Blue-green Chromis

[fkovalick]

I've just watched my chromises lay down eggs on the side of the tank. I have three of them and the two larger ones were swimming up the side of the tank, dragging their bellies and a small forked beige extension from their undersides up the glass leaving what resemble dust motes stuck on the glass behind them. I've been seeing the eggs for a couple months but never knew who was putting them there. Has anyone else seen this? Is there anything I can do to help them along? I'm guessing at this point that either someone is eating them off the glass or they hatch into the water column and promptly become someone's snack. They never last there for more than three or four days. Any and all comments or suggestions welcome.
TIA,
Francy in Baltimore

[aLittletank]

wow thats great. i bet alot of poeple would respond to this if you moved this to the Reef Central Discussion

Allen

[horge]

Happy turn of events.

But there is practically zero chance to raise any fry from the eggs. The larval forms that hatch are designed to live as (and on) plankton --the appropriate pelagic-plankter food items are generally not found in the typical reef tank. Then there is the problem of your lethal filtration system. Maybe you can check out the Marine Breeders' Registry to obtain (AND MAYBE EVEN CONTRIBUTE) further info.

In any case, it's good to know your Chromis viridis are happy and healthy enough to devote the time and energy towards attempts at reproduction. Post some pics of the eggs. will ya???? :)

horge

[fkovalick]

Actually, there are other reasons the fry won't survive. The Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp were picking them off the glass not long after they were placed there. One of the Chromises was physically pushing them away but I think that in the end the shrimp won out... the eggs are gone. I guess its poetic justice of a sort since the Chromises chow down with gusto every few weeks when the shrimp bear their young.
Why "lethal filtration system" ?
As for Breeders Registry, I'm a supporter but have never contributed an article...I don't think I have the well defined technical details they'd be looking for, my experiences would be anticdotal.
And lastly, as for pics, once the new digital camera finds its way home, and the fish paste another batch up, I'll renew this topic and give a pointer to my web page for the pics.
Thanks!!!!!

[horge]

Hi, fkovalick:

Mechanically lethal.
A lot of the smaller fish larvas don't stand up to a spinning impeller. If there's a foam fractionator in the plumbing --then it's possibly even worse: you could skim some of the wee little buggers out. The list goes on, but suffice to say that there are things in our tank plumbing that many pelagic plankters were never evolved to stand up to.

So the shrimp was just getting even eh? :)