YWG pairing attempt - Page 4

tcarlson · #76 05/01/2004, 01:38 PM

Did she lay?

My little one is putting on some inches and the big guy is showing an interest. He perches himself on my clam to get a better view. Too bad the flame angel and 6 Line still swoop down and bother the little guy, but the little guy still sits out on the sand bed all day long none the less.

NicoleC · #77 05/01/2004, 05:15 PM

I'm not sure. She suddenly got skinny, then got fat again but not as obviously lumpy, since she has filled and grown out a bit. Both are being remarkably antisocial, always hang near the den and the "male" has even been chasing the clowns a bit. I don't know if this is just typical pair behavior or not.

No sign of eggs or fry, but there are plenty of places near their den they could hide them from me.

oceanarus · #78 05/01/2004, 05:29 PM

I am 99% sure you will never see the nest if they do spawn. It will be attached by threads from the roof of their den/cave. And when they fry hatch out (in 4 days) they are extremely tiny, almost small enough to be eaten by newly hatched ocellaris, so chances are you won't notice the fry either.

NicoleC · #79 05/01/2004, 06:05 PM

Ah. Well, if they ARE spawning, maybe my corals will be getting some late night snacks.

Do your pairs act like home bodies? Well, more so than YWG's do anyway?

If the fry hatch in 4 days, they lay eggs... every 8-10 days? That would kind of fit with waxing and waning of her stomach that I've seen.

I have also seen both of them injured lately. One day the "male" had a big bloody streak on his face, and the "female" is missing a chunk of dorsal fin as of yesterday. Would they be sustaining injuries while spawning, or are they fighting? Nobody in the tank bothers them at all.

oceanarus · #80 05/01/2004, 09:50 PM

Hard to put a time period on the frequency of spawns. With our pair, the more intensely they are fed the quicker the female gets ripe and the more frequently they spawn. And when their feedings are reduced, longer periods of time between spawns.

I think your surest signs of a spawn are going to be:
1) The female going suddenly from grotesquely obese to skinny (our female will get really fat!)
2) The male staying in the cave all the time, except to come out for food, and that is if the female lets him.

We haven't observed any real aggressiveness with our pair. When it is time to spawn, Amy has seen the male come out of the cave, sorta sit ontop of the female and swim back into the cave with her. I'm usually at work because they spawn early in the day.

aquariumclown · #81 05/01/2004, 09:57 PM

Interesting stuff! Nicole, put some night goggles on! 8-)

NicoleC · #82 05/02/2004, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oceanarus
I think your surest signs of a spawn are going to be:
1) The female going suddenly from grotesquely obese to skinny (our female will get really fat!)
2) The male staying in the cave all the time, except to come out for food, and that is if the female lets him.

We haven't observed any real aggressiveness with our pair. When it is time to spawn, Amy has seen the male come out of the cave, sorta sit ontop of the female and swim back into the cave with her. I'm usually at work because they spawn early in the day.

Hmmm. I'm not sure if I'd call her fat stages obese. The one I think is the male is still quite a bit larger, so maybe she is trying to exert control and they are fighting a bit? Neither one is leaving the den mouth much, and one tends to guard the front and one the back entrance.

On your question of coloration, both are getting darker and a bit greenish. Perhaps because they are in their dens so often?

Physically, they're faces have changed a bit too since pairing. It's hard to pin down, but they are more rugged and muscular looking.

NicoleC · #83 05/04/2004, 09:33 PM

More pics of the happy couple:

Classic snuggle pose:

What?!

nanocat · #84 05/05/2004, 08:59 AM

I love it. They sure look like they're honeymooning. That second pic is hilarious..."why is that lady pointing that big thing at us again? where's the food?"

NicoleC · #85 05/05/2004, 09:33 AM

They do not like the camera one bit. I was surprised they let me take pictures of them for so long last night until I could get some good ones. Darn camera wants to focus on the glass.

I remove the big rock that was in front of their den -- I waited so long thinking they would be disturbed. I replaced it with a bit of rubble to protect part of their front doorway. They LOVE it. They've been out a lot more, more acctive, and this also means they can watch me when I'm on the couch, which they seem to appreciate.

"She" is hysterical. She stamps her fins at me when she is mad, usually when she thinks I'm too close. "He" is starting to learn this behavior, too., but she'll come right up to the glass to challenge me.

gwrulzmylife · #86 05/05/2004, 12:25 PM

This is a great thread! Keep us posted!

SOREVIV476 · #87 05/06/2004, 04:20 PM

hi nicolec i just read te whole thread .. great thread i saw another ywg yesterday i was thinking of buying it but i said no i ned to see the one i have now eat b4 i can get another one plus my tank is only 30gln .. i bought some formula 1 frozen food for my ywg and he loves it he ate 2 big chunks of it thanks for the advice also i may be able to come 2night to p/u some food i will call you if i am able to .. do you have any zoo's for sale looking for orange or pink or yellow or ne unusaul color ..is 2 ywg to much for my 30gln tank lots of rock where they can hide plus i only plan on keeping 2 false percs plus the bi color i have now

NicoleC · #88 05/06/2004, 04:54 PM

I think the 2 YWG's plus 2 percs and bicolor blenny is pretty high for your bioload, especially when they start to grow up. I really wouldn't go with that many fish. Besides, given the erratic and unpredicatable nature of YWG goby pairs, you need to have a second tank cycled and ready to first quarantine your new goby, and also to hold the 2nd goby if they begin fighting. Or 3rd or 4th

The Formula 1 is a great choice and I am glad to hear he is eating. I'll be available tonight if you want to come by. I don't have any zoas I can frag for you at the moment, but you may be able to get some at the OC swap coming up.

aquariumclown · #89 05/06/2004, 05:03 PM

Nicole,

I think I want a pair YWG in my new tank. Let me know if you see any

Thanks!

Leo

SOREVIV476 · #90 05/06/2004, 05:11 PM

aquariumclown

they have some in tongs in brea kinda pricey look very healthy i think he is asking 24.00 per clown .. i found mine on monday in placentia of yorba linda and rose i dont remeber the name of the fs but the have alot of coooool things in there all kinds of gobies lots of corals i paid 14.99 for mine he had 3 left all 3 look heallthy the lfs in brea is of imperial and laurel name is tongs tropical fish same plaza as the good guys

NicoleC · #91 05/06/2004, 05:52 PM

$24?! That's a lot for a YWG, even at Tongs. Maybe they are captive bred? Jeff's gets them all the time, and I have seen a pair there before in the community tank.

I think I started a new So Cal trend.

Leo, are you going to set up the new tank and cure new rock in it, then move your stuff over?

aquariumclown · #92 05/06/2004, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NicoleC
$24?! That's a lot for a YWG, even at Tongs. Maybe they are captive bred? Jeff's gets them all the time, and I have seen a pair there before in the community tank.

Leo, are you going to set up the new tank and cure new rock in it, then move your stuff over?

Yes, I'm not moving anything into the new tank until it stablizes.

Quote:

I think I started a new So Cal trend.

I didn't think(and didn't know) YWG could be paired, that's one reason I got interested.

SOREVIV476 · #93 05/07/2004, 09:51 AM

hi nicolec,

yesterday when i got out of work i went home and my girlfriend was there she bought me a flame angel wich is one of the fish i wanted but not yet anyhow i put him in my tank and when the ywg saw him he looked scared and then he cam out of his cave and was swimming around all over the place and laying in the sand in the front of the tank for about 4 hrs i never saw him go back to his cave for a while i was excited because he was in the front of the tank wich to me looked like he was playing he ate and everything but when the flame swam buy him he would swim away liek he was scared i noticed the flame swims all over the place and go's in and out of the rocks he doesnt bother the ywg or my blenny or my percs i was just wonder if this is normal or do u think he is scared and unhappy because of the flame? i put some pvc pipe under a new cave that i made myself but he wouldnt go near it i hope he makes that his new home i made it small enough so the flame cant swim by his cave .. i hope he dosnt get sick cus i really like the lil booger .. my niece named him gobie trice after this hip hop artist named obie trice =) if i have to get rid of the flame i will ... pls hlp you are the ywg expert

NicoleC · #94 05/07/2004, 11:11 AM

I definately can't claim to be a YWG expert! Oceanarus probably has that title around here since he breeds them.

So you have 2 ocellaris, a YWG, a bi-color blenny and a flame angel in a 30g tank? You are definately overstocked, and a 30g is a bit small for a flame angel anyway. (You do know they often eat corals, right?) Plus, you didn't QT the angel, which puts all your fish and the angel at risk of disease.

The YWG is probably frightened partally because there's a new fish, partially because there's a big flashy fish, and partially because the tank is overcrowded.

IMO, something has to go. I'd take the angel back, then buy your girlfriend flowers to say you are sorry and please don't buy me any more surprises

Save the extra fish until you upgrade to a bigger tank.

SOREVIV476 · #95 05/07/2004, 12:12 PM

yup in a 30gln o my bro will be making a sump for me will be in the weekend 10gln under the stand .. and how do you qt your fish what do you do.. do you use chemicals .. my bro fresh water dips his fish b4 putting them in to a tank but i think that cruel i also plan on getting a hob skimmer .. trying to get one from gho (gregory) i would by nanocats striaght out but she said its noisy and i have a newborn so that wont work i barelly get enough sleep as it is .. sorry i wasnt able to swing buy yesterday or call you my girlfriend sadi she had a surprise for me ..... i told her the flame needed a bigger tank and she said why he was in a lil cube at the lfs .. i left that one alone after i laughed though.. but thanks for all the info and i think you an expert

white_queen · #96 05/07/2004, 12:27 PM

Just wanted to say HI and thanks so much for sharing the story! Love it (and the beautiful pics).

Angela <><

NicoleC · #97 05/07/2004, 01:49 PM

No, just keep them in their own tank for 30 days+ and watch them for signs of illness. If they don't eat well, don't gain weight, have stringy poop, spots or other problem signs, then you can worry about diagnosing and treating for something specific. JMO -- some people treat anyway.

A brief FW dip is not cruel to many fish. Clowns and damsels, for example, handle it easily. As long as you do it properly (match temp and ph), limit it to 2-3 minutes and take them out if they appear distressed they are fine. I don't think it's really necessary unless you are treating for something specific, though.

nanocat · #98 05/07/2004, 02:35 PM

You can get a 10g. glass tank for QT for between $8.99 and 9.99 at many LFS, WalMart, Petco etc.

Add a cheap HOB filter, a heater (unless your water stays around 78), and any light, and you're good to go. If the room gets a lot of ambient light, you don't even need to buy a light. You'll be using the QT tank barebottom with a couple of pvc pipes, so you don't have to worry about livesand, liverock, corals, etc. Use parent water from your main tank, and then add new salt water to your main tank. Think of it as a mini waterchange

Just watch your ammonia and nitrite levels if your HOB filter is new. I keep a biowheel in my sump, so if I need to use it, it already has some bacteria going.

SOREVIV476 · #99 05/07/2004, 02:43 PM

thanks nanocat sounds like a great idea i will do that hey by the way how much noise does your skimmer really make ?? also is it one of those big ones that sits on the ground or how does it look ne pics?

nanocat · #**100** 05/08/2004, 12:33 AM

Thread drift

There are pics of prizm skimmers on most online marine sites, probably one at Marine Depot.

No, it's not the big sit on the floor kind, those are "in sump" skimmers (what I'm using now on my 80g.).

The prizm sits on the back of the tank wall. It doesn't show much from the front. I probably exaggerate the sound, but you can hear it. If you want to come over, I'd be happy to hang it on the back of my big tank and fire it up, so you can take a listen. There's no hassle to setting one up, just plug in and go.

It skimmed quite well for the price. I got a good collection cup full of brown gunk every week. Once you see that stuff, you start thinking about all the months you didn't skim