Slow to hatch.

[tcarlson]

I have been trying to get nice nests (dark colored, tightly laid,large), good hatch rates, and perfectly timed hatches (not using up the yoke sak) before trying to raise the larvae. I feel like there is no reason to feel like a failure raising fry when the deffiency is most likely in the circumstances before hatch. My last two batches of A. melanopus have hatched in 9 - 10 days with 3/4 hatching on the 9th and the rest on the 10th. Before that I am not sure about hatches because there anenome had a bad habit of smothering their nest until the parents moved the nest location. They pretty much gave up on tending the nest if the anenome covered it. This is in a reef tank so there was no artificial areation. Is the only culprit temp? I am not one to check the temp all the time and the tank runs with a 400W MH, but it has no heater. My only guess is the temp is dropping too low at night. I'd like to fix this problem and make make this one of the last batches of coral food as they are set to lay tommorow

BTW does anyone have a good roti culture in Houston. Everyone I know has comtaminated theirs or has a vile from Florida Aqua farms and keeps putting off indefinetly starting the culture.

[aquababy]

Fluctuating temperatures will have a definite effect on hatch time. You might stabilize the temp by using electric heaters set for optimim temp.

[Cakepro]

Haha, just buy my vial and quit griping about it.

~ Sherri

[Dman]

Temperature plays a fairly significant role in breeding. Getting a handle on your temperatures are paramount to manipulating hatching and spawning frequencies.

Get a heater, better yet two heaters for redundancy and set them for 1 or 2 degrees cooler than your max daytime temp. That should help level out the temperature swings.

Dman

[tcarlson]

Its only a guess that the temp is dropping at night as I don't have a thermometer that reads the high and low. I hate heaters but I'll bite the bullet and get one. Its pouring down rain and it is dark as can be outside so hopefully the clowns won't spawn until I am home and the halides are on instead of spawning by the morning light out of the window.

Originally posted by Cakepro
Haha, just buy my vial and quit griping about it.
~ Sherri

Why don't you dump that vile in some of your home made phyto and do us all a favor I really can't afford $40 for that dust considering that I have seen the wholesale prices of these tank raised fish. Now I know if you want to get close to break even you need to sell a lot of Ocellaris. I couldn't believe when I saw the price of TR clarkiis for $4 wholesale special. Someone has to have a roti culture in Houston sans pods and brine shrimp.

[tcarlson]

Missed it again they did it before lunch. To bad they picked Fridays for their spawning days. I have to say it was the nicest nest they have ever done. They must have started spawning upside down in their regular spot laid two rows then said forget this and laid a nice nest right below it.

[Atticus]

Your best bet would be to add heaters as suggested and get them spawning on a removable substrate. You really cannot rely on others to provide food sources for your fry as you need to have sufficient amounts of the correct foods at the correct times if you are going to be successful. Your best bet would be buy Instant algae and a starter rotifer culture and go from there.

[tcarlson]

I am in this for fun so I would rather catch less fry than have an ugly tile in my tank.