Amphiprion percula "Onxy" (Onyx Percula Clown) Breeding Log! - Page 5

mwp · #**101** 10/25/2006, 05:13 PM

Well, I've shuffled some stuff around, and part one of today's mission has been completed. The unknown wrasse species known in this household as "Speed Racer" has been moved from his 6 gallon mushroom cube home to the 24 gallon containing our percula and flame angel pairs. A porcelain crab also made the trip. However, a neon goby remains in the 6 with all the mushrooms, ricordeas, discomas, fungias, tubastreas and blastomussas.

With that said, our 25 day old Onyx Percs made the journey from breeder net into the 6 gallon cube. I think the Neon Goby took one down right off the bat...hrm. Otherwise, looks like they're settling in pretty well.

Enjoy!

Matt

mwp · #**102** 10/25/2006, 08:55 PM

The folks over on nano-reef are bustin' my chops, asking for "FTS" (full tank shots)

Figured I might as well post them up here too!

Matt

EMBRYOGUY · #**103** 10/25/2006, 09:01 PM

matt what is that pink thing?

great babies matt, keep up great work.

dkim128 · #**104** 10/25/2006, 10:15 PM

I was thinking it was a rose bubble tip anemone. Tank looks great. After following all your posts I'm thinking about getting some clown, madarin and even jawfish. Only thing else I might be getting is h. Erectus and neon blue gobies.

Kathy55g · #**105** 10/25/2006, 10:18 PM

Seriatopora? Bird's nest?

TomRep · #**106** 10/25/2006, 11:18 PM

I don't think Birds nest, but I could be wrong. Pink part looks soft (ie soft coral or LPS). If you look at the tips, they look almost transparent.
Tom

EMBRYOGUY · #**107** 10/25/2006, 11:21 PM

my guess is that its some kind of hairy mushroom. since he has it in a 6 gallon nc.

TomRep · #**108** 10/25/2006, 11:29 PM

Good point, but I never saw one quite like that. Nice color.

mwp · #**109** 10/25/2006, 11:44 PM

Guys, it's MACRO ALGAE - I've had that particular rock with the hairy mushroom on it for the last 1.5 years...about 2-3 weeks ago the stuff just "errupted" from the rock. And what you see in the picture is only half of it - an equal sized portion simply came off the rock today (and was placed in our 24 to see how it does there). Someone on Nano-Reef.com ID'd it as Scinaia complanata.

Matt

mwp · #**110** 10/25/2006, 11:45 PM

BTW, the clown babies JUST LOVE that red macro

3 of them have taken up residence.

Matt

TomRep · #**111** 10/25/2006, 11:48 PM

Wow, cool! I love this hobby!
Tom

aomont · #**112** 10/25/2006, 11:52 PM

An algae ? Oh man, that´s really something !
Anderson.

mwp · #**113** 10/26/2006, 12:57 AM

12:55 AM, 10-26-06 - hatching has commenced! - the larval collector seems to be working pretty well - it's probably going to have to run for a while yet tonight but talk about a painless way of doing things

Matt

mwp · #**114** 10/26/2006, 01:24 AM

Well, after probably collecting a few hundred larvae I noticed they seemed to be BYPASSING the 300 micron mesh - I don't know HOW they did it - I tested this rig with foods, pellets, BS etc.

Had to revert to hand collecting. I'm going to guestimate I have may 100 larvae to work with. There are still unhatched eggs...not sure if they'll hatch later or wait until tomorrow night.

Matt

mwp · #**115** 10/26/2006, 01:58 AM

So yeah der eh? De larval snagger of doom - dats whad I bilt der dontcha know.

3 or 4 larvae are DOA on the bottom of the tank...not sure if that's just from handling or ones that came free from the pump or what.

At the moment, pretty underwhelmed with my attempt to capture the full batch this time around - back to the drawing board.

2 gallons of tank water seived through 23 and then 10 micron went into the larval tank. Another .75 gallons of tank water that was unfiltered made it in when I added the larvae. Top that off with maybe .25 gallons of extra clean (new) water. That's where we're sitting at the moment with probably 75-100 larvae. GRR.

Matt

Kathy55g · #**116** 10/26/2006, 07:47 AM

Nylon stockings, knee highs, or pantyhose. Minijet 606 and tubing to fit. Bottom half of a soda bottle with big holes cut in it with scissors. Plastic shoe box, $!.49 with a hole in the side. Clamps to keep it steady on the tank.

Simple, easy, effective, and best of all, cheap. Last hatch I collected over 550 larvae, all thru metamorphosis now, lost 20 to whatever. Works for me.

Kathy55g · #**117** 10/26/2006, 07:49 AM

Still, 75-100 larvae is not bad! Considering you have 10 gallons to work with, that's about right for the grown juveniles. And you can learn a lot with that many larvae!

Keep on keeping on, Matt.
K

mwp · #**118** 10/26/2006, 11:14 AM

Well, I think the only real problem with my larval collector was that I should've used something like silicone sealant to completely wall off the pump from the net/frame - even so I still haven't figured out how they were making it to the pump chamber (unless they were going OVER the netting). I gotta look into some other designs (like the one you've described above Kathy).

So, there are still 50 or so eggs unhatched this AM. I've also accounted for all 7 of the juvies from our first batch, alive and well in their 6 gallon cube home, which means the Neon Goby DID NOT EAT ONE!!!

That's the news...

Matt

FishGuttz · #**119** 10/26/2006, 02:46 PM

You need to crack open the bubbly, you've succesfuly raised your first marine fish. Congrats.

They look adorable in the mushroom tank, I never would have expected you to put them in a "real" tank so young. But why not, you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of them that way. I'm amazed how quickly they seem, in the photo, to be hosting a mushroom and the Macro.

Kathy55g · #**120** 10/26/2006, 03:38 PM

silicone sealant is too much work.

But congrats! You've got some to work with!

mwp · #**121** 10/26/2006, 07:37 PM

Thanks for the congrats guys!

The ones from our first batch are now how old? 26 days! The fins are starting to get orange color - in fact at least one of them has black tips on its pelvic fins already! They're kinda "turned off" to cyclopeze since the move...I hope over the next few days they'll redevelop the taste for it. My biggest question now is how soon will the 2nd (mid) stripe show up?!

Batch #3 - maybe 8-10 DOA in total for the first 18 hours...the rest look good. I'll get more this evening when the rest of their siblings hatch

Batch #2 - going to sift through them tonight and cull anything that's not up to snuff..getting the tank ready for something else so what remains will go into the breeder net!

Matt

mwp · #**122** 10/26/2006, 09:54 PM

Well, Batch #2 numbered at 11 before I started catching them - 3 died from the stress and were photographed under the scope. The remaining 8 seem to be doing fine, and will be moved to the breeder net shortly. Looking at them closely under the microscope, it seems my fear of poor development (i.e. skewed jaws, stubby upper jaws etc) may not actually be a concern. Heck, looking at them now they almost look big enough to be mixed with Batch #1 - I'd say that "Runty" in batch #1 is probably just as big as all the ones in batch #2...hmmm...

Matt

EMBRYOGUY · #**123** 10/26/2006, 10:46 PM

matt

your breeding log is almost "real time". most comprehensive log ive seen. thank you for letting us share your experience.

BrianPlankis · #**124** 10/26/2006, 11:04 PM

Matt,

I didn't see you start this thread, congrats on the babies doing so well and getting that second 10 gallon tank!

Brian

mwp · #**125** 10/27/2006, 02:22 AM

Thanks Brian!

OK, so here are the 3 15 day old perc babies that went into shock during their transfer to the breeder net today. I took some 60X images as well..should be interesting

10X, all three.

Head

First Dorsal

Second Dorsal

Caudal

Anal

Ventral/Pelvic

Pectora

Matt