first clownfish run

[michaelg]

Well, I think I finally have everything in place to try to make a run of the blue eye clarkiis.  Fresh batch of eggs were laid on Saturday.  There is about 12 liters of strong rotifer culture going (thanks Bob!!!) and I will set up a 5 gallon larval rearing tank tonight with some fresh salt water and filter and heater.  The sponge filter has been sitting in my sump since saturday to seed it with nitrosomas.  The eggs are due to hatch Sunday night.  I think I have the artemia hatching down, and have a second hatchery on the way so I can start a new culture every day.  Makinging lots of water so I have plenty on hand.  Re-reading all of the relavent chapters in wilkerson's book.  Will try to pick up a nylon coffee filter sometime before the weekend.  My only small concern is a grow out tank, but I can always pickup a new tank if needed.

[Gatortailale]

The few gears in my head are spinning right now.  My pair of false percs laid their eggs Friday night or Saturday Morning.  Wish I could find moon phase calandar at work right now; I think it was a Full moon then because paper says last quarter of moon will be on July 21 and new moon on the 29th.  Next full moon is aug. 12.  (missing is when July's full exactly was)

 

Good luck with the baby thing . . . maybe next month you will be telling us mindy is with child  :D just kidding.

[bcjm]

Michael,

 

I am glad to hear your rotifer culture is going strong.  Mine actually is not doing so well.  Maybe because I am using algae paste instead of live phyto.  I am still reluctant to culture the phytoplankton again.  Just too much work.  I might not have any choice if my rotifer production is going to stay this way. Good luck with the blue eyes.  Save some juveniles for me.  My daughter has been wanting one since we saw it last summer in LA.  

 

If you are trying to use coffee filter to harvest rotifers, I would suggest buying a 53 micron plankton collector from Florida-Aqua-Farm.  Very well made and last a long time.  In fact, get a 250 micron also so you can separate the rotifers from BBS.

 

Bob

[Guest yrachmael]

Michael, sounds like everything is on course.  I would like to figure out how you got that rotifer culture going.  Mine are futile....I have a bulk bag of roti-rich from Florida Aqua farms that I haven't mixed yet.  It makes up a gal of roti-rich.  I owe you a pint and will trade for advice and a good roti culture !!

 

Roger

[michaelg]

Well- as luck would have it, this first attempt was a total loss.  The initial batch of eggs I missed the hatching on, then I went away for a weekend and should have split off my cultures.  They crashed!  When the next batch hatched, I was able to catch at least 100 fry, so I learned a bit on that end.  Now I just need to re-start the cultures.  I have read several places that the roti's lay a bunch of eggs when the culture crashes and that they can be restarted....  Any experience with this?

 

Michael