily water changes might not be necessary but surely assist for a stable environment. We have experienced no further losses after meta and all 28 seem to be doing good.

We feed them the ZM 100 product a few times a day (3-5). Just a small pinch with the finger tips and monitoring. The greatest dissapointment so far has been the decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. They simply take forever to hatch (around 40 hours) whilst the normal one only hatches in less than 24. Due to the inconsistency of the hatching time i think we will be stopping using the decapsulated solution and use only the normal eggs.

Until 2 days ago I had 2 airlines with a stone. 2 days ago I replaced one of the stones with a sponge filter which i have been conditioning in the sump of the display tank for approximately 2 weeks.

Today I doubled up the amount of water reaching now something more than 50% of the total capacity of the tank.

Baby clown fish have been swimming only towards the edges and the top of the tank. Today all of the sudden they swim all over the place and they start showing signs of becoming territorial.

Below are the shots of the day:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3658_zpsfb272d7c.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3658_zpsfb272d7c.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3663_zps89367740.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3663_zps89367740.jpg.html)

And a small video of the little ones. To view it, click on the image below.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/th_MVI_3659_zps759b915d.jpg (http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/MVI_3659_zps759b915d.mp4)

[shifty51008]

Thats very weird about the bbs takeing 40 hours to hatch. The decap bbs we use are hat hatched within 12 hours. Are you decaping them yourself or buy them like that?

[cbitsiaras]

Thats very weird about the bbs takeing 40 hours to hatch. The decap bbs we use are hat hatched within 12 hours. Are you decaping them yourself or buy them like that?

I am buying them like that. Not sure what I am doing wrong. I use water from the display tank i put light on as they recommend and air bubble it. Now its 35 hours and there is nothing other than a white tint on the water. I even "shaken" a bit the bottle but no hatching.. Can it be a bad part?

[machote]

Amazing post

[shifty51008]

Sounds to me like a bad batch of eggs. What color are the eggs? They should be an orangish color. Also try using nsw instead of tank water?

[shifty51008]

Also make sure you got the eggs that hatch, i know some companys sell both types. The ones that dont hatch are made for easy digestion with lots of protien.

[cbitsiaras]

Sounds to me like a bad batch of eggs. What color are the eggs? They should be an orangish color. Also try using nsw instead of tank water?

Also make sure you got the eggs that hatch, i know some companys sell both types. The ones that dont hatch are made for easy digestion with lots of protien.

Thanks alot for the advice. Tried with newly mixed saltwater and still same problem. When i put the drops in the solution they seem to be dark brown. Maybe I am too impatient and I am killing them. If there are more than 30hrs without hatching then i shake them to "assist" the hatching - maybe i am killing them like this although it seems to be working with the capsulated eggs. I checked the package and they are suppose to hatch.. hmmmmmmm If the supplier was not in London i would have gotten it back but i bought it at my last trip in UK :/

[cbitsiaras]

The little ones are keep on growing and all 28 are still alive after meta. Some are larger some are smaller but they all are active swimmers. Today I noticed one that was picking up food from the bottom of the tank which is a good thing - until not so long ago they were only surface feeders and only for a few days they pick up food from the water column.

For some unknown reason they are split in two groups. One hanging around the sponge filter and the other in one specific corner of the tank - i am not sure if it is the light from the iMac that attracts them or they are just curious to see what i am doing :)

Managed to get a few good shots today. The small particles you see is newly hatched brine shrimp which i slowly slowly face out to ZM-100 and ZM-300 product. I will be monitoring their eating habits closely from tomorrow onwards and see how well they are coping with the larger particles of ZM-300 product.


http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3665_zps4f9530bd.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3665_zps4f9530bd.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3684_zps1432126c.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3684_zps1432126c.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3685_zps7daaa40a.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3685_zps7daaa40a.jpg.html)

And since I am cabin crew in my profession - a view from the top is a must :)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3696_zps24af8759.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3696_zps24af8759.jpg.html)

Lets not forget how they all were exactly 33 days ago and how they parents look like:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_1384_zpse765890c.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_1384_zpse765890c.jpg.html)

[HunterBryan]

Thats crazy! mine are 11 days old and there are a couple with the 2nd stripe coming in. Do any of yours have their 2nd stripe?

[cbitsiaras]

Thats crazy! mine are 11 days old and there are a couple with the 2nd stripe coming in. Do any of yours have their 2nd stripe?

Mine are Percula clownfish and they say it can take months before the second stripe comes. Ocellaris (also known as False Percula) though are developing the second stripe very quickly. Maybe you got Ocellaris type of clownfish. I will keep you posted but you should have seen my face when i noticed the first stripe - like a silly daddy hearing his baby saying the first word - thats how i felt :) Good luck with the upbringing - We got a responsibility now! :bounce1:

[Chrisq0904]

I love following this thread. Those new pics are absolutely AMAZING!! I love seeing things develop and I thank you for sharing every moment with us. Keep up the good work!!

[cbitsiaras]

I love following this thread. Those new pics are absolutely AMAZING!! I love seeing things develop and I thank you for sharing every moment with us. Keep up the good work!!

Thanks alot Chris for the feedback. Feedback like your keep me going :)

[HunterBryan]

1st pic was day 8---First stripe i saw


2nd pic is day 10---second stripe is coming in and today I see it better. You can barely see it but in person you can see it well. Today especially

[HunterBryan]

I might have false percs but i thought they were the regular percs!!

[cbitsiaras]

I might have false percs but i thought they were the regular percs!!

I am definitely not an expert but they surely look very adorable! Great job you are doing. If you were living in Copenhagen we would mate them :love2:

[HunterBryan]

Yes! I want some designer clowns so bad! If I'm successful with it in the long run I think I'm going to buy some. Thanks alot

[Chrisq0904]

Thanks alot Chris for the feedback. Feedback like your keep me going :)


Isn't that the point of these forums? I know I'm still considered new to this hobby and can't contribute as much as others. But like I said before I am grateful for those like you who share all the knowledge they have.

[HunterBryan]

Your babies look really healthy and fat! Whats your feeding schedule throughout day?

[cbitsiaras]

Today I was in a creative mood and celebrated the 26th day of my little babies in this world with a short video footage. Hope you will enjoy it :)

<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/88392047" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/88392047">Baby Nemos - Istedgade Reef</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user9719115">kenneth olsen</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

[HunterBryan]

awesome video! Like how you have that microalgae in there.

[Chrisq0904]

Videos don't work for me :(

[cbitsiaras]

Videos don't work for me :(

Try this link Chris: https://vimeo.com/88392047

[Chrisq0904]

That one worked! Awesome video!

[cbitsiaras]

Today we filled up the tank with water and installed an AQUACLEAR power filter 20 which is able to totally quitly filter 100US gph/378 l/h. This enables a 3 stages filtration.


Stage 1: Mechanical - Foam Filter
Stage 2: Chemical - Activated Carbon
Stage 3: Biological - Biomax

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3722_zps11b47fa3.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3722_zps11b47fa3.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3723_zpsbb90198f.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3723_zpsbb90198f.jpg.html)

The reason why I decided to install this filter is because I will be away travelling for 2 weeks and the person who will maintain the tank has knowledge of only the basic staff. There are several good filters out there but this one was the one that i could find available in the shop. One downside is that the intake has large enough holes that could potentially "vacuum" the little babies. To prevent this from occurring I placed a small piece of tulle around it.

I still keep the foam filter for additional filtration. I also keep the airstone underneath the heater for a better heat distribution. In addition i have added a small piece of algae to be fed on the nitrates and phosphates that will be accrued during the time i will be away.

I added a couple of more PVC fittings because they seem to really have it as a playground and feeling also safe in them.

Sorry for not having the tank totally clean for taking the picture but this is how it looks now:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3720_zps5878cf4d.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3720_zps5878cf4d.jpg.html)

It has only been one month since the eggs were hatched and the little ones look and act like proper clownfish. They have their first white stripe totally formed and yesterday we noticed that several has a dash of white as their second stripe becomes to appear. If you pay attention to the picture below you can notice it

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3721_zps26b5137d.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3721_zps26b5137d.jpg.html)

Every family has its special member and this family has one that has developed a mach darker, close to dar grey/black colour. The picture below doesnt show the totally dark one but one that has a shade of grey on his little body

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3730_zpsdbfe824f.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3730_zpsdbfe824f.jpg.html)

We only feed them 2 products twice a day (morning and night). The ZM-100 and the ZM-300. The ones that are a little bit smaller seem to love the first and the larger babies the latter.

Am I getting in love with them? Totally! I know its crazy to admit it but i will miss them during the following 2 weeks that I will be away and my only wish is to find them all healthy when i get back home. Hope you are all well and thanks for reading my thread.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_3727_zps042d3033.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_3727_zps042d3033.jpg.html)



Warm regards,
Dino

[HunterBryan]

Im glad your doing good! I just placed a power filter in to help with filtration. My babies are 21 days old as of today. Still have around 60 and most have all 2 white strips and their bottom black fins. I have noticed them swimming closer to the bottom the past couples of days as well.

[BiggsTheGoalie]

That's awesome! They're really looking great.

[grmpfish17]

I got a question for you guys, I have only 12 fry that are 11 days old now and another batch of eggs on night 11 now was able to get 4 fry out last night. They parents are in the DT tank and I am unable to remove the rock that they lay the eggs on. So far every batch of eggs never seem to hatch the same night. I'll be able to get three or four on night 9 and then maybe a couple more the next night and so on. Do your eggs seem to hatch all on the same night?

I wait about 1 1/2 before checking to see if they hatched and I do not shine the light on them when I check. I scoop out what I see usually only a couple then wait about and hour and check again. By then its 1 in the morning I crank the pumps back up and a light on so they don't hatch untill the next night. I'm starting to loose sleep over the little guys, I did get four last nightand Ill try tonight for more. And the 12 I got the first time all are still doing great. Just not sure what I may be doing wrong if anything.

[FDAWG]

Great Job Dino!

[AkoAung]

they look absolutely precious!

[Anemone12]

Any updates?

[cbitsiaras]

So here I am again nearly 3 weeks after the last update. Reason for not sending any update was that I was on vacation. 2 weeks in the tropical island of Boracay in the Philippines where i had the chance to dive every single day and see the "relatives" of my little babies.

Although I had a great time i was exceptionally worried of what was going on home. I had given instructions to the neighbour to feed the little ones twice a day and siphon the bottom 3 times in a total of 2 weeks.

When I arrived back I was sure that most if not all would not be there but i was totally taken by surprise. Opening the door i rushed in front of the baby tank and i counted all 28 being happy, fat and more orange than before. Most have a splash of black on their fins and start forming the second line. All very active swimmers and eating still the same food which they seem to absolutely love (ZM100, ZM300).

The "unfortunate" thing is that they are so active swimmers that it was so hard to take a good picture that would not be blurry and focus quickly. I tried my best and here are the results. So happy that they are all good and healthy :spin1:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_4438_zps4c4b8f66.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_4438_zps4c4b8f66.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_4440_zpsd080ab11.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_4440_zpsd080ab11.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_4443_zpsa3944fda.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_4443_zpsa3944fda.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_4446_zps5a8d9cda.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_4446_zps5a8d9cda.jpg.html)

[Breadman03]

It sounds to me like your neighbor has earned the choice of a pair of fish! Looking very good!

[woodnaquanut]

Looking good.

Do you rent your neighbor out? :)

That is an amazing amount of help from a neighbor. Is he/she a reef keeper?

[maroun.c]

always a good feeling to come back from a trip and see the tank unaffected!!!
Now for the the dive pictures???

[t_a_unger]

Truly enjoyed taking this journey with you - great writing, great pix - thanks for sharing. I feel inspired to try it myself!

[Fabhellmyrs]

Hi! Where did you buy your rotifers

[grmpfish17]

Reed mariculture, or florida aqua farm. Reed has a good 5 gal bucket system that works good.

[cbitsiaras]

Hi! Where did you buy your rotifers

Reed mariculture, or florida aqua farm. Reed has a good 5 gal bucket system that works good.

Hi Fabhellmyrs,

I bought mine from http://www.reefphyto.co.uk/rotifers/live-rotifers.html

grmpfish you right that reed mariculture or florida aqua farm is possibly a good source if you are in the other side of the Atlantic - unfortunately it will cost you an arm and a leg if you want to have it shipped in EU. I found REEF PHYTO very professionals and quick to dispatch and will choose them next time as well.

[grmpfish17]

Ya, your right about the shipping. Not sure Fabhe's location is.

[cbitsiaras]

The little ones keep on growing. As their size increases the increase rate seems to be less noticeable. We can see they are growing mainly by their coloration. Percula clownfish seems to be a "slow starter" where it comes to stripes. All have their first white line fully formed with a darker (nearly black) outline. Most have a splash of black on the tips of their pectoral fins and many have started developing their mid line. For the latter some have started developing the black coloration whilst other have started with the white. There are 2 that are the smallest of all and only have the first stripe (no black pectoral fins nor second stripe). The largest ones are approximately 3cm and the little ones 1,5cm.

There are still 28, very active swimmers. They are not staying as long as they used in their little PVC homes and not bullying each other as much. Feeding them still twice a day with ZM-100. Tried to give some bigger pallets but they didnt like it. Once a week I am siphoning out approximately 30% of water and debris and replacing it with new one. I have noticed that when the water reaches the 7th day (day of water change) the little ones are not that active swimmers - nearly in a lethargic state which changes the moment i change the water. Ammonia is in 0 where nitrates around 50. I added a small Kenyan tree and bubble coral to see if they will thrive with the nitrates. For the time being they seem that kids like the corals.

Here are some pictures i took this morning. Thanks for reading my thread and for all your comments.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_4478_zpse20094ce.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_4478_zpse20094ce.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_4477_zps021321f0.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_4477_zps021321f0.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_4465_zpsd61c22e0.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_4465_zpsd61c22e0.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_4464_zps2e9d422f.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_4464_zps2e9d422f.jpg.html)

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o786/simonecup/IMG_4456_zpsa407eef9.jpg (http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/simonecup/media/IMG_4456_zpsa407eef9.jpg.html)

[gb530]

Awesome thread Dino, I am in the middle of looking for a great pair of snowflakes that I eventually want to breed. Will definitely be saving this thread and using it to help me along the way. Thanks for sharing!

Those are some amazing little babies you got there! :beer:

[FDAWG]

Well done Dino. Keep the pics coming :)

[cbitsiaras]

This is a small video made with the iPhone in slow motion which shows the variety of sizes and patterns within the same babies. Make sure you put it in HD


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdGIdWZ9M38

I am totally in love with them and I already now know that the most difficult part would be to give them to away. Thanks for all the comments and for subscribing in my thread.
:rollface:

[shifty51008]

beautiful looking juvi's, all look like they have great shapes to them. any idea how many you have total?

[cbitsiaras]

beautiful looking juvi's, all look like they have great shapes to them. any idea how many you have total?

When they hatched we managed to shiphon out 58. During the first few days we were left with 28 and ever since we have had no more "casualties". They are greatly variating in size between them with the smallest one being one third of the size of the biggest. They say the first to hatch are usually the strongest and faster developers. I love them all though equally much :-)

[Chrisq0904]

Just realized it's been a while since we have had an update. Hope all is well!

[Mtwreef]

Awesome thread great job I'm in the process of setting up and hope to have the same sucsess that you have had. How are they doing now?

[ajdiver]

I have two pairs of clowns. One set is a nice snowflake and the other is the black ocelerris. I can't wait for them to start laying eggs! Great thread. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/16/e7evequ9.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/16/emegy4up.jpg

[HaiD888]

Very nice, thanks for sharing.

[juliogf]

Awesome!
Congratulations!
your history in this thread is an inspiration for beginners like me!

[saintsnsinners]

No updates????

[Mason91]

Such a fascinating read, well done!!

[Xtremeclownfish]

Very nice, and congrats! Question what are they Percy's or ocelaris?

[shifty51008]

Very nice, and congrats! Question what are they Percy's or ocelaris?

the OP's clowns are percs