GTi Posted September 5, 2013 Author Share Posted September 5, 2013 That is so cool! I wish my clowns would lay some eggs. I wouldn't have the patience to raise them though. You seem to be doing a bang up job! Thanks! My first batch all died by the end of day 3. That was quite demoralizing. The first few days of this batch there were regular casualties but they gradually slowed until I have only lost one in the last 3 days. It's not too much work but it does need regular effort for raising the rotifers and feeding the fry. Once they hit meta they are meant to be a bit hardier! Awesome progress! How did you do this? Hi Kat - thanks! On hatch night I turned the lights and pumps off. No room lights. After 40 minutes I checked and there were fry in the water column. Using a flashlight shining on the surface on the other side of the tank (careful not to shine or reflect light on to the eggs) I attracted the fry and then use a small glass bowl to scoop them out and transfer them to a clean bucket and then to the raising tank. The bowl method is slow but gentler than siphoning them out. There is a device for catching fry that uses an attraction light and air pump to lure and trap the fry - I posted details earlier in the thread but I didn't get one in the end. Looks like it would be a great tool for catching fry from the DT when the eggs can not be removed. In the fry tank Intinted the water with phyto and added rotifers strained from the culture. Pickles and Lalani have great threads in the Aquaculture section. Link to comment
GTi Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 One of the smaller fry died overnight but the remainder are doing well. It looks like about a dozen or so have made meta. Some of the other fry look a lot smaller and less developed. If this continues, I might move the fish that have passed meta in to a separate tank so I can feed them and the larvae to suit their own needs. Link to comment
GTi Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 I noticed at this morning's feeding that the fish with the stripe are more solitary and/or territorial than the fry. They are all hanging out at the edge/surface/bottom all spaced apart. The fry are all mingling still. Link to comment
Sunar357 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Very cool! Following along here. =) Link to comment
GTi Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 Very cool! Following along here. =) Thanks! I really wanted to do this to see how the whole cycle works. The rotifer cultures, Otohime A and B1, grow out tank etc it have not been cheap but if I do another batch, I have most of what I need now. It's really good now the mortality rate has dropped right down. I can't wait until they have all hit meta and I can switch them over to the grow out tank! Link to comment
GTi Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 Tonight a couple of them have a second stripe: http://s867.photobucket.com/user/markpr/media/photo_zps43935104.jpg.html'> A short video that shows the range of development between the various offspring. You can also see how some are swimming more like the adults. Link to comment
GTi Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 I was setting up to transfer the pre-meta fry to a separate tank so I could keep them on the rotifers, baby brine shrimp and Otohime A and feed the post-meta fish Otohime A, B1 and BBS with the goal of weaning them off BBS. Also the post-meta fish could come off the 24hr lighting and move to 12hr lighting. I was going to use my Hydor Theo 25w heater that's heating my rotifer culture because it is 7" tall and fits in the tank well. I went to check the temperature set point and found it was stuck on! In the cool basement, it wasn't enough to overheat the rotifer bucket but it was running at 84F. I was going to order another and then when I saw the reviews on Amazon, this isn't an isolated incident. I ordered a Cobalt Neotherm 25w because the height is such that I can mount it vertically and then use the airstone next to it to keep the fry off the heater. The larger Neotherms in my DT's sump have been accurate and reliable so far. The next batch of eggs are due to hatch tonight but as I have a work trip in a week, I am not going to collect them as dealing with the rotifers and the post-meta fish would be a bit too much for my kids to do! Maybe the next batch! Link to comment
Zia Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Rock on man, your killing it over there! Amazing you got them this far! Good job! Link to comment
GTi Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 Rock on man, your killing it over there! Amazing you got them this far! Good job! Thanks Zia! I was really demoralized by the first batch but this is working out a lot better. Small changes can have make big differences. Link to comment
metrokat Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Your progress reports are amazing. You make it look so easy and I know it is hard work. Thanks. Link to comment
Zia Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Your progress reports are amazing. You make it look so easy and I know it is hard work. Thanks. Seriously this guys killing me. I cant even successfully hatch BBS Link to comment
GTi Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 Your progress reports are amazing. You make it look so easy and I know it is hard work. Thanks. Thanks Kat! I think there is a lot to do and lots of detail but I think I have just been fortunate this time round! I hope some of the notes and comments will be useful to others who might give this a go. It will also remind me of the detail and progression next time! Seriously this guys killing me. I cant even successfully hatch BBS You need this. It's not the cheapest but it comes with some cysts and it is really easy. Separates the shells and everything. http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/Hatchery-Dish-p183.html Link to comment
GTi Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 Latest batch of eggs hatched in the DT last night. I didn't retrieve any as my travel schedule wouldn't work out with their care. Sad to see them in the filter floss. Started feeding the fry with Otohime B1 in addition to the other foods. I was wondering if I had 2 types of fry in the rearing tank but the only other possibility would be Chromis and they are meant to be very tough to keep alive. The freebie zoas I got were Solar and there was also a Bam Bam on there! Link to comment
GTi Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 Photo update for Day 12. Bad cell phone pics. You can make out the range of development of the fry: http://s867.photobucket.com/user/markpr/media/photo1_zps0f30bb6a.jpg.html'> One little guy with a full stomach (and their plastic plant in the background): Video to follow later. Link to comment
GTi Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 This morning a did a feed and I did a quick quart water change, siphoning bottom and skimming surface. Dripping in the new water. The pre-meta fry were acting oddly - constantly doing barrel rolls and spinning in mid-water. It may be that the lights had just come on. Ammonia badge was ok. I guess if something is wrong I will know when I get home tonight. Link to comment
GTi Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 One of the fry was still spinning around, the others were not. It was one of the larger, pre-meta fry and it had a deeper body and yellow color. It was spending some time on the bottom, as was a much less developed fry. I'm guessing they won't make it through the night. On a more positive note, a few more have hit meta so about half have made the transition. The Red Dragon frag I bought a couple of weeks ago had white tips and I thought it might be growth or damage. I kept it at the bottom of the tank so the light wasn't too bright. Sunday morning it was fine. By the evening it had lost much of its tissue. Tonight it is sparkly white! I dipped in Bayer so I am hoping that there's nothing bad in the tank and it was just RTN. Link to comment
GTi Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 A few more fry hit meta and one loss. A few days ago I put the lights on a schedule of 6 am to 10 pm so the lights would be on for early and late feelings by also to give them some darkness. I'm not adding any more rotifers but I am adding a little RG Complete to the fry tank to sustain the existing ones. The rotifer density seems to be decreasing gradually. It's tough to know what to do with feeding with such a range of development in one tank. I think I'll give it through the weekend with feeding the rotifers and then just continue with Otohime and BBS. 25w Neotherm arrived yesterday. Ordered from Amazon marketplace Saturday afternoon and it arrived Monday! Very impressed. Link to comment
GTi Posted September 11, 2013 Author Share Posted September 11, 2013 Yesterday the clownfish laid more eggs on their rock but in a new spot. Link to comment
Zia Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 You need this. It's not the cheapest but it comes with some cysts and it is really easy. Separates the shells and everything. http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/Hatchery-Dish-p183.html Thanks for the link, i check that out! Bummer and sorry to hear about the Red Dragon, quite the loss there On a positive note, so cool to see how far youve brought these fry!! So cool to see them in stripes and color Link to comment
GTi Posted September 12, 2013 Author Share Posted September 12, 2013 Thanks for the link, i check that out! Bummer and sorry to hear about the Red Dragon, quite the loss there On a positive note, so cool to see how far youve brought these fry!! So cool to see them in stripes and color Thanks. Now the water is a bit clearer without the phyto and so many rotifers, I'll try to get some decent pics this weekend. About half have gone through meta now. Some made it after 6 days, some at 14 and some still haven't. I am running at 80F and Pickles suggested a little warmer so I will try that if there's a next time (I'm sure there will be). Link to comment
GTi Posted September 15, 2013 Author Share Posted September 15, 2013 Day 19. There are about 35-40 fish left. All except about 5 have made it through meta. The slower developers have a higher occurrence of misbars. http://s867.photobucket.com/user/markpr/media/photo_zps7d2bb50e.jpg.html'> Brief video. Link to comment
bencollinz Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 awesome! keep it up. hopefully you can sell for profit. Link to comment
GTi Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 awesome! keep it up. hopefully you can sell for profit. Hey Ben! With rotifers, rotifer feed, Otohime and shipping I have put over $100 in to this. I really wanted to do it for the experience and got a bit disheartened with the soaring cost but its looking like I have a good batch here so I might actually make a little! Link to comment
GTi Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 I just got back from a trip out of town and all the fry have gone through meta. I need to take a decent photo and do a head count but it's around 35 fish. This weekend I will set up the new heater and the foam filter. I also noticed some of the bigger fish have their tail stripes and black edges on their lower fins. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.