Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) Breeding Log!

mwp · #1 04/14/2006, 12:20 AM

Well, this evening's events have forced me to start a new long (I'll get the gobies, margaritophorus and bangaii's done at some point...trust me).

I'm sitting here typing this an dour pair of mandarins is doing their courtship deal at the surface. Got it on VID, and got pictures. I'm getting ready to capture some eggs after turning out the lights...granted the lights on the cardinalfish tank went off 15 minutes ago and I'm waiting for the release of the A. leptacanthus larvae. CRAPOLA - I'm supposed to be heading to MN in 6 hours

I'll maybe post ONE picture before I leave..the rest later on when we return.

MP

stykthyn · #2 04/14/2006, 12:53 AM

pics man, need pis. that vid sounds sweet too.

mwp · #3 04/14/2006, 01:04 AM

Well, can I say this? I think I can say this. Not sure, but maybe I can say this.

SCREW THE CARDINALFISH LARVAE, WE HAVE HAD A MANDARIN SPAWN!

MP

mwp · #4 04/14/2006, 01:16 AM

OK, so let me backtrack now that the eggs are in place and the pictures and downloading onto the laptop...

I noticed that over the last couple days our female mandarin has simply been getting fatter, fatter and fatter. This evening, I decided to take some pics...she practically looked SICK!

That's when I noticed the courtship fire up. I've 'read up' the Coral's Magazine Article on the Spotted Mandarin breeding, so I knew what I was looking for.

Well, they started making passes at the surface. Keep in mind they have a whole 24 gallon NANO CUBE's height to deal with. I turned out the lights at the usual time, left the moonlights on.

INSTANTLY, ALL the fins on both fish went UP and STAYED UP - courtship kicked into HIGH gear. I've suspected a couple spawns in the past...but never witnessed any courtship. Anyway, these guys kept starting their spawning runs only a couple inches from the surface. They'd place their ventral openings together, each titled 45 degrees or so, and push at the surface, spitting water. I have to saw "WOW" - I've never seen a mandarin in spawning color under a moonlight...those green stripes stand out as pale blue on a black background - it's AMAZING looking, especially with ALL the fins flared, but you have to have good NIGHT EYES!

After a bit of this, I accidentally hit the glass of the tank with the camera...they both shot away. I figured that would probably end it. Within a few minutes they were back at it...I didn't even try to count how many passes they made. I had turned the aquarium pumps off, but twice during the "early night" I turned them back on, just to keep stuff from getting stagnant.

I was really starting to give up hope...I want to say I turned the lights out around 12:15 am central time. Anyway, to make the long story short, they somehow managed to figure it out without any vertical room, and in a mad dash eggs (and I hope milt) shot across the surface of the tank.

SHOW's OVER folks - I quickly scooped out what I could (I literally had no containers to spare) and then looked - tons of eggs floating at the surface. I ditched the seahorses few remaining red shrimp (down the drain, I was gonna strain 'em out and place 'em in the tank but the excitement got the better of me). Oh well..I had opened up the .5 gallon specimen cup.

ON came the lights, and I took one quick picture of the surface scattered with eggs (I hope it turns out) - quickly get to the business of skimming off as many eggs as I could, then ran airline and rigid tubing to a lower corner, adjusted the air to what I HOPE will provided acceptable flow for development, and now I'm here typing this

Pics to come soon...I'm supposed to be in the car driving to Minnesota in 4 hours, 45 minutes, and I haven't even packed!

MP

mwp · #5 04/14/2006, 01:30 AM

OK, I really need to get some SLEEP. The video is QUICKTIME and is uncompressed, so it will be a relative BIG download (10 MB+) but hey, what do you want from a guy who stayed up this late just to get the eggs

First, the pictures:

And the vid...shot about mid-way in the photo series above:

http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/nanoreef/DSCN1473.MOV

HOPEFULLY these eggs will incubate long enough that I don't even need to worry about them until we get back Sunday

Have a great Easter/Passover weekend.

MP

Siklid · #6 04/14/2006, 02:01 AM

dude

AMAZING PICS and the vid is perfection

good luck

stykthyn · #7 04/14/2006, 02:05 AM

simply beautiful

FuEl · #8 04/14/2006, 02:42 AM

Awesome photos.

Kathy55g · #9 04/14/2006, 07:00 AM

WOW

mano · #10 04/14/2006, 12:47 PM

Very cool!

David M · #11 04/14/2006, 11:20 PM

Waaaaaahhh I can't it to play, all I get is a picture of a film strip with a clock in it

Siklid · #12 04/15/2006, 02:01 AM

David M

install quicktime

reefkeeper27439 · #13 04/15/2006, 06:31 PM

WOW i love mandarins. I have a question tho...... About 2 years ago i bought one male mandarin but he died about 2 days after his body was couvered by white stuff. What was this from?

reefkeeper27439 · #14 04/15/2006, 06:37 PM

I just rwad your long post HOW DARE YOU KILL BABY SEAHORSES AND BABY SHRIMP! You took them from there parents only to dump them down the drain! You have no right to call your self a reefkeeper you murderer

rsman · #15 04/15/2006, 06:58 PM

there is a chance we misunderstood this BUT

I ditched the seahorses few remaining red shrimp (down the drain, I was gonna strain 'em out and place 'em in the tank but the excitement got the better of me). sounds like he ditched the SOON TO BE FOOD shrimp, not the seahorses.

David M · #16 04/15/2006, 07:26 PM

Some people's kids, eh?

I'm guessing he was speed reading and skipped every other word

Kathy55g · #17 04/15/2006, 08:37 PM

Here is where correct punctuation would have made it clear and prevented an electronic fist fight. Thank you Miss Rothschild and Sister Regina Marie.

sunfishh · #18 04/16/2006, 11:07 AM

So what is the next step. I am assuming you are aerating the eggs and put an antifungus med in it. Is this true?

reefkeeper27439 · #19 04/16/2006, 12:57 PM

No i wasnt speed reading. He had no right to dump out ANY living thing in the drain if they were feeder shrimp or sea horses he still killed them.

reefkeeper27439 · #20 04/16/2006, 12:59 PM

oh and David M are you trying to insult me? So you think its ok to dump baby fish down the drain? You must be one of those people who cull there fish huh?

David M · #21 04/16/2006, 03:15 PM

Wasn't trying to be insulting, just figured you misread the post was all. I apologize for making a joke of it.

Siklid · #22 04/16/2006, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reefkeeper27439
No i wasnt speed reading. He had no right to dump out ANY living thing in the drain if they were feeder shrimp or sea horses he still killed them.

? you never had a hamburger save the Rhetoric

Nagel · #23 04/16/2006, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reefkeeper27439
You must be one of those people who cull there fish huh?

Ok, First, back on track, this thread has some awesome pics and a great video.. Kudos man! That's some sweet stuff!

Second. In regards to culling. Lets think of it like this. Maybe, just MAYBE 1 out of every 10,000 clownfish eggs laid in a reef become an adult. For arguments sake, we'll say they are Maroon clowns, and ~ 1000 eggs per nest (I know, can be larger / smaller, I'm just doing simple math). Thats 1 fish survived for 10 nests laid. In captivity, we MUST cull. I know good breeders can make 85% at times, so it is an absolute necessity, and one that happens in nature.. If you think culling is bad, perhaps the Fish Breeding Forum is not for you. I don't like the thought of culling, but it IS a necessary evil.

FMarini · #24 04/16/2006, 10:38 PM

Ok Folks-
I've tried to allow everyones opinion to stand.
Everyones opinion is just that --an opinion. Be it right, wrong or different. WE do not go after people because their opinion is different than yours or mine.

I've been asked to do something about this thread, therefore- we are all adults here and I will allow a 24hr cool off period on it.

I will only allow posts on here that have to do w/ green mandarin breeding.
If there is a philosophical debate -- I edit/remove posts and lock it down.

I hate to do something like this on a thread w/ so much great info on it, but I also have to ensure we follow the rules.

Nagel- I appreciate your comments

frank

Nagel · #25 04/16/2006, 11:26 PM

And to set it on the right foot

Have you given any thought to foods for the mandarin fry? I know some have been successfully raised, though its not common. Are you thinking copepods? I would think rotifers might not do the trick, especially if the fry settle quickly and start picking the rocks..

Keep us updated.. Captive Bred mandarins who are eating prepared foods are an AWESOME alternative to the wild-caughts that are difficult, if not impossible, to change their eating habits.