Breeding clowns, first attempt

[bok]

Actually , this is the second attempt, you can see the first attempt here. : http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2150041
I read a lot about breeding clowns, I think that in theory I'm pretty good
Now,my clowns laid second time , this time a lot of eggs and the eggs are 2 days old now.
Everything looks good so far, except the fact that the place they choose to lay eggs is a little unaccesible .
I will collect the larvae on the night they'll hatch and separate them in another tank .
This is what I will do (correct me if I"m wrong,pls!) :

-I'll keep a salinity of the babies's tank arround 1,020-1,022 ( a little lower than the display tank which is 1,025)
- I will feed the babies with home breed rotifers( which was pretty difficult in eastern Europe...)
-I'll keep a freqvent water change with drop-by-drop method
- I'll keep fingers crossed!

[bok]

I'm still in the dark with some aspects , and I am going to ask you, maybe somebody with greater experience will help me.
So :
1- I see that some breeders keep their tanks painted (or covered) in black . Why is that ? Should I do this also?
2- about the water changes : is it necessarly to use only new salt water ? Or is ok to use water from the display tank (wher the parrents are and where they laid eggs) ? I am planning to do a drop-by-drop admission system from the display tank and evacuation to the refugium . Should it be ok ?

[Sport507]

Originally Posted by bok

I'm still in the dark with some aspects , and I am going to ask you, maybe somebody with greater experience will help me.
So :
1- I see that some breeders keep their tanks painted (or covered) in black . Why is that ? Should I do this also?
2- about the water changes : is it necessarly to use only new salt water ? Or is ok to use water from the display tank (wher the parrents are and where they laid eggs) ? I am planning to do a drop-by-drop admission system from the display tank and evacuation to the refugium . Should it be ok ?

1-Some say yes black them out and some say it's doesn't really matter. I black mine out.

2-I use water from the display tank but I won't change any water until after meta unless the is an ammonia issue. But either way use a drip line to add the water back to the fry tank from the display or freshly made salt water.

[rkelman]

Yes use display water only. I don't bother with water changes until after meta either. Blacking out did nothing for me. Its more important to have a good amount of phyto in the water. It seems to make them stay off the sides and keeps your rots healthy and multiplying while being eaten..

[bok]

Ok, thank you all !
Now, some more questions.... :
- when the eggs will hatch, I should feed the larvae immediatly ? Or should I wait until the egg sack will be terminated?

[Sport507]

Originally Posted by bok

Ok, thank you all !
Now, some more questions.... :
- when the eggs will hatch, I should feed the larvae immediatly ? Or should I wait until the egg sack will be terminated?

When they hatch depends on the species, typically though at 80 degrees F on the eight day after spawn. So if they spawn on Friday they should hatch on the following Saturday.

They will eat immediately and should be feed right after hatch. The egg sack will last 2-3 days but don’t wait, make them learn to hunt their food while they still have the egg sack for a back-up. Use lots of fresh rotifers.

[bok]

Ok, so, yesterday the pair laid eggs for the third time.
This time, it was a lot quicker than the normaly 2 weeks between the last batch,
Whatever, they laid a lot of eggs on 23rd of April.
I'll be expecting in 8 days the eggs to hatch.
Meanwhile I want to prepare everything....
How can I do this ? :

Originally Posted by rkelman

Its more important to have a good amount of phyto in the water.

Just put some green water from the phytoplankton bottle in the larvae aquarium ?

[wdt2000]

The reason to black out the sides of the tank is to prevent side light which can disorientate the larvae. I just use a black trash bag and remove it once they hit settlement.

Yes you can add live phytoplankton it helps provide contrast for the larvae hunting food, cleans the water, and provides food for the rotifers. Just add enough to tint the water.

[bok]

.....adding it directly from the phytoplankton bottle, right ? But the water from the culture bottle contains fertilizer for growing phytoplankton . Will this be ok to add , or the amount is to small to count ?

[wdt2000]

The phytoplankton should have used up most of the fertilizer.

[bok]

This means that the culture should be.....two-three weeks old ? A month ?

[bok]

.....and maybe someone can post a link where I can learn the secrets of collecting rotifers. I found some sites that explains , but not very precise how to collect the rotifers in step by step tehniques .
I am not sure if I have enough or if I have at all rotifers in my 3 weeks old cultures...

[bok]

Ok!!
So , one of my bottles with suppossed-to-be rototifers bottles suddenly today became clear!! This is a proof that the rotifers inside ate all the phytoplankton, right ?
I mean this is the proof that INDEED I HAVE ROTIFERS inside!! Am I correct ?

[wdt2000]

You should be able to see them if you hold it up to sunlight or you can take air off and they will come to the surface. I would not let it clear too often or your culture will crash. Once it turn the color of tea add more food.

[bok]

Something went very wrong.....
I had like 200 clown eggs two days ago. Tonight they should hatch. But from 200 , remains only 15 ... Somehow almost all eggs get loose from the rock.
They had a strange colour , a lot more whiteish than usual.
What could gone wrong ?
Maybe that I changed a part of the water in the main display tank where the eggs were laid ?
I don't know what happened, but now I have only 15 or so eggs. These remaining eggs seemes ok, tonight they'll hatch.
But what could be so wrong that I lost almost 200 ??

[bok]

Interesting fact....even it seems that almost no eggs remainning, tonight, I still managed to catch 39 babies. So, it seems that the initial clutch was more over 200......
I can not seem to figure it out....what did I do wrong ? I am thinking two posibilities :
- I did on day 4 of developing eggs a water change
- I didn't feed the parents so well between the last two births . Almost no live food, only pellets....

So, they laid on 23rd of April and hatched on the night of 02nd of May. 9 days for the eggs to hatch....
I have a lot of rotifers! Is any way of overdosing rotifers? LOL
On the phytoplankton I am a little poor, but I will change this soon, when my new bottles will mature.

I also installed a slow drip method from the DT . I'll be back tomorow with (hopefully) good news.

[bok]

8 died in the first night

[bok]

First time babies surviving to live to day TWO !
I mean....one day old babies :

[bok]

Day 3 and looking stronger !

[saltyjo]

How many do you think you have survived to this point?
Jo

[bok]

Day 7 and only 11 alive... But they're looking good! Those are my firsts babies , and I am happy I let them live! I put them on the brine shrimp since today, and they ate a lot.
Questions I got, please answer! :
1- I know that parents spawn again in two weeks. ....two weeks from last spawning or two weeks from the night that last clutch hatched ?
2- Is there any "too many BBS" in the babies tank ?
3- when can I add a sponge filter in the babies tank
4- can I put the rest of the artemia in the main display tank ?
Thnks in advance!!

[saltyjo]

First of all congratulations. Feels awesome keeping the little ones alive.
Your first question I hope I can help...I can usaully count 12 days in between my clowns laying eggs.
Question 3-I am going to add sponge filter after mine finish meta around day 14.
Question 4- yes, the rest of your tank will love the brine shrimp!
~Jo

[bok]

Originally Posted by saltyjo

Your first question I hope I can help...I can usaully count 12 days in between my clowns laying eggs.

Thank you very much !
But I still don't understand....12 days in between layng eggs.
If the eggs matures in 8-9 days , this means that your clowns only has a 3-4 days break between eggs hatching and laying a new clutch ??

[saltyjo]

Originally Posted by bok

Thank you very much !
But I still don't understand....12 days in between layng eggs.
If the eggs matures in 8-9 days , this means that your clowns only has a 3-4 days break between eggs hatching and laying a new clutch ??

Yes my poor little male clown is a busy dad! He only has those few days off then there is another clutch of eggs to take care of. In between I try to make sure I feed him really well. Usually his favorites, table shrimp soaked in garlic and selcon, squid and beefheart.

[bok]

Can anyone tell me how much brine shrimp should I put in the babies tank ?