Hatching eggs via airstone question

[GregDoug]

I have been trying to hatch the eggs out away from the parents and in their own 10 gallon tank (halfway filled) but seem to get very poor hatches. My eggs do not turn white, they look healthy enough, they just do not hatch. The eggs are laid inside a 5 inch flower pot (clay) and I use the hole in the bottom to insert the airline which has a small rigid line attached so I can aim it.

The problem is either my airflow, which seems strong as each egg is in motion but not hard enough to blow the eggs off. The air is not touching the eggs, just the water movement from the air. Is is unusual to only have 25% of the eggs hatch?

Second questions, is a baby snagger an okay solution or do they cause too many physical injuries and stress? When the eggs are kept in with the parents, I have 100% hatch, which is several thousand fry. Hand catching them is difficult but a snagger would be easy enough.

Any thoughts?

[Luis A M]

Are you talking clownfish?They´re not the only fish that can be bred.Or are they?

[GregDoug]

Oh, sorry... yea, clownfish... GSM to be exact.

I have been following your shrimp thread also Luis... you rock!

[Luis A M]

OK,very few non clown larvae are raised anyway
When you pull the nest,on the expected hatching night?
Hatched larvae die overnight?
Have you tried leaving the nest one day more for slower larvae?
Have you checked if unhatched normal looking eggs are alive?

You should use a spotlight and siphon hose to catch larvae hatched in the parent´s tank.

Tks for flattering.

[GregDoug]

Originally posted by Luis A M
OK,very few non clown larvae are raised anyway
When you pull the nest,on the expected hatching night?
Hatched larvae die overnight?
Have you tried leaving the nest one day more for slower larvae?
Have you checked if unhatched normal looking eggs are alive?

You should use a spotlight and siphon hose to catch larvae hatched in the parent´s tank.

Tks for flattering.

I pull the nest on the 4th night (the same night that all would hatch if I dont)

The larvae that do hatch do well, its just that 90% of the eggs do not hatch when I pull the nest (I pull it at lights out and place the pot in the 10 gallon, covered by a black paper and then another thick towel thrown over the tank to ensure no light)

I did leave the nest for another night... none seemed to hatch after the first night.

I may just go ahead and use a baby snagger as they seem to catch almost all of the fry and its automatic. I figure the remote hatching of nest would give me a 100% catch rate... but it does not as I can not get the 95+% hatch rate as I do when the eggs are left with dad.

[billsreef]

Are you laying the pot on it's side, upright? Is it placed in the same orientation as in the parents tank? How close is the airstone? Coarse bubbles, fine bubbles? Gentle bubbling or rolling boil?

[Luis A M]

Four nights! My Premnas hatch at 7th,other species at 8.9 and 10.Guess that´s unusual...Your temp is very high?

[GregDoug]

My temp is at about 81 F. That is pretty typical temp for all may tanks... I usually allow my display tanks upstairs to go room temp, which is usually around 76 but I cant let me pairs go to that because its in the basement, which would drop to like 60 with no heater. I had posted another question about the time cycle of my GSM as I thought it was super fast. Here are my averages (with the GSM):

they lay in the morning time usually and if you count the day they are laid, its 5 days to hatch (the 6th night).

From laying eggs to laying the next set, its 10-11 days.

Roughly six days between the last hatch to a respawn.


Perhaps position of the pot is my issue? In the parents tank, it is laid on its side and when I try to hatch, I stand it up on its bottom so I can insert an airline in the bottom hole and bubbles do not hit the eggs directly. Does repositioning the eggs before a hatch bother them? I had not heard that before but it would makes since, I change their rotation 90 degrees.

[Luis A M]

If they spawn monday,will they hatch saturday night?That would make the sixth night,fast but within reason
Changing egg position doesn´t affect them.
Would help to know if unhatched eggs are dead.

[billsreef]

How strong do you have the aeration?

[GregDoug]

The areation is stronger than you would think you need... I read several places that stronger is better than weaker. I would say something like a large bubble per second (the size of a quarter though)

The eggs are alive, even into the second night, by the 2nd morning though, they start to turn white but do not fungus over (they may with another day)

6/20/2007 laid inside pot around morning time
6/25/2007 90% hatched at night

6/30/2007 Laid inside pot around 8pm
7/4/2007 about 30 hatched tonight (most did not)
7/5/2007 the clutch hatched - 82 degree water

7/12/2007 Laid before noon.
7/16/2007 Eggs hatched.


Does the baby snagger catch the babies safely?

[billsreef]

Large bubbles don't tend to be as effective as small bubbles. I take it you don't have an airstone on the end of the airline. I'd put an airstone on the end of the airline and set it for a low boil just tickling the eggs.

[Luis A M]

Originally posted by GregDoug

The eggs are alive, even into the second night, by the 2nd morning though, they start to turn white but do not fungus over (they may with another day)

You must be positive they move,to know they´re alive.

[Atticus]

As I keep seeing you post the same question without an answer yet... Yes the snagger will work well for you once you get it adjusted correctly. I personally used to use the light and siphon method personally with great success. I always meant to build a snagger to cut back on long nights, but once you get in a routine that works why change??? :P

As for bubbles, tiny or huge they need to move the eggs just slightly more vigorously than the male does. Are you eggs hatching closest to the highest or lowest flow? Too much air you can scramble your eggs, but that takes a ton of flow.

[GregDoug]

I think I will try the snagger and the remote hatching every other hatch. I did get 100 or so babies with the remote hatch, which is enough for me to play with :-) I also will try the snagger as if I get a few hundred, I am more than happy.

I know how difficult it is to type a response to someone, when there are so many details lacking. I do not have the time to type everything... maybe just trial and error is the key. Thank you to all who have responded. I will try an airstone (I read several post that said do not use an airstone) but it would be a lot easier for me to spread the bubbles around and control flow over the whole nest.