Nice update, I am also skipping BBS. I started Oto A at like day 10, then overlapped A and B1 days 13-16 and they have been on B1 for 3 days now. Even though they aren't eating rotifers, there are still some in the system. To avoid a rotifer crash in the larval tank I still dose RGcomplete. My pair didn't lay according to schedule after my first pot pull. But I think that has to do with me paying more attention to the fry and less attention to the broodstock tank waterchanges and feedings.
Picassos breeding project
- Thread starter gar732
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New clutch laid yesterday on 8/1. This clutch is the largest yet and looks to be almost twice the size of the last. Unfortunately the angle at which they laid this time makes it impossible to get a good pic. I'll try again later with my good camera. I've ordered some wooden air diffusers that should produce fine bubbles so when I pull the pot this time I'll hopefully hatch most of the eggs.
I'm down to at least 15 fry now, the good news is I didn't lose any last night so maybe the increased water changes did the trick. I had the air stone at the far end of the tank under the heater to help distribute the heat better. I've since moved it to the center of the tank thinking that maybe the water wasn't getting aerated properly. In hind sight I should have only done one change at a time so I could tell which one made the improvement. Hopefully this is a turn for the better.
I'm down to at least 15 fry now, the good news is I didn't lose any last night so maybe the increased water changes did the trick. I had the air stone at the far end of the tank under the heater to help distribute the heat better. I've since moved it to the center of the tank thinking that maybe the water wasn't getting aerated properly. In hind sight I should have only done one change at a time so I could tell which one made the improvement. Hopefully this is a turn for the better.
This helped me with water quality. I have a 3.5 gallon tank. I'll drain a gallon, and over the course of 2 days I'll add the replaced volume back 8 ounces at a time. Just to keep parameters lower longer. Better , faster, and cheaper than 1 gallon a day ha.
OP
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Day 6 and there are still 15 fry. I'm just pulling a 16oz cup of water and dripping 16oz back in when ever I walk by. I've been off from work the last few days so this has worked but I'm going to have figure something out that is a bit more structured. Something like you are doing might work better.
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They both came from doni with the female being about 3 months older than the male. I liked the classic Picasso pattern of the female but the helmet is what sold me on her. I liked the markings on the males face, on the other side not pictured he has an almost perfect circle on his cheek. If I have the opportunity to get the camera out today I'll try to get a good pic. He doesn't like to pose for pictures, can't stop wiggling and with the eggs now he's worse.
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Day 8, No stripes yet but they are starting to look more like fish. There are 16 now, apparently I've been missing one. I feed the oto A a few times a day but they don't really seem too interested in it. They kind of swim toward it like they might eat it but I don't see them actively going after it. There are still a ton of rots in the tank and I still tint the water so I'm sure they are snacking on those at will. I managed to take a few pics, again not the best but they give an idea of where they are at.
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Day 12 and we have stripes. At least some of them do anyway. They started to come in yesterday but they were not easy to see, today it's official though. I'd like to say that my photo skills are improving but that wouldn't be true. These guys are a little bigger now but they move more so it doesn't help at all. Anyway here are a couple of pics. I'm pretty sure this guy will be a platinum. It's seems like the white comes in faster in the platinums.
Stellar!!!! That is very very cool! What temp do you have your larval tank at? What are you feeding? Are you doing daily water changes? What lighting are you using? Do you run a 24 hour light cycle? How about an airstone? HA!
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Day 16 for the first hatch and I'm at 13. There are some that have their second stripes coming in and there are a cole that barely have there head stripe coming in. Not sure why it's taking longer for some. I also have one that only has one eye, not like a Cyclopes though, lol. It looks like it got damaged some how. He is developing normal otherwise, we call him one eyed willie.
OP
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I also had another hatch. The night if the 10th the last clutch of about 300 hatched pretty much in its entirety. Unfortunately I ended up have to work late the next morning and didn't get home to tint the water until around 12 in the afternoon. I had the tank mostly covered and I didn't have the light on yet but the ambient light was enough to drive them all to the bottom where most of them died, I have about 50 remaining on day 3 for the new hatch.
OP
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No new pics right now, I've been working long hours this week. I'll try to get some pics and a good video of them this weekend.
Oh and the proud parents just laid their newest clutch. I'm debating if maybe I should skip this next clutch. I'm running out of room but I'll actually be off for this one. I'm curious to see if I can keep an entire clutch alive if there isn't anything in the way to mess things up.
Oh and the proud parents just laid their newest clutch. I'm debating if maybe I should skip this next clutch. I'm running out of room but I'll actually be off for this one. I'm curious to see if I can keep an entire clutch alive if there isn't anything in the way to mess things up.
How concrete is the laying schedule. Is it a consistent every 12-15 days or does it vary. Get a count of the new clutch?
I was contemplating letting my next clutch go as well. But everything is set up now, I might as well raise a few clutches consecutively.
I was contemplating letting my next clutch go as well. But everything is set up now, I might as well raise a few clutches consecutively.
OP
OP
They have been laying every 12-13 days. I haven't counted the eggs yet, just too many. I need to do the different colored dot thing like you did. I'm going to try and get the camera out today and get some new pics. I took some videos but the quality went to crap after I uploaded them to photobucket so they aren't worth posting yet. I still have the 14 from the first hatch which is at day 18 now and the new hatch is at day five. I'm losing one here or there from the new hatch but I guess that's to be expected, they are looking good though.
In other news my snow onyx pair laid their first clutch! I'm not sure when they were laid but the eggs looks further along than the picassos that were laid on 8/13. I won't be trying to raise this clutch though and I'll probably skip the next one too just so they can get the hang of it. The eggs are spaced farther apart and there are far fewer than the picassos. I've read that once a pair in a system starts to lay the others will follow suit, maybe there is some truth to that.
I'm really interested in raising a clutch from my frostbite/reg occy pair to see what the offspring will look like. The female in that pair has laid before but has shone no interest since I got her. I think I'll try that double down technique with them.
In other news my snow onyx pair laid their first clutch! I'm not sure when they were laid but the eggs looks further along than the picassos that were laid on 8/13. I won't be trying to raise this clutch though and I'll probably skip the next one too just so they can get the hang of it. The eggs are spaced farther apart and there are far fewer than the picassos. I've read that once a pair in a system starts to lay the others will follow suit, maybe there is some truth to that.
I'm really interested in raising a clutch from my frostbite/reg occy pair to see what the offspring will look like. The female in that pair has laid before but has shone no interest since I got her. I think I'll try that double down technique with them.
OP
OP
Today is day 7 for the latest hatch. I have around 50 fry kicking around and seem to be doing well and I haven't had any loses in a few days. I've introduced oto a sooner this time in hopes to get them through meta sooner, they aren't all going crazy for it yet but they do hit it. I've also introduce probiotics into the fry tank for the past two days. I've read some interesting things about probiotics and it's positive effects on fry so I thought I'd give it a shot. It seems to be more commonly used for raising sea horses but I've come across some clownfish breeders that use it also. There really isn't any detailed info on it other than the study I found. I could only find it available for aquarium use in the UK so I purchased the strain used in the study but for human consumption and just guesstimated dosing. It's had no ill effects on the fry so that's a good sign. This time around I'm having better results but I'm chalking that up to improved husbandry since I'm doing things a little differently this time around. Next hatch I will use the probiotic from the start and also use it on the rotifers and see if there is a noticeable improvement.
Day 20 for the first hatch and I'm still at 14 (I mis-counted last time). They are all developing nicely and starting to show what they might become. I have 5 that are platinums which is a high percentage IMO. Most have they're second stripes coming in and at least 1 has picasso markings but it's still too early to say that none of the other won't. I've been running around with the fam so I haven't had time to get the camera out but I will soon.
Tomorrow I plan to take a ride to a few LFS to see if they are will to take some clowns off my hands. I figure I should have an idea of where these guys will end up before I go too crazy raising clutches. I also have to figure out how much I should expect to get for them. I know I won't get more than wholesale pricing for them which I'm perfectly fine with but I just don't want to get ripped off either. I've tried searching online for wholesale pricing on clowns but I've had no luck so if anyone can give me a heads up on what I should be looking for it would be greatly appreciated.
Day 20 for the first hatch and I'm still at 14 (I mis-counted last time). They are all developing nicely and starting to show what they might become. I have 5 that are platinums which is a high percentage IMO. Most have they're second stripes coming in and at least 1 has picasso markings but it's still too early to say that none of the other won't. I've been running around with the fam so I haven't had time to get the camera out but I will soon.
Tomorrow I plan to take a ride to a few LFS to see if they are will to take some clowns off my hands. I figure I should have an idea of where these guys will end up before I go too crazy raising clutches. I also have to figure out how much I should expect to get for them. I know I won't get more than wholesale pricing for them which I'm perfectly fine with but I just don't want to get ripped off either. I've tried searching online for wholesale pricing on clowns but I've had no luck so if anyone can give me a heads up on what I should be looking for it would be greatly appreciated.
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