Clarkii Larval Rearing (no rotifers?) - Page 5

Worldwithin · #**101** 01/01/2006, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jnowell
Since I'm off tomorrow, I think i'll set my video camera up on the tripod and try to tape the spawning
Jason

Perv

jnowell · #**102** 01/01/2006, 10:40 PM

LOL - Are there any laws against that?

Worldwithin · #**103** 01/01/2006, 10:43 PM

Not that I am aware of, but hey, if your fish are into Public Displays of Spawning, then why should there be???

Mine just laid another batch today, so Sunday of next week will be another night home for me if I decide to collect them...

jnowell · #**104** 01/01/2006, 10:56 PM

I can't make any money raising fish, but my new video series "Clowns Gone Wild" is sure to make a bundle!

I was updating my calendar that I keep of all breading events, and noticed something odd that never occured to me before. My eggs incubate 11-12 days before hatching, isn't that a bit long? I'm guessing if I raised the temp in the spawning tank this time would shorten. I wonder if that could have anything to do with my success rates, can they incubate too long?

Jason

NicoleC · #**105** 01/01/2006, 11:04 PM

Mine are running 10-11 days to incubate, so that doesn't seem too far off the mark to me. If I go back a few months it was 9 days; I'm not sure why they changed. I keep my tank at 80F.

Worldwithin · #**106** 01/02/2006, 12:00 AM

Wow... My clarks... 7 days... 8 tops...

I guess the parents just want them out so they can get busy again.

What ever happened to the good 'ol days of parents holding on for those extra few days.... Now it's just get rid of them and move on...

(sigh)

jnowell · #**107** 01/02/2006, 01:33 PM

I think my Clarkii's are a little camera shy. I set the cam up pretty far from the tank, and have tried to stay out of the room where the tank is, but still no spawn. We'll see....

Worldwithin · #**108** 01/02/2006, 03:33 PM

They know what's going on.... They are trying to figure out a way to where they can get some kick backs off of your "Clowns gone wild" production.

jnowell · #**109** 01/02/2006, 04:40 PM

I'll add a "No Dry Foods" clause to their contract and see if that helps.

I think the poor things are just confused. Their long-tentacle anenome has relocted to the top of the tank, about 15" above the original spawning site. The male runs back and forth cleaning the old rock, and part of a tonga branch that overhangs the new location. The female seems unimpressed by either location, but hasn't picked another out either.

Should I move the LTA back to it's original location after a few days if they don't spawn?

Jason

NicoleC · #**110** 01/02/2006, 04:44 PM

Anemones are anemones... moving it back will only annoy it. If it wants to move, it will.

The clowns will figure it out and nature will take it's course. Is she fat with her oviposter dropping yet?

jnowell · #**111** 01/02/2006, 04:57 PM

I figured as much Nicole...here's a pic of the new location, I'll try to get one of the female, and maybe do a little reading on oviposters, not sure I would know it if I saw it

Dang newbies!

Thanks,

Jason

NicoleC · #**112** 01/02/2006, 05:05 PM

An oviposter is the tube she uses to lay eggs with. When egg laying is imminent, you'll see a short whitish tube hanging down from her belly.

jnowell · #**113** 01/02/2006, 05:13 PM

OK, thanks!

I think she's got the fat thing down to an art. Here's a few more pics, I'm sure the flash didn't help them. They are at least BOTH cleaning the underside of the branch now...that's probably a good sign.

This is the female cleaning....

And here is the best side view I could manage, now that I know what I'm looking for, I'll do better.

jnowell · #**114** 01/05/2006, 11:57 AM

Just a quick update...

From the original hatch, I have a final count of 11, most of which are completely through metamorphasis, 3 stragglers, but even they are looking good and developing stripes. Speaking of coloration, all of my larger babies have a black spot on their tails (fin, not flesh). I assume that is normal being as they all have it, will it go away with time, or have I created the much anticipated Spot-Tailed Clarkii?

The second hatch, where I lost all but 16 on night two, is doing great, they are at day 6 now and I still have all 16. They are fat and hunting very well, will switch them to BBS this weekend.

Still no more eggs. The male has completely cleaned the branch over their anenome, and I've seen the female make a few practice runs over the area. I hope it won't be too long, but it might be nice if they wait until I get the last batch on BBS so I can have a short rest.

I also have all my greenwater and rotifer production up where it should be. I did 3 rotifer counts last night that averaged to about 150 per mil, haven't lost a greenwater culture in weeks, and now have 8 2-liter bottles of greenwater in rotation.

The most amazing part to me, other than actually getting some clowns to survive, is the improved health of my display and coral propagation tanks. They get all the left over rotifers, phyto, and brine shrimp, and the corals are really showing improved growth. Plus I pull about a liter of water a day from each for topping off the rotifer and rearing tanks, so instead of mass water changes bi-weekly, they get 5 gallons every few days.

I was thinking I might slack on the display tanks because I was spending too much time on the babies and cultures, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Jason

BrianPlankis · #**115** 01/05/2006, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jnowell
The most amazing part to me, other than actually getting some clowns to survive, is the improved health of my display and coral propagation tanks. They get all the left over rotifers, phyto, and brine shrimp, and the corals are really showing improved growth. Plus I pull about a liter of water a day from each for topping off the rotifer and rearing tanks, so instead of mass water changes bi-weekly, they get 5 gallons every few days.

I was thinking I might slack on the display tanks because I was spending too much time on the babies and cultures, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Jason

Jason,

Great news on the clowns! Keep us informed and more pics!

I agree that extra phtyo and things helps out corals and filter feeders. I have snails breeding in my 75 and every day after one of the mass night spawn my corals and feather dusters look happy as....well corals and feather dusters. Bet you thought I was going to say clams!

Brian

seafarm · #**116** 01/05/2006, 02:47 PM

Rotifers are almost a "magic feed" in reef tanks - everything loves them! I think you are going to see them become a lot more popular in the coming months

jnowell · #**117** 01/05/2006, 02:59 PM

Randy,

If you ever need a testimony to this fact, I'll gladly give mine. I took a pic of my coral propagation tank as it was (after 2 days of rots) and will take another in 1 month to show the results. I wish I had one from a month ago to show a month of "no rotifer" growth for comparison. It truly is an amazing increase in growth, color, and overall apparent health (I can easily see it in just over 1 week).

Brian, I was HOPING you would say clams....very punny!

I'll take some more baby pics tonight and get them posted.

jnowell · #**118** 01/06/2006, 03:13 PM

I think I may finally get eggs again, I fed a bunch of live adult brine to them today, and they loved it! Shortly after, the female had the male corraled under the rock she has chosen, forcing him to clean it. They had been cleaning it, but not with the same urgency. She is also running off anything that gets in their "space", she hadn't done that since the anenome moved. Hopefully soon!

I didn't get baby pics last night, but I will tonight. I started a hang on bio filter last night to help control the ammonia, which is harder to keep in check now that I'm feeding dry foods. They are eating it well though, and the larger ones seem to actually prefer it over BBS.

Jason

jnowell · #**119** 01/06/2006, 07:26 PM

WooHoo!

And a pic of the babies from the first hatch, they weren't cooperating, so this is the best I could get right for now.

spk · #**120** 01/06/2006, 08:19 PM

Jason,

Cool pics. Where is the egg site in location to where they are currently "hosting"?

Thanks

Steve

jnowell · #**121** 01/06/2006, 08:27 PM

Steve, it's about 2" from the anenome, if you look in the lower left hand corner, you can see the tentacles. Look at the pic about 4 posts up of the female cleaning the site, it shows the location pretty well. The anenome shifts around a lot, he's a little further away than normal in the last pic.

Jason

jnowell · #**122** 01/07/2006, 02:26 PM

Got some better pics today of the 21 day olds. In the group shot, you can see the black marking on the tail of the one farthest to the right, and a little of it in the single closeup. No-one ever answered as to whether this was normal, or if I have mutants

Day 21, with 11 surviving. WAY better than I thought I could do. Thanks for all the help.

jnowell · #**123** 01/07/2006, 10:35 PM

Here's a good video clip of the 21-22 day olds. Finally got off my rear and captired it, it looks tons better, and is a smaller file than my last cruddy video.

http://www.wfrs.org/rc/fish.wmv

Kathy55g · #**124** 01/07/2006, 11:51 PM

THEY ARE SO CUTE!

Worldwithin · #**125** 01/08/2006, 01:38 AM

I will attempt to post some picts of my 25 day olds... I will wait until they are "asleep" before I can capture them on film. They tend to be a bit less active when they are kicking it at the bottom at night. That and hopefully it will allow me a more accurate count.