My neons

[LobsterOfJustice]

Species: Elacatinus oceanops
Social Structure: wild caught mated pair
Size of Individuals: Both are a little over 1"
Age of Individuals: unknown
Date added to Tank: Added to current tank 2/16

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank: 30 gallon breeder
Substrate Details: barebottom, flower pots
Filtration Details: part of reef system - big skimmer, live rock, carbon and GFO in reactors
Water Changes: 20% weekly
Water Temperature: 80-81
Lighting/Cycle: screw-in "refugium blub" (power compact) 12 hrs, 2x 36" T5HO tubes 8hrs in middle of prior photoperiod
Other Tank Inhabitants: 2 banggai cardinals

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types: frozen: cyclopeeze, daphnia, brine. Flakes: formula 1, spectrum
Feeding Schedule: 2-3 times daily

Date of First Spawn: First observed eggs 3/16

No larval tank yet.


Hey everyone!

I just discovered my neon pair has eggs last night. This is my first attempt at raising fish, this is the first time I have had any fish spawn in my care (although my cleaner shrimp release larvae every week).

I've had the pair since the summer, purchased them as a mated pair from Sea Life Inc. They were housed in a 10g tank with sand and grey capped PVC sections for the majority of this time, but did not spawn. Less than a month ago they were moved into a new tank - a 30g breeder plumbed into my reef. The tank is bare-bottom with only a few flower pots and a ball of chaetomorpha. Tankmates are a pair of banggai cardinals who don't like their new home too much (nowhere good to hide). The goby pair immediately took residence in an upside-down orchid pot, they absolutlely love darting in and out of all the holes. I just got back from a week out of town and the tank was looking nasty with algae, so I picked up all the pots to scrub them and to my surprise found a small clutch of clear/white/silver eggs inside the orchid pot! I promptly placed it back.

Here are some boring pictures of where they live:







Alright, I've got some questions now:

1. How sensitive is the pair going to be to me lifting up their pot to check on the eggs? Will they abandon this current nest because of the disturbance? Will they not lay eggs inside the pot if I lift it up every day to check?

2. If they are going to be disturbed by me checking on the eggs, how can I go about removing the eggs at the ideal time without seeing them? How will I know when they are layed, and when they are ready to hatch?

3. Is there a way to artificially incubate the eggs (would an airstone in the pot be good)? That way I could simply pull the pot every few weeks and if there are eggs, move them to a hatching tank and it wouldnt matter how old they are.

4. Would it be better to turn the flow off nightly, and check for larvae after lights out each night? Seems a little impractical though if I dont even have a ballpark of when they would be hatching.

5. Is there a visual reference as to how far along the eggs are (color change)?

[billsreef]

The less you disturb them, the better. I would knock out the bottom of the pot, cut it half, and lay it on it's side. This will give them enough privacy to lay, and allow you to visually monitor them without any disruptions

[laverda]

LobsterOfJustice
How are you neons doing? Did your fry hatch? I like your slotted pot and would do like billsreef suggested with one.
I have a pair that I am pretty sure have spawned a couple of time as one will look ripe and then disappear for a good while. I have never seen any fry though. They are in a 24 gallon reef with good hiding places.