Breed Clownfish | Saltwater Fish

[miamiangler]

Day 18 ,

Well still have 18 fry alive , still eatting rotifers but I ran out of live BBS , going to see if they will eat some frozen BBS tomorrow, I tried Cyclops but I think it is still the large for them . Still no one likes flake food ! I was hoping to ween the fry off of live food but no luck yet .

I did a major cleaning of my rotifers ,still have tons of them , just hoping that my breeder clowns would get busy and lay some eggs Soon

I started this week with lights out at 11PM . most are grouped together at night ,but as soon as lights are on they start their squabbaling

[alanna]

I live in south Arkansas in a small town with 1 pet shop that is about 20 by 20 feet and it only has fresh water fish, dogs and hampsters. Another feed store 30 mins away in alittle larger town has just started having fresh water fish. Yes, I asked them about keeping saltwater fish and just not enough business for it. So, I have to drive to Little
Rock, Arkansas; Monroe, La; Shreveport, La: or Hot Spring, Arkansas which is the closest at 1hr 30mins but curvy roads and it doesn't carry every thing I need. So, when I do go it takes most of the day. You know you have to look at everything fish, coral and then wait to see what cool invert. maybe hiding.
Any new eggs yet? Still not sure about that Zoecon stuff. My fish just like to eat whatever I offer except blood worms. I figure its like our diet one should not have to take vitamins if you eat a good variety of foods you will get all you need. We all know too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Sorry soap box here, it like baby formula with the DHA and stuff suppose to be like the hormones in breast milk that keeps a babys brain growing and proven fact breast feed babies have higher IQs. If its not real its not real. I do know you lose some nutrients when you freeze food for fish but I figure its as close as I can get to what we think they eat in the wild. My 2 cents. I do throw in some flakes or pellets just in case they are missing something
I did find a couple of dead fry last night in my new tank. I did clean the dead ones out and clean the bottom of the tank. My youngest daughter was worried I was going to suck up the new fry and kill them. I did check the water no extra casualties I didn't realize I was out of distilled water. So, I didn't replace the water yet. We just got a supercenter Wal-Mart on the 20th I went to get water and pick up Spring water. I'll have to go back and find the correct water tonight.
I did lose the other 2 older babies that didn't look so good the other day. Still leaving the light on for them 24/7 and feeding brine shrimp. Some times I put some flakes in the older ones will eat it the middle ones haven't touched it.
I still cannot believe how many new babies still alive. If you keep all of your 1st fry were are you going to keep them and so many 18 correct minus 1 to daughter. Why? Are you attached to the the cute little critters?
Have you collected any new things from the ocean? How many reef or big tanks do you have?

[miamiangler]

Wow ,Alanna , thats alot of driving ! Do you make a big shopping list when you make those Road trips ? I guess I`m spoiled with all the stores I go to . some are good and some so -so .Salt water fish and reef tanks are very popular here . I started back in 1972 when I caught a seahorse and was given a 20 gal tank , was hooked from that day forward I do buy some things on-line when I have a big list , I use petsolutions .com ,at times they have some good sales .
I dont have any large tanks , I just have a 29 gal reef tank in the wall (big mistake ) hard to clean and place rocks into , because I have to do everything from the back of the tank ! I have a 65gal reef tank in which my breeder clowns live in .One day would love to get a very large 250gal tank still dreaming of that one !I also have set up a 12 gal nano reef tank at where my daugther lives , she is getting one of my baby clowns . Now since the water is getting warm ,I `ll start looking for some reef critter`s .This weekend is not a good one for diving ,with all the rain we had this week made the water not as clear and in the ocean they forecast seas 2-4 ft which is not rough ,but makes it a pain to get in the boat when it is rocking and rolling !I get tons of blue legged hermit crabs at one Island , and snorkeling around another island near by I find lots of banded coral shrimp ,flame scallops , dusky jawfish ,queen and french angelfish ,gobies , and all kinds of gargonians,and all of this in 5to 8 ft of water ! The only stuff I usually buy is soft and hard corals , but soon I might have to get another tank since it is getting crowded with stuff

All of my 18 baby clowns are doing fine , started to eat some frozen BBS and very little (Picking) flake food . thats all they got yesterday ! I am not sure I will keep all of the clowns ,but they are growing on me ,at least for the next 3 months This morning 5 of them where sleeping in one PVC pipe , one group was at one corner of the tank , the others were swimming around waiting for food ! In a few days I will put them all in the Outgrow tank ! There is still one that is very small and has not completely morphed to being a baby clown and it is day 20 already !
So far I have been putting Zoecon on the food and may take a while to see if it works , I have used it on the rotifers , but leaves an oilly film on the water .

There are no new eggs yet , but today I didn`t go out in the boat (rain) To get new sea water (20 miles out ) so I will do plan B ,mix my own today I`m planning to do a water change in all of the tanks , cleaning the filters ,so hopfully by Monday I will have some Eggs .BTW I usually spend 1.5 hours a day on my tanks

Sorry to hear of some more of your losses , but I hope your new fry are doing well ! BTW have you looked in to putting in a RO unit in your home ? it is better for your fish, corals , and also better drinking water ! I make about 10 gal a day !

[miamiangler]

It`s been already 3weeks and one day since the fry have hatched , all 18 clowns are doing well , Still eatting rotifers and live BBS . This week they all will be put into a 10 gal outgrow tank . I`ll be happy when that day will come . So far my breeding pair have not layed any new eggs yet , so I will maintain all four cultures of rotifers . I did take some pic`s of the baby clowns ,hope to post them soon !

[miamiangler]

It has finally happened , looks like batch #4 will be on it`s way as of 3:00PM today , so maybe by next Tuesday should have some fry . Just still can`t figure why The eggs she lays are not red or orange?
Eggs still looks grayish white ,tried different foods ,does anyone have any Ideas?

[alanna]

How nice to have lots of fish stores near by and not have to travel far. I don't usually make a big list when I do go, I try to keep my stuff for the tanks simple. I usually spend plenty of $$ on just frozen foods, coral foods not to speak of other temptations. So far I only know of 3 people within 30 mins all who sold their tanks. I wish someone nearby had a tank I could share the passion with. A friend at work is thinking about getting one. I thought about putting a tank in the wall when we built the house. I'm gland I didn't. I'll bet its pretty anyway.
WOW! That is some cool stuff you can collect and even better its free and fun to find. I spend most of my $ on buying fish and stuff. I think I know what a queen angel looks like and they are very pretty and $$. I did find some new stuff in my tank like brown muscle shells, one thing that kinda looks like a oyster and a baby banded starfish.
What is a RO unit, purpose and cost? I think I know but tell me anyway. What brand do you use?
A funny thing you know my daughter was worried about me sucking up the new baby fry. Well I did about six of them on Fri. pm and 3 on Tues. pm all lived They are growing some have started morphing as of last night. I've only lost maybe 4 or 5 1 I think I mashed while cleaning the tank. They are not the smartest tool in the shead they check out the tooth brush I scrub the tank with and get in the way. I never thought I would say this there are too many of them they are every where. Its very hard to clean with them. Feeding rotifers every day or so and brine shrimp for 4 day I think. My big fry I lost another one not sure why. The other are fine eating some flake food 1 or 2 times a day and brine shrimp. I may see about some frozen small foods for them. The med. fry do not seem to be interrested in the flakes yet.
No new eggs yet. I'm thinking about the foam filter. Tell me about yours size, color anything important.

[miamiangler]

Yes I do have many stores to visit ,but I usually just do buisness with the local stores , some of the stores sell corals way over price ! But it is fun just to see what they have as far as fish and corals , I always look for the deals
I do feel the same , this is a hobby that can be shared with others ,but seems like I am on my own caring for the Aquariaums, even the guy 2 houses down does not take care of his tank and most of his corals and fish have died ! My friends 120 gal does not look as good as it did when it was first set up , but he is wanting to go out and collect some marine critters soon ! I do need a mated pair of banded coral shrimp and my daugthers tank needs a tiny one ! I also have to travel 25 miles to work on my daugther`s tank ! but so far she has not called me so must be doing well !
I use reverse osmosis for my water , good for drinking water also , My tank gos through about 1 gal or more a day so it was better for me to set a unit up ,other wise I would have so many bottles of water laying around , I make about 5-10 gal a day so it lasts for a while ! 3 stage units run about 200 dollars but the membrane lasts 2 or 3 years , I change the filters every 6 months .All of them are good but all you would need is one the make 10-24 gal a day .

I have been lucky so far ,have not sucked up any fry while cleaning the tank . They are getting so big .Most are 1/2inch already , getting close to being put in the outgrow tank . I just have been so busy with no time ! Next week on Tuesday ,hopfuly Batch #4 will hatch and then the fun will start all over again ,more sleepless nites

I like the Hagen ,BioFoam sponge Filter It works great almost like a under gravel filter type . it has closed cell foam so the fry wont get sucked up in it .It does a good job in cleaning up the tank !I just would not use it if you are still feeding rotifers because they will be sucked into the filter .y ou can see it on www.petsolutions.com ...#15510900

Today my fry finally ate Frozen BBS for the first time and starting to pick at flake food So how many of your new fry do you have and how many have morphed ? Out of all 18 I still have one that is very small and has it`s stripes but still has not crossed over !

[alanna]

Thanks for the great info.
I had a big problem last night when I got home. I've had alot going on lately. My mom is sick and in the hospital and I have been working with our horses and many other things. So I didn't do my water change on the 2 gal tank with my new fry. Anyway 90% of them last night were swimming upside down and doing the death spin this was 11:00pm so I was up till 2:00 working on both fry tanks. I ended up putting all the fry together in the 10 gal which I only keep about 7 gals in. I lost approximately 15 fry. The larger ones did pick at the smallest ones alittle but I had just fed them some flakes when I found the small fry and put some of them in thier tank. I 1st only put part of them in and did a water change. It didn't help. I then had to put the rest. This am only about 4 or 5 dead ones the rest were fine. Thankfully I still have too many of the small ones to count. I also don't remember if I put trace elements in for the morph time. I did add some to the tank they are in now some have morphed some haven't.
My larger ones some are 1/2 inch some are smaller. Yours are growing fast. I did put some frozen food in the tank to distract the larger ones when they were picking at the small ones. It worked.
I'll go home soon and see how they are keep your fingers crossed. Good news I should have new fry next week to practice on

[miamiangler]

Hi Alanna ,

Any time glad to help Hope your MOM is O.K. Hope she gets better soon prayers have been sent !

Wow Horses too they will keep you busy ,I guess they are more work then our fish tanks . Sorry to hear you had some more losses . Yes my baby`s are getting big fast ,been feeding them alot , most are getting their third stripe already .The cool thing is most are sleeping in one PVC pipe and making it their home . Not as much fighting going on . I have decided not to put them in the outgrow tank yet ,I have filled the tank all the way to the top and seems they are all just doing fine now with no stress . I think the foam filter is acting as a biological filter now . I am going to add a small power filter that I bought for a nano tank and add some carbon to it so I won`t have to do as many water changes .

As for the new eggs there seems to be less of them in this batch , so I am hoping next week I will have a good spawn . So I can have more things to report and keep this thread going


BTW ,I do like those Picasso Clowns wish I had a pair of them !

[miamiangler]

All is well with babyclowns from batch #2 , now there is some black around the white strips feeding them frozen and live bbs also Cyclops added some Zoecon to the food .
I have added carbon to the small power filter , lots of current in the tank , but at feeding time it is shut down for a while , clowns seem to know now when food is coming




6/1/09 8:00pm I Just moved eggs into a rearing tank .This will be Batch #4 , not as many eggs as the last one but hopfully in an hour or so will know if I will have some fry . 90% have silver eyes was going to be Tuesday night , but though I try it One day early to see if there will be a hatch .