clownfish larvae
- Thread starter neoreef
- Start date
neoreef
Member
No, the parent A. ocellarus are fish belonging to a friend of mine who lives about 30 miles away. Normally they spawn on the back wall of his tank. So between spawnings, he hung a ceramic tile over the place they ususally spawn, and then they spawned on the tile.
The parent fish are very good custodians of the eggs until they hatch. They guard the nest and fan the eggs to keep them aerated. Once they hatch, though, the larvae look like plankton to the parents and will become a nice snack!
2 days before hatching, I collected the egg laden tile from him along with some of his tank's water and drove the eggs home with air bubbling near them to a dedicated 20 gallon tank in my basement. A breeder container would not be big enough to properly feed 100-500 larvae. They need rotifers at a density in the water so they can see them and eat them. And they make a lot of ammonia, so you don't want that in your display tank.
This was a small nest, so there are only about 100-150 fry. It is difficult to count tiny moving fish...
The parent fish are very good custodians of the eggs until they hatch. They guard the nest and fan the eggs to keep them aerated. Once they hatch, though, the larvae look like plankton to the parents and will become a nice snack!
2 days before hatching, I collected the egg laden tile from him along with some of his tank's water and drove the eggs home with air bubbling near them to a dedicated 20 gallon tank in my basement. A breeder container would not be big enough to properly feed 100-500 larvae. They need rotifers at a density in the water so they can see them and eat them. And they make a lot of ammonia, so you don't want that in your display tank.
This was a small nest, so there are only about 100-150 fry. It is difficult to count tiny moving fish...
the reef
Member
Originally Posted by neoreef
No, the parent A. ocellarus are fish belonging to a friend of mine who lives about 30 miles away. Normally they spawn on the back wall of his tank. So between spawnings, he hung a ceramic tile over the place they ususally spawn, and then they spawned on the tile.
The parent fish are very good custodians of the eggs until they hatch. They guard the nest and fan the eggs to keep them aerated. Once they hatch, though, the larvae look like plankton to the parents and will become a nice snack!
2 days before hatching, I collected the egg laden tile from him along with some of his tank's water and drove the eggs home with air bubbling near them to a dedicated 20 gallon tank in my basement. A breeder container would not be big enough to properly feed 100-500 larvae. They need rotifers at a density in the water so they can see them and eat them. And they make a lot of ammonia, so you don't want that in your display tank.
This was a small nest, so there are only about 100-150 fry. It is difficult to count tiny moving fish...
nice so the amonia problem does that have alot of afect on the fry
No, the parent A. ocellarus are fish belonging to a friend of mine who lives about 30 miles away. Normally they spawn on the back wall of his tank. So between spawnings, he hung a ceramic tile over the place they ususally spawn, and then they spawned on the tile.
The parent fish are very good custodians of the eggs until they hatch. They guard the nest and fan the eggs to keep them aerated. Once they hatch, though, the larvae look like plankton to the parents and will become a nice snack!
2 days before hatching, I collected the egg laden tile from him along with some of his tank's water and drove the eggs home with air bubbling near them to a dedicated 20 gallon tank in my basement. A breeder container would not be big enough to properly feed 100-500 larvae. They need rotifers at a density in the water so they can see them and eat them. And they make a lot of ammonia, so you don't want that in your display tank.
This was a small nest, so there are only about 100-150 fry. It is difficult to count tiny moving fish...
nice so the amonia problem does that have alot of afect on the fry
neoreef
Member
From the reef:
"nice so the amonia problem does that have alot of afect on the fry"
Actually it does. Larvae are protected by lots of water changes (done by me) and the common occurance of lower pH in their tank, which has the effect of detoxifying the ammonia present.
It is, however, easier to do a water change on a 20 gallon tank than a 200. I may do this every day for my fry tank. I would not put my corals at risk of high ammonia from the bioload of a couple hundred fry and the rotifers it takes to keep them fed.
It is just easier to keep them seperate, plus you keep the tank bare bottom so you can scoop the poop and dead larvae/rotifers.
Another reason to keep them separate is that larvae and rotifers cannot stand flow greater than that caused by air bubbles. They are just too delicate.
"nice so the amonia problem does that have alot of afect on the fry"
Actually it does. Larvae are protected by lots of water changes (done by me) and the common occurance of lower pH in their tank, which has the effect of detoxifying the ammonia present.
It is, however, easier to do a water change on a 20 gallon tank than a 200. I may do this every day for my fry tank. I would not put my corals at risk of high ammonia from the bioload of a couple hundred fry and the rotifers it takes to keep them fed.
It is just easier to keep them seperate, plus you keep the tank bare bottom so you can scoop the poop and dead larvae/rotifers.
Another reason to keep them separate is that larvae and rotifers cannot stand flow greater than that caused by air bubbles. They are just too delicate.
littleliza
Member
rotifers are...? little food critters, I assume. Do you grow your own, or can you buy them?
richie1742
Member
yeah man keep us updated!
neoreef
Member
Originally Posted by Littleliza
rotifers are...? little food critters, I assume. Do you grow your own, or can you buy them?
Yes, yes, and yes.
Rotifers are little food critters. They are small enough for the fish fry to eat, they consume a very nutritious phytoplankton, and have the enzymes needed to digest the phyto. Clownfish fry take advantage of all these properties of rotifers. Rotifers with empty stomachs, however, are pretty worthless. You have to load them up with the phyto just before you feed the to the fry. You can buy rotifers, and you can grow your own. 'Course you have to buy at least the rotifer cysts to get started, or you can start with already hatched rotifers if you know someone who is culturing. You may also be able to buy live rotifers. I started with cysts, so I am not familiar with what's out there.
Cheers ,
Kathy
pix soon. I want to see them too.
rotifers are...? little food critters, I assume. Do you grow your own, or can you buy them?
Yes, yes, and yes.
Rotifers are little food critters. They are small enough for the fish fry to eat, they consume a very nutritious phytoplankton, and have the enzymes needed to digest the phyto. Clownfish fry take advantage of all these properties of rotifers. Rotifers with empty stomachs, however, are pretty worthless. You have to load them up with the phyto just before you feed the to the fry. You can buy rotifers, and you can grow your own. 'Course you have to buy at least the rotifer cysts to get started, or you can start with already hatched rotifers if you know someone who is culturing. You may also be able to buy live rotifers. I started with cysts, so I am not familiar with what's out there.
Cheers ,
Kathy
pix soon. I want to see them too.