Baby Banggai & Prawn Eggs

[Guy]

Hi all.

My male released another batch of Banggai @ 23 days. These babies immediately began to eat prawn eggs. This mystery is confounding me.

Below are two pictures. The top is from this batch shortly after eating the eggs. The bottom picture is from the batch that didn't eat the eggs until day 2.

To me they seem to be the same size and yet look different somehow. Both batchs were from the same pair.

Each square is 1/8" on a side.

http://guynterry.com/reef/banggai/bangger1hr.jpg

http://guynterry.com/reef/banggai/bangger1day.jpg

[mgk65]

Hi Guy!

The two look different. The top one has longer fins and thicker black bands.

mgk

[FMarini]

Hey Guy:
great pictures and thank you for answering my question.

The two obvious differences are NOT the total body length, but the thickness, and the height of the body. NOTE the top banggai is almost 50% taller and more full than the lower banggai. Top banggai appears to be almost larger than 1/8" in height, lower banggai much less so. To me the fullness is very apparent as well.

So now we have this info, how can we ensure that we get fry like that described in panel #1(top)? Again i ask what different about this batch, did you feed the female extra eats? any new type of food?

Thanks again
frank

[Guy]

I recently starting spot feeding the female. However, this batch of babies was already in the males mouth at that time.

One significant difference was the addition of Cod Liver Oil to my homemade food blend. The timing of that coincides well.

Their food currently consists of 1/2 cup each Scallops, Tiger Shrimp, and Squid Mantle with some Salmon fat, a tsp of Cod Liver Oil and a squirt of Selcon.

My display tank also has an excess of Amphipods from the refugium that the Banggai relish.

[FMarini]

Guy:
interesting mix of foods. I like the cod liver oil suppliment. (Isn't selcon is made w/ maidenfish oil- which I think its actually codliver oil too).
You really can't go wrong w/ Squid Mantle with some Salmon fat, a littl eye of newt and bats wings work great too.
Kidding.
Very interesting observations
frank

[SPC]

Posted by Guy:
Their food currently consists of 1/2 cup each Scallops, Tiger Shrimp, and Squid Mantle with some Salmon fat, a tsp of Cod Liver Oil and a squirt of Selcon.

Hi Guy, what in the world is squid mantle and how do you prepare it?
Steve

[Guy]

Originally posted by SPC
Hi Guy, what in the world is squid mantle and how do you prepare it?


Hey, I'm a bug specialist... not a maine biologist. I got it at the grocery store. It's the squid without the arms or guts, just the bullet shaped hood or whatever you call it. :confused:

I just throw all this stuff in a blender with some tank water (when Terry is shopping) and blend away. Then I pour it into quart sized ziplock bags, flatten, and freeze. To feed I break off a chunk stir it into a cup with warm tank water and pour it into a high flow area.

[SPC]

Posted by Guy:
Hey, I'm a bug specialist... not a maine biologist. I got it at the grocery store. It's the squid without the arms or guts, just the bullet shaped hood or whatever you call it.

-Mantle sounds good to me too Guy:D Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something new;) . I tried the squid once but had a hard time blending it, kind of stringy like if you know what I mean.
Steve

[Laura D]

SPC,

I have had the same problem with squid in the processor, it kind of wraps around the blade and doesn't chop. I have found that if I put it in the freezer and get it "half" frozen, it chops up much better. It is way worth the extra effort I have found.

[Guy]

I guess I should have mentioned that all meat going into the blender is frozen first. It seems to chop up better that way. Fewer boulders.

[SPC]

Ahhh, I didn't know that, thanks I'll give that a shot.:)
Steve

[garbled]

Last time I tried that it threw a squid cube through the side of the blender.

[Guy]

Originally posted by garbled
Last time I tried that it threw a squid cube through the side of the blender.

I hate it when that happens. :eek2:

You need to get an Oysterizer brand blender. :p