Continued from page 1Well, I better keep going here: On to food:
I will forego questions on food culturing, leave that to the question session. I will say that you need to find a source of the following, depending on your species,: rotifers, copepods, trochophores, algae, and of course, Baby brine shrimp.
Different foods are used not only because of their size, but some species of larvae are unable to trap certain diets due to the plankton's swimming pattern. So read and experiment!.....Onwards!
Find out what day your species starts feeding, and start feeding the night before. Mixing algae in with the plankton provides both parties nourishment.....
Feed as densely as possible (I even used a drip feeder along to ensure a constant food source) w/o compromising water quality.....!!!!! For rotifers, a widely used food: 10-15 per 1 ml water.....have fun counting!
Eventually you will be able to tell the proper amount by just looking at the water.
Switch to BBS at 3-5 /ml slowly, adding it in slowly over a period of time along with the first food. You know you are hitting the larvae with BBS at the right time when the bellies turn pink! Almost there!
BBS is dirty, pay close attention to you water quality.....also, please boost your newly hatched BBS the night before you feed it with a HUFA booster such as SELCON (ask your fish dealer for one).....well, have to move on!
With a lot of patience, diligence, and a little luck over a period of time your "tadpoles" will start to resemble baby fish in coloring and shape.
This is the coolest part of all, but also a very stressful one, as metamorphosis can result in large losses ( most likely nutritionally based). Again, be sure you log all events in you logbook, particularly losses and at what stages.
Once metamorphosis is complete, and the fish appear to be "settling out" like swimming on the bottom, you (in the best case scenario) will have more babies than your tank can hold. Time to get all those old 10 gallons out of the basement, and the old life support systems as well.
Eventually you will introduce a variety of finely chopped, vitaminized seafood, flake food etc. Variety is the key!
All this time you have logged all specific events, times, feeding changes, moralities etc. in your book....because every time you go through the process, missing pieces are found, and techniques refined.
Well, after you have had a chance to disfrute of your babies and smoke that cigar.....one final dilemma arises....What to do with all the offspring!!
That part of the process, I leave to you......Questions?
Q: any specific advice on breeding grammas (specifically strawberries)? Well, all I can say is that the most difficult part for me was finding compatible pairs
Q: Can a young adult pair be easily sexed, or do you suggest the 3 pair system? I placed 4 grammas or so in a 24 by 24 inch tank, and had to hope a pair was made, the others weren't so lucky. Grammas are hermaphrodites, with 2 compatible females one may become a male. MH
Q: Also, can rotifers be cultured in a small bucket, inside? I cultured mine in some conical containers inside. Yeast, and some other strange mixes you can get a hold of can prove as substitutes, but natural marine microalgae is the best food overall. MH Which you have to culture separately, and it is a pain to do so. MH
Q: how does one contact this close network of dedicated hobbyists into breeding? For starters, contact the Breeder's Registry, they are online but the address escapes me. MH They have a database on all species spawned/reared. MH
Q: What sort of filtration system can be used for larval stages? My favorite is the separate sump filtration system, in a rectangular tank you will have to experiment with just water changes/or a soft sponge filter..MH
Q: how long does it take from the time they hatch till the time they are swimming around? Soft aeration to keep the larvae buoyant is the essential factor at this time. MH It depends on the species. MH
Q: any specific advice on ocellaris clowns?? I can't help there specifically, as I did not research them personally. My advice is to find lit on them. Our site Netpets has a good article on breeding clowns. MH Fortunately clowns are one of the most researched fishes with regards to breeding, so lit searches should be easy. MH
Q: What other fish are hermaphrodites? geeez, tough question.....wrasses. MH clowns. MH cardinals. MH and most basslets. MH
Q: how do you keep the babies from getting swallowed by the filter system? Keep the filtration soft, provide, a "circular" current to keep the babies in motion, and have an airstone by the filter/intake to keep the babies away. MH
Q: Where are the eggs laid, are they mostly on rocks or do some mouth brood like some of the cichlids? As for the question on clownish breeding posed a bit ago, please go to http://www.netpets.com . MH there is a very good article on clownish breeding in the fish section. MH
Q: Where are the eggs laid, are they mostly on rocks or do some mouth brood like some of the cichlids? As for grammas, they pick a spot, usually some sort of crevice...guard it fiercely MH That is how the hobbyist realizes a pair is made, as after spawning the male usually guards the eggs and fans them. MH Under a ledge is the most likely spot....view the rock upside down. MH
Q: Are their any live-bearers in salt? Well, mollies can withstand full saltwater conditions. MH Saltwater fish only? Only some shark species as far as I know. MH
Q: how many of a species do you need to buy to get a mating pair?Comment from Banggai Cardinals (P. kauderni) are live as are the bromelids Well, as far as clowns, basslets, pick one large fish, and about 3 smaller ones...then place them together and observe the behavior. MH Livebearers? Or mouth brooders? MH
Q: Suppose a couple of tomato clowns spawned in your reef tank, what steps should be taken to save the eggs? Cardinals are typically mouthbrooders, they incubate the eggs/young as do some cichlid species in freshwater. MH The best thing to do is count the number of days it takes for the eggs to hatch...MH Then the next spawn, and it will be soon, count the number of days, and on the night before hatching either remove the spawning substrate to a rearing tank, set up a "trap", or try to catch the larvae via the method I explained earlier. MH
Q: So you should just leave them alone and let nature take it's course? (The tomato clowns!) The first observation yes, unless you can accurately follow the cycle and pick the time to remove the larvae. With a trap you are allowed a large time frame...doing it via beaker, you must be there at the right time. MH
Great job Maria!
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