My Rods Onyx Hatch

[kerusso316]

This is there 4th nest in my system.the first 3 nest I killed for various reasions.This is my first hatch from this pair.About 150 eggs were layed and about 90 hacthed.Now the hard Part.Pics are not worth it as the water is stained from Nano. Iso. and rotifers.I will start the pics after met......Witch will probley take a few more hacthes.I am learning. Here are pics of Mom and Dad...http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Kerusso316/OnyxClowns004.jpg http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Kerusso316/OnyxClowns009.jpg http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Kerusso316/OnyxClowns011.jpg

[TomRep]

Good luck to ya! We all started out that way. You'll pick-up on it soon.
Tom

[kerusso316]

Day 5......The first 24 hours were pretty bad.I lost all but 4 fish.I did not have any light over the tank...I thought the ambiant light from the room was good enough for them to hunt.That may have been the problem.The other thing I did was,I raised the temp from 80.2 to 82 in the first 24 houres after hatch.I think that may have caused the die off.The other screw up was,I was low on roterfers due to a crash{rotifers dont like 1.035 salt level}So I was using BBS.I got alot of shells in the hacth tank that may have been a problem.Your comments as to whitch was the real problem are welcome...I need all the help I can get.
Okay the 4 that are alive are doing great.....Fat bellies,good resperation and fast hunters.Late in the day after the hacth, I recived a huge amount of Rotifers from a friend{Thaks Joe you are the greatest}.On day 4 I started adding Pods{I have been culturing a SS pod that is great.My fish hunt them on the walls of the tank.There are about 20 per square inch all over the tank.I am now hatching BBS for there next food.After about 4 days I will start on cyclo and BBs with a diminishing rotifer count.Does that sound OK.I am open for feedback.What is the thought on Pearls for babys first food?Thaks for the kind words and the advice.I love this Hobby

[mwp]

Ya stole my pair?!!!?!

Good luck...it's been a tough road to hoe for me too!

Matt

[Kathy55g]

Chances are good:
1. it wasnt the light. ambient light is fine.
2. it wasn't the temperature, although one should think twice about raising the temperature above 79 if you don't have enough live rotifers on hand
3. It was the use of BBS with shells on day 1. It is usually too big, the shells cause the fish to choke and die and add some pollution to the tank.

Just my opinion. Keep trying, though, with a good amount of rots, you would have made it just fine!

[mwp]

Kerusso, get yourself some Otohiem, so far I'm really liking it as a first prepared food. FWIW, if you have formula 1 or 2 pellets, they, when crumbled between your fingers, rapidly get to a powder state not that far off from OTO's size.

Matt

[Kmiec123]

I usually just sift the crushed pellets through a cheepo brine shrimp net, works great....Did you say your SG is 1.035??? You got my # so call if you need anything. best of luck...Carl

P.S. Matt he stole you pair, not right after the ISO And SS Hookup, Just Not Right!! :)

[David M]

Healthy larvae don't starve to death in 24 hours. It is possible some would attempt to eat the bbs and that could partially be responsible as K said, but all of them??? I doubt it. I have had plenty of oopses accidently putting bbs into tanks prematurely, no major losses experienced. Not the light and not the temp. Look for another cause. BTW how many is "all but 4". If there were only 8 total that's only a 50% die off, not bad for a first try. OTOH if there were 800, well, er, find another hobby? :lol:

[Kathy55g]

Now, now.


Lets not discourage him.

[EMBRYOGUY]

i take formula 1/2 pellets, place some on a plastic spoon, than take another spoon and grind down on it. it causes it to crush down very well.

[kerusso316]

The hacth was about 150.David,I did SPS before this so I am not easly discouraged.I am pretty thick skin and love to mess with people also so I did not take any offence at all.My 4 little buggers are still kicking,very fat and fast.I am happy with my first hacth.Mommy and daddy did the wild thang on the 6th so I get to try again on the 14th.I have to put those Rotifers into overdrive. Thank you all for the info on first food.
Mat....I am learning sooo much from your onyx thread.Keep up the good work...
Carl, my rotefirs were at 1.035 I was not replacing their evap water .That will crash them.

[Kmiec123]

WOW 10-4 Best of luck....You Got this THANG!!!

[kerusso316]

Update: Half a hatch last night.The other half tonight.About 300 I am guessing.All swimming and eating.We will see how this hacth goes.I hope nothing is lurcking around the corner.Thanks for the restart of rotifers Kmiec123.Your babbies and Juvys look great.YOU the man.

[kerusso316]

If there was a question about the air stone?This was a 100% hatch.Not one egg left on the tile.........Oh crap thats a lot of fish to try to keep alive.LOL

[mwp]

GOOD LUCK! Lookin' forward to pics!

Matt

[Kmiec123]

Your definitely on to something with that airstone thing..Looks like I'll give it a try on the next batch and let you know how it goes...Anytime kerusso, let me know when you need some more or anything else..O YA. How Can I Be The Man, When U Da Man??? :)

[kerusso316]

Day 2/3 and no losses.Knock on wood.I cant do pics yet .I am using green water....Good old Nano keeping it green.WOW can these guys eat.I thought I needed to think about clown babbies......no way......Im thinking about rotifers, and the other part of that .........Do I have enough rotifers?

[Kmiec123]

Next Day or two with that water green you'll have too many. :) Awesome job. Carl

[kerusso316]

Dat 4/5 no death to report.Just eaten and swimming.I am trying to count babbies....no way thats happing.My eight gal. tank has a fish an inch[cubic inch]so Im doing back flips.

[Kmiec123]

10 days later...how bout an update. :)

[kerusso316]

Just read Willkersons book and there where about 40 things I was doing wrong.....Night 7/8/9 and 10 whiped them out.I was under feeding.My water changes where to slow.I was not driping new water.I had a falty temp moniter...75deg. So once again last nights hatch went off with only one egg not hatching.So I am feeding the little buggers.I also bought nano from Reed so I will not run out.I upgraded my brine shrimp eggs......So bring on the next pit fall I can learn from.......Oh yea I hade too much light on the tank also.....There wereseveral other things I was doing wrong of witch I am too embarised to mention....LOL

[EMBRYOGUY]

im surprised considering you past the critical stages in the first few days. did you take any pics?

my problem is the first 4 days. after that im ok.

[kerusso316]

My water changes where to slow.That will kill em.

[kerusso316]

I was not cleaning the bottom of the tank.That will kill em.
Ok... Day 4 of the latest hatch.....all is well.Only 5 deaths since hatch.The babies are growing well.I am having problems with my rotifers not recovering over night.Day 5 tomorrow will help as I will start small amounts of BBS.I hope that will take alot of pressure off the rotifers.

[kerusso316]

Cleaning the bottom every day is helping.I am doing a 25% water change in the mornings.Only 3 deaths to report yesterday,They did not look healthy when I looked at them under a mag glass.I started a small amount of BBS today and the fish are loving them.I am glad,cause my rotifers took a hit over the last 4 days, 5 and 6 feedings a day will do that.I am useing a 5 gal water bottle and feeding Nano and Pavlovea.I dont think that is enough for a hatch....That is keeping me awake at night.I thought SPS was hard.WOW.....However I love the chalange,the work and the fulfillment.
Mom and Dad layed yesterday during a major fish room rehab.I took down a wall and moved several tanks.They just keep on laying eggs....

[mwp]

FWIW, I thought rearing fish would be harder, but it turns out for me SPS won't even stay alive (except for one seemlingly bulletproof Montipora capricornis that has gone from frag to dinner plate + a salad plate (that died) in a year).

Matt

[kerusso316]

Day 6 is over.The babies are taking BBS with vigor.I also am grinding OA even smaller and they are gobbleing that up also.I have noticed about 8 small babies in the tank of 200 so I am continuing the rotifers.My daily schudial Clean bottom/Replacewater/Feed/Feed/Feed/Feed.I am having a hard time not over feeding BBS.I kind of watch for full bellies and stop.Does any one have a better method of counting BBs..............Aprox 200 thriving.Temp moves between 81 and 82.Any sugestions for Met,What to do what not to do.

[Kathy55g]

Do what you are doing and enjoy them! Keep an eye on ammonia, watch for tail curling and first bars. You are going to make it!

[Kmiec123]

Nice job kerusso, Doing great. I think the only thing you got left for metta is a quick prayer. :)

[kerusso316]

Day 7 was a rough one.... totaled to 15 deaths since hatch.I am seeing new behavior today, more fish on the bottom and in the corners.They all seem slugish.They are eating alot but I do not see fat bellies....Is this all normal for Met?

[mwp]

Sounds like Met but they're not getting enough food perhaps? Are you enriching the BBS with Selcon or similar (if not, that could help...)

Just some guesses...

Matt

[kerusso316]

There was a problem.Total death 100.I think there was to much selcon in the water from enriching the bbs.The water was white-ish this morning and about 85 dead bodies.There are still about 100 in the tank....I was worried about overfeeding and that may have lead me to not feed enough.....Still working the kinks out.....

[mwp]

Sorry, I'm confused.

....I was worried about overfeeding and that may have lead me to not feed enough.....

and...

I think there was to much selcon in the water from enriching the bbs.

I have to go with overfeeding as the root cause or at least missing some maintenance / resultant bacterial bloom = less O2 = doa. Or did you have an ammonia spike?

Matt

[EMBRYOGUY]

any update? i reayly want to compare our rodonyx babies. i think im being paranoid looking for similaries with rods, so it would be nice to see comparative babies. thank you in advance.

[kerusso316]

I am sorry for not updating.I have very bussy.The end of last month I purchased a pair of x pattern picc's.Thinking {tank raised} and where they came from.....Not rebaged I put them in my brood tank system.....Distaster......Two days later They were both dead with eather velvet or brook.I have lost 6 fish sence then.I am runing copper, hyposalinty,freash water dips and formalin dips.So I have been a bussy guy.Quarintine would have been good.I trusted my brood stock on someone elses reputation....Tip:read the book and do what it says.....I feel so stupid....At least now I know why my babies where dieing.I was using infected brood water for my waterchanges....That will kill em....Last one died at day12.I will begain again.

[Kathy55g]

I was thinking I have nothing to worry about with the pair I recently purchased. I was thinking of connecting their QT to the broodstock system. Thank you for posting this. I take it as a warning, and will wait the full six weeks instead.

[David M]

In my view quarantine is as much about acclimation as it about disease. Many things will be different for the new fish; water conditions, temerature, foods/ feeding schedule, lighting intensity and schedule... any of these changes could trigger stress in the new fish and result in an otherwise perfectly healthy fish getting sick.

So, for me it's 6-8 weeks and I don't care where they came from ;)

[Kathy55g]

wise words.

[Kmiec123]

Sorry to hear...need any help, let me know...:)

[kerusso316]

Onyx's are ok...seems the worst has passed...Keeping my fingers crossed.Also I met a fishy Vet [Dr.Zimmerman] in Barrington willing to help.Pretty smart and a great guy.

[kerusso316]

The worst was not past,I lost my pair a few months later,However I began to rebuild.The last year has been a great one. I will post pics soon.Redid my fish room.8, 75's for broadstock,3 or four compartments each.6,75's for grow out.Uv everywhere.A dedicated Quarantine system.Lights[Mh] heaters 500's and 1000's.Several 10 gall Tanks.Good air pumps.Good small heaters for Hatch through day 14.Several miles of plumbing.alot of time..And a unwavering desire to secede. My first hatch of 07 was on 7/29.Most of these fish are sold.I kept the best for the future...I will post pics.They are 6 months old and there were 127 that made it.I have had several batches since then and am raising many fish,about 1000.We are seeing many interesting patterns in my fish.My 4 year old son calls them [sprinkles].My percs have white dots between there bars. These fish are selling much better than plain Onyx.Curently I have two pair of Onyx spawning,a female from C-quest[by way of Terry holt In.] and a male from Rod.I call them[THR].THR are proven spawners, 4 days after hatch they are layin.My other pair are wild caught{WC} WC are on there 3rd batch. First batch she ate,Second is about 100 fish 1/11. 3rd batch was layed today.Any questions feel free to ask.I am a beginner but I will try to help.

[kerusso316]

Here is a pic of a few of our Booyah's Onyx.http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Kerusso316/100_4696.jpg http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Kerusso316/100_4547_edited.jpg http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Kerusso316/100_4521_edited.jpg http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Kerusso316/100_4520_edited.jpg
mom and dad http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Kerusso316/100_4565.jpg

[msman825]

sorry too here about your troubles, looks like you got it going your way now.

[jkrentz2515]

Looking good! Let me know when you plan on selling.

[Pulp Fishin]

how big is that tank with tones of babies in it?

[myreefcentral]

let me know when you're selling...