Clarkii Larval Rearing (no rotifers?) - Page 6

Worldwithin · #**126** 01/08/2006, 07:36 PM

As promised, I have a picture of one of my 20-ish kids. Not the best picture in the world, but he just woke up, so he still has that sleepy look.

jnowell · #**127** 01/08/2006, 08:40 PM

Cool! I'm glad to see that he has a dark spot on his tail too, I was wondering if that was normal.

What are you feeding them these days, mine are eating Formula One and baby brine shrimp. I'm considering grating up some frozen mysis or something.

Jason

Worldwithin · #**128** 01/09/2006, 12:42 AM

Mine are still on BBS for the most part as I have been having some difficulty getting the flake food to the right size. I did notice that today they seemed more interested in the flake foods than before though. Hopefully I can change them over to that soon.

Quick question for ya... I am noticing that your water is a rather funky yellow color in your pictures... Anything particular that is causing that, or is it just your lighting?

jnowell · #**129** 01/09/2006, 01:07 AM

It's a combination of the lighting, co-culturing (phyto in the tank), and the mass amounts of reddish orange Formula One I'm feeding them. I syphon the uneaten food off the bottom at least once a day, usually twice, and top off with water from the parent tank, which usually has a slight yellow ting to it, it's a 2 year old tank. Mostly green phyto in the water, and lighting.

I wish it looked as clear as everyone elses I see, but it doesn't. In the video, I had just fed BBS and Form ula One (powdered) so it isn't indicative of the color all of the time. It's also shot lengthwise through the tank, so there is about 15" of water between the camera and fish (the underwater shots anyways).

Jason

jnowell · #**130** 01/09/2006, 01:11 AM

Actually, after looking at it again, it's mostly just the pics. There is a yellow/tan towel under the tank, and brown cardboard blocking out all of the sides. The water is pretty clear, you are mostly seeing the colors on the other side of the glass.

Worldwithin · #**131** 01/09/2006, 03:34 AM

Ahhh.. I was wondering about that. I figured it was something along those lines.

jaybro · #**132** 01/09/2006, 07:35 AM

I use a mortar and pestle to get the flake to the right size. I grind grind grind until I think it's the right size, and then I grind some more (it's invariably to large the first go around!)

I use a mixture of otihime, cyclops-eez flake and spirulina flake. Mostly, I skip over artemia all together but have a period where I'm feeding both rots, and dry foods (I always have some stragglers in accepting dry foods, the daily rot feedings give them time to catch on.)

jnowell · #**133** 01/09/2006, 10:22 AM

Jay,

Interesting that you skip artemia all together. Seems like the more I talk to people, the less I think I need to use them. I've heard good things about Otihime, do you know of its nutritional profile really that much better than Formula One? Mine are getting a Formula One and Two / Brine Shrimp Formula.

I've found that a good zip lock bag full of flakes, hammered into submission makes perfect sized food. I still seive it through a brine shrimp net to make sure, but there is usually very little that won't fall through.

Jason

jaybro · #**134** 01/09/2006, 10:40 AM

I don't know if otihime is that much better of a food. I tried it based on some recommendations I've seen here on reefcentral. It has worked well for me so far with juveniles, but the larva seem to prefer the crushed cyclops flake. I've only been using it about a month.

A little more detail on the growout feeding schedule...

Once the fish are fully morphed, I stop using cyclops eez flake and use less spirulina flake. So the feedings look like :

Morning - Otihime/spriulina mix (about 3/4 1/4 respectively)
Mid Day - Otihime/spriulina mix (about 3/4 1/4 respectively)
*Late afternoon - Otihime/spriulina mix (about 3/4 1/4 respectively)
Evening - frozen cyclops eez

After I've fully reared several clutches on this mix, I'll post back and let you know what I think of the otihime. For now I can tell you that it's very easy to feed, and the youngins absolutely love it. I also 'really' like that they learn to pick it up off the bottom (it stays in suspsension fairly well, but eventually settles out to the bottom and is eaten from there, as opposed to most of the other foods I'm using which wash over the overflow fairly quickly).

* -- I sometimes miss the late afternoon feedings, probably about half the time in fact.

jnowell · #**135** 01/09/2006, 11:12 AM

Thanks Jay.....yeah, that eating off the bottom thing would be real nice. I'm just about to start my third hatch, so I'm still very green (mostly cause I'm covered in Phyto all the time). I have 10 of 50 from my first hatch that "look" like they are done with metamorphasis, but they never settled to the bottom like I hear they will. How exactly does one know? Have you watched the video from a few posts back, I'm wondering if these guys are considered juveniles yet? I keep waiting for them to look "tired" and they are all busy dancing in the bubbles from the hang on filter outflow. :sigh:

I think I'll go look for some Otihime and see if mine will eat off the bottom too.

Kathy55g · #**136** 01/09/2006, 12:45 PM

My first batch did not go to ground. They metamorphosed while hosting the back wall of the tank, still their favorite hang out spot.

jnowell · #**137** 01/09/2006, 04:32 PM

OK, that's good to hear Kathy. Mine have hosted with the swirling water under the hang on filter...I was worried about having too much flow, and they jumped right in the middle of it, and seem to enjoy themselves there. They only come out of it to eat....hmm, another video might be in order

In your opinion, have they metamorphosed?

Jason

Worldwithin · #**138** 01/09/2006, 04:59 PM

Just to let you know, mine are post meta, and they cruise around the top and mid water when awake, and only kick it on the bottom when the lights are out. So long as they are swimming around and eating, I would assume they are just fine.

Kathy55g · #**139** 01/12/2006, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jnowell
OK, that's good to hear Kathy. Mine have hosted with the swirling water under the hang on filter...I was worried about having too much flow, and they jumped right in the middle of it, and seem to enjoy themselves there. They only come out of it to eat....hmm, another video might be in order

In your opinion, have they metamorphosed?

Jason

Hi Jason,
Are you talking about the ones in the picture, or another hatch? If they have a head band, they have started metamorphosis. For Ocellaris, if they have a head band and have changed color (ocellaris go orange, not sure with yours) they are done with metamorphosis.

Picture?

Cheers,
Kathy

jnowell · #**140** 01/12/2006, 03:27 PM

I'll post some pictures tonight, they actually have all settled now so I'm a little more confident. They are doing very well, still eating the dry food (and whatever BBS I happen to give them). Looks like the new nest will hatch tonight, hopefully they will come out healthier than the last batch.

For reference, the Clarkii's had head stripes at day 9, both stripes were solid white by about day 15, and they finally settled about day 22. Even at day 22 they don't have any color (slight yellow ting to their fins). They have no orange on their bodies at all yet, but my parents are pretty dark too.

They were more active on the bottom this morning, and a few surfaced to eat, but they generally still stay low in the tank. New hatch and new thread tonight probably...lots of silver eyes looking at me this morning.

Jason

cmhollis · #**141** 01/14/2006, 05:48 AM

I have been following this and several other clownfish rearing threads, and I have a question. I am looking to get into this side of reefing as well, as it would be good to "give back" as others have stated.

Anyhow, what do y'all do with your juvies once they are ready to travel? LFS for credit, sell to other reefers, or what? I am not looking to make money on the deal, but anything that helps offset costs is gravy.

Thanks

jnowell · #**142** 01/14/2006, 07:32 PM

Well, Clarkii Clowns sell for $12.99 around here. Two local reefers have offered $25 for a pair. The LFS will give me $5 cash, or $6 store credit. There is also a pet store in Dallas (2.5 hours away) that will take all I can bring him at $5 cash.

I plan to stock the LFS and sell to other reefers first. Then if I saturate the market here, I'll consider branching out into Dallas. This probably won't happen because I don't plan on continuing with the Clarkiis much longer, I want to move on to more expensive (or at least more desirable) fish. I'm considering getting a pair of SI Onyx Perculas or black Ocel., I love them!

The Clarkiis started all this by spawning, and now I have a pair of Royal Grammas that are displaying some pre-spawning behavior, so I'll try those when the time comes. Meanwhile, my spare bedroom has become a larvae rearing room, my bank account has become EMPTY, and my free time has gone somewhere too

Don't get me wrong, I'm loving every second of it. I just never planned on being a fish breeder...now I can't STOP being a fish breeder.

My first hatch is still doing very well BTW, and the big nest (that I thought would hatch last night) HAS to hatch tonight, there isn't any room left in the eggs, and I bet 90% of them have silver eyes now. Wonder what they are waiting for

Jason

BrianPlankis · #**143** 01/14/2006, 09:35 PM

Jason,

Great work man, I would really be interested in your notes if your gramma's breed. Unless something unexpected happens the gramma's will be my second attempt at breeding after my clowns.

Keep up the great work on the Clarkii until you have other eggs to play with.

Brian

jnowell · #**144** 01/15/2006, 12:20 AM

Got my second hatch tonight...finally. Plenty of larvae, proabably twice what I had last time. This thread is getting ridiculous, so I'll start another called Clarkes Clowns - Second Attempt for those of you tagging along.

I'll still post updates on the first batch here when they are needed. All of them have risen from the bottom, so I assume metamoprphasis is over, I hope so, lost a few more, leaving me with 8 healthy little babies (about 3/8" long). They are about 30 days old now, eating nothing but Formula 1 with a little Formula 2 still thrown in.

Here's a quick video....

http://www.wfrs.org/rc/30day.wmv

Jason

Princess Di · #**145** 01/15/2006, 12:24 AM

Nice work and great looking babies. The white tail is normal on Clarks and they do stripe much faster than other clowns. Mine are much lighter, but I do have lighter parents than yours. These are about 2 months old.

jnowell · #**146** 01/15/2006, 01:10 AM

Thanks Di, 30 days from now, mine will hopefully look like that too

It's so cool to have little clownfish that size swimming around...I watch mine for at least an hour a day. Good luck with yours, are you raising more?

Jason

Worldwithin · #**147** 01/15/2006, 03:58 AM

Sorry.. But the one on the top right definately looks like a clown. Big 'ol eyes and a big 'ol mouth... Gotta love taking pictures through silicon..

Cute though.

Princess Di · #**148** 01/15/2006, 01:22 PM

Jason,
Yes, I have a nest that should hatch either tonight or tomorrow. I am moving my last batch to their 10 gallon home right now, so I can get the 5 gallon cleaned for the new ones. Here we go again!!
By the way, you are doing very well for just starting out. I had no survivors the first two times.

jnowell · #**149** 01/15/2006, 01:27 PM

Thanks Di, I am quite shocked to get some through metamorphasis as well. To be honest, it is Edgar and Kathy who have done well....I'm just good at following instructions

Good luck with your new eggs, mine hatched last night and are OK so far....but I know how the first three days can go, so I'm not getting my hopes up just yet.

Keep us posted on your new hatch.

Kathy55g · #**150** 01/15/2006, 02:05 PM

Well, for someone who has supposed to have done well, I still feel like a newbie. I still consult Clownfishes and the Hoff's Marine Fish Handbook constantly, and wonder when I should start doing this or that. Are they ready? I don't know...

I am feeling very nervous right now about my newest babies, and I hear from my friend that eggs have been laid....

Should I take them or not? Will my marriage survive another nest? Actually, my husband is very supportive, if not enthusiastic, but I worry that I spend too much time with the fish. This is definately an obsession.

p.s. How do you like my new screen name? Easier to pronounce, I think.