Baby True Perculas My First Fry Tank

[saltyjo]

After feeding my entire tank really well for about a month now my pair of clowns finally laid the first clutch of eggs since the 7th of June. They took a break for a month and a half and havent had a viable clutch in 82 days or since "Solo's" clutch was laid. This batch doesnt look all that great a bit small compared to what they used to lay. But I am happy they are doing it again. I am going to see how these develop and if it progresses well i am going to get my rotifers going again as I got lazy and let them crash.

[Clownfishfan]

Woohoo!
This batch may just be like their "refresher" course in terms of laying again for the first time in a while.

[saltyjo]

This batch of eggs are gonners already. And....I think I may have a bristle worm problem. Every time my clowns lay eggs in this "new" spot it seems like the eggs do not make it and my female clown seems to get a face full of "quills" like she treed some marine porcupine. I wasn't sure what these quills were until I picked up the latest addition of Coral & Reef. In it there is an article about bristle worms that shows a picture of a clown with a face full of bristles or chaetae from biting the worms. It looks just like my female clown with a face full of clear looking quills or bristles. In my tank my clowns do go after anything that gets close to the nest to include the big bristle worms in my tank. The nest is right under my anenome and a favorite spot of the worms to hang out and get plenty of leftover food and anenome waste. However when the clowns lay eggs, the eggs also have become easy meals for them.
Anyone have any ideas other than exterminate all the bristle worms or move the clowns? I really want another go at raising clown fish but if all the nests get eaten this won't be good!

[ClownfishSushi]

Jo, I just caught up on your project. Sorry to hear about the bristle worm problem. That's definitely a new one to add to the list of things that can go wrong! Good luck!

[edandsandy]

Hey Jo,
any updates on your pair spawing?

[saltyjo]

After losing "solo" last week I have been focusing alot of effort on my parent clowns and to reading and posting on here. I have been feeding my parent clowns a mix of raw table shrimp with shell, cyclopeeze, selcon, garlic, mysids, chopped squid and a little nori. My entire tank seems to love this. I blend it all up in the magic bullet and have a cup and blender blade just for the fish food. I use a little tank water just to grind it up to a real thick paste. I feed tiny amounts several times a day in hopes that my clowns will start to spawn in consistant cycles like they were in the spring. They did spawn a smallish nest of eggs last Monday afternoon but they were gone the second day. I will keep feeding and hopes that they lay again. Once I get a clutch that they take care of all 8 days to the point of hatching I will start the rotifer bucket back up into production. Till then I just get to watch all of your great sucesses. Mine will come I just have to be persistant.

[ernieq]

Sorry to hear about Solo.

[edandsandy]

Sorry to hear about Solo, but it sounds like you have a plan and the food regime sounds AWSOME!!! Good luck!

[DarthNater]

did you get your bristle worm problem fixed?

[saltyjo]

No. Still have plenty bristles. However my anenome that has been in the same spot for 6 months moved this week so I am gonna see where my clowns lay. I got a small terra cotta pot I am thinking about using a piece from it and putting it near the anemone and hopes they lay their eggs on it. Seems to make the process easier when you can take the eggs out on hatch night rather than fishing for fry in your dt.

[edandsandy]

Jo,
bristle worm are such a pain sometimes... Have you ever placed a silverside in an old nylon stocking? The worm LOVES anything meaty like this, and will try to eat the silverside thus getting tangled in the nylon...... then its easy to remove them once they get tangled in the nylon...
Hope that helps....

[saltyjo]

Cool idea, I really should get rid of some of the big ones. I know that they are good for a clean up crew and do a really good job, however I feel bad whenever my female tangles with them and gets a face full of those nasty spines. I always wear gloves now when working in the tank cause I have gotten some on my finger when moving a frag.

[saltyjo]

sorry double post.

[ClownfishSushi]

Originally Posted by saltyjo

After losing "solo" last week I have been focusing alot of effort on my parent clowns and to reading and posting on here. I have been feeding my parent clowns a mix of raw table shrimp with shell, cyclopeeze, selcon, garlic, mysids, chopped squid and a little nori. My entire tank seems to love this. I blend it all up in the magic bullet and have a cup and blender blade just for the fish food. I use a little tank water just to grind it up to a real thick paste. I feed tiny amounts several times a day in hopes that my clowns will start to spawn in consistant cycles like they were in the spring. They did spawn a smallish nest of eggs last Monday afternoon but they were gone the second day. I will keep feeding and hopes that they lay again. Once I get a clutch that they take care of all 8 days to the point of hatching I will start the rotifer bucket back up into production. Till then I just get to watch all of your great sucesses. Mine will come I just have to be persistant.

This sounds awesome. Your fish must love it.

I found one other generic food that made a significant difference in the overall appearance of my eggs. My Onyx clutches were coming out clearer and clearer until they finally came out almost white. I added New Life Spectrum Thera+A pellets to their diet. The very next clutch had flourescent orange eggs. I can't say whether or not the eggs were actually "healthier" but I can tell you the color was vastly improved. Might want to give this stuff a shot.

[ClownfishSushi]

Found some before and after pics...

[saltyjo]

It has been 12 days since the last spawn. I have been feeding my clowns really well and added part of a clay pot under their anenome. The male has been busy dusting it off and the female seems to go from her nem to the pot. I am hoping this keeps bristles away and coaxes my clowns to lay their eggs on it for easy removal of the fry.
~Sandy thanks your nylon trick worked well, I got rid of a few biggies!
~Jason, I have been feeding all kinds of stuff however I did order some NLS Thera +A. I add regular NLS pellets to their mush I make them now. So I am gonna try your advice.
So now all I have to do is wait

[IMG][/IMG]

[edandsandy]

YEAH!!!!
Glad it worked for you..