OK my male Banggai has a mouth full What next?

[Briarhill]

I've read where some have raised he fry in their sump. Well
I have a refugium and wondered if this would be a better place
than setting up a fry tank. I wasn't expecting them to try sex
yet as I've only had them alittle over 3 weeks. It's only been
2 days, so I should have time to get a fry tank running.
I've never tried raising brine shrimp before, so that's
going to be a new experience also.
I've read somewhere that Golden Pearls was used and some
success was obtained with Banggai fry. Has anyone used this
product for the fry? I KNOW I should just hatch the eggs and
enrich them, but I'm quite pressed for time having my own
business. I will do whatever is necessary to raise the guys
if they hold them full term.
Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

Best

[ricochet]

Bruce,

Now your going to have fun.

My banggai's have just bred again, for the fourth time.

The male has had the eggs in his mouth for a week and a half now. Both fish are in my 4x2x2 125 gallon with a percula, tomato clown, medium blue tang, 2x coral banded shrimp and a cleaner shrimp.

I presume the banggai is in your reef, leave him in there until about day 19. At about day 16 or 17 you should just see the fry looking out his mouth like a they're looking through a letter slot in a door, very funny.

Don't worry if you start seeing them earlier as the male won't release them unless it's relatively safe, he's dying for a feed after a couple of weeks or he's not cut out for kids anymore :D!

I usually pull my male out just after the lights go out, make sure there is a light on in a room elsewhere and the fish will gravitate towards it until their eyes have acclimatised. this is the easiest time to catch the male as banggais don't ever sleep. Also, you want to catch him without too much stress as he might also spit the out.

I transfer the male to a small 10 gallon tank I used to use as a quaratine. You should be able to utilise the refugium, but be careful with circulation and the overflow, too much and you lose the little fellas, they'll either die of exhaustion or get sucked out.

The male will release the fry gradually and usually at lights out over a couple of days or nights. Once he has released them all (you'll always see them in his mouth and his jaw will always be a little distended) he'll have a flat jawline, get him out quick smart because he's damn hungry! He'll resist for a while before he starts eating them, but you know males, just can't resist temptation (sigh!).

Then comes the more tedious work, breeding baby brine shrimp. I use Inve artemia and A1 selco to enrich the baby brine. this is made every day and I feed it to the fry three time a day because of my work. Once in the morning, as soon as I get home, and then again before I go to bed. I feed them just enough to eat in about 3 minutes.

After a couple of weeks I start to grate brine shrimp in frozen cube form with a fine cheese grater. The fry will be used to being hand fed and as soon as the grated brine hits the water, they just gulp without thinking. These guys are easiest to ween when they're really hungry, say first thing in the morning.

Here are some additional links for reading:

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/6279/RaiseBanggaiCardinal.html

http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/f_marini_020799.html

http://breeders-registry.gen.ca.us/Articles/v4_i4_marini/marini.htm

http://www.reefs.org/library/article/f_marini.html

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze24xjb/banggai.html

http://www.eparc.com/banggai/ryoung/banggai_ryoung.htm

http://aquarium.virtualave.net/brine.html

http://petsforum.com/novalek/kpd60.htm


If you want sme more info, or some shots, email me.

Regards

Paul

[Briarhill]

Paul,
Thanks for the help and the links. I've been reading
everything I can get ahold of about the breeding and feeding
of the Banggai. I'm quite happy with the thoughts of raising
them.
Back in the ear;y 80's I had FO tanks as a reef tank
wasn't talked about in the US yet. Seems that the reef tank
is much easier than I thought it would be! Of course back then
we never heard of a protein skimmer!
I'll keep you on the know of what's happening.

Best,

[FMarini]

Gee Whiz....
I go out of town for a week and I come back to all kinds of banggai questions...Fortunately, there are anumber of new banggai breeders on the block.
I believe youre answer was explained indepth by Ricochet. Actually he gave far more of an answer than I would have...
I've actually detailed all your answers in other articles i have written, and have been posted on the web.
http://www.eparc.com/banggai/banggai.shtml
The keys for success at this point is quality enriched foods(such as selcon /phytoplankton enriched baby brine, rotifers), and your refugium should also provide enuf copepods and crawlies to sustain your banggers should you fail to get enuf baby brine into them.
AS far as reading about feeding exclusively rotifer pearls or any dead foods. I most likely wrote it or addressed this question in other boards. Essentially a few poeple including myself have had limited success w/ getting the banggers(my term for banggai fry) to strike at dead foods. Most if hungry enuf will strike at dead foods. However all dead foods lack the critical nutrients. While you can keep the banggers alive for 6-12days on this stuff, there appears to be a developmental block which they all hit and one observes lots of SFS. (sudden fright symdrone). So its unfortunate that you have to leave, but the reality is that fry rearing takes time and dedication. On a good note, once you pair pairs up, they will bred approximately every 30-40 days. If you do seperate the male from the femlae to allow fry release keep the male away from the female for 1 to 2 additional weeks so you can fatten him up, as returning him immediately to the reef will allow thew female to start breeeding one more time....
Thanks Ricochet for your assistance
frank

[ricochet]

Hey Bruce,

How's Pops?, mine is ready to burst!

Paul :-)>

[Briarhill]

He's Still carrying yet, but I think not many as I thought
they would. This is day 13 so he may get more of a mouth full
yet! Got the fry tank set up and running and tried my hand at
hatching brine shrimp. Hey it's pretty easy! Anywyas I'll post
when he spits! :D

[ricochet]

Brian,

If you think it's that easy, try this:

Carry the brine shrimp to full term, ie. Adulthood!

Paul :-)>