Chelsey's Broodstock System Build Log

[Chelsey]

Here are two updates rolled into one:

June 28, 2009:

I have gotten a pair of red-headed gobies and also a pair of neon gobies. My broodstock system is full, all 6 compartments have clown pairs in them. There's currently an emperor angel in with my snowflake x black ocellaris pair because he was eating my reef. I chose to separate the snowflakes when my snowflake pair that I already had started fighting. I was lucky enough to find a smaller snowflake and put it in with my favorite snowflake that I already had. The "offending female" was paired with a tiny black ocellaris. They aren't even a bonded pair yet, at least I wouldn't consider them bonded, but they're not bickering When the neon gobies are out of QT they'll be put in with my Rod's onyx pair since the largest of the two RO's is 1" and they won't be spawning for a while

A LFS in the area had a pair of HUGE black ocellaris clowns in one of their large tanks that I've been trying to buy forever. This past Thursday I was stubborn enough to stay until I caught them, bought them, brought them home, and they're now in my broodstock system. I'm super thrilled about this because they're great looking clowns and I've been bugging the LFS employees to help me catch them for the better part of a year now. They're at least 3", probably pushing 4". Nobody has noticed any cleaning/spawning behavior but they're pretty to look at until they do start spawning

Yesterday I got a call from another LFS and they told me they received a spawning pair of ocellaris clowns from someone that was breaking down their tank. I had them on hold for me and went to see them today. The "pair" turned out to be a trio (???) and they're pretty big too, 3" or more. The lady stated that they lay eggs regularly but since she wasn't there to tell me which two were spawning when I went to pick them up I ended up with all three. As soon as I can figure out who is who I'll remove the sexless submissive fish. These orange ocellaris are some of the blackest orange o's I've seen...they look "dirty" to me. Are some orange o's just really dark? If they weren't ocellaris I'd hesitate to say that they were onyx...

So, my broodstock system is rounded out with the following:
-two pairs of orange ocellaris (one spawning one unproven) + singleton
-two pairs of black ocellaris (neither proven yet)
-Rod's onyx pair (1" is the largest) - neon goby pair will be added to this cubicle once they're out of QT
-snowflake x black ocellaris pair (unproven as well)

In other tanks in my house I have a snowflake pair and a picasso pair. The snowflakes are half-heartedly cleaning but I'm not holding my breath yet.



July 16, 2009

A small and unfortunate update. The male and singleton from the trio have died. They stopped eating and were breathing heavily for a couple of days before their death but I couldn't find any spots on them that would indicate velvet or any other disease. No other fish in the system have been sick recently. The large black ocellaris pair that I added a little less than a month ago are healthy as well. The female of the trio is still alive and doesn't show any sign of being sick but she's in QT just in case. I've bought a small misbarred orange ocellaris to pair with her and he's in QT as well. I know this wasn't the smartest move but orange o's are a dime a dozen and I'd like to get a jumpstart on the juvi changing to a male.

I still have no spawnings from any of my 8 pairs

The current list:
2 pairs orange ocellaris
2 pairs black ocellaris
1 pair snowflakes
1 pair picassos
1 pair snowflake x black ocellaris
1 pair Rod's onyx

Non-clownfish:
1 pair red-headed gobies
1 pair neon gobies

 

[Chelsey]

I can't believe I didn't update this!

My snowflake x orange ocellaris pair had their first spawn on 10/4/09...and promptly ate the entire nest. Here are pics from the first spawn:

They spawned again tonight and started to eat the clutch and then apparently changed their minds...at least so far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Since I am using these pics to count the eggs I purposefully excluded the parents from the pics

 

[Reef Pets]

Great update. Its too bad that all of the eggs were a loss.
Do you breed for resale? I am opening up a store and would have interest if so.
Gary

 

[Chelsey]

Well, not all of the eggs are gone this morning but there are significantly fewer eggs than there were last night. I will be suprised if any make it to hatching. Whenever the parents decide to let a spawn hatch I will be raising them for resale, but who knows when that will be I've got 8 pairs, somebody has to have some fry hatch sometime!!!

 

[ficklefins]

Very cool! I look forward to following along. How do you go about obtaining a pair of tailspot blennies? I would love to find mine a mate.

 

[stunreefer]

Chelsey, what are you feeding?

When I used to breed clowns one thing that quite obviously induced spawning was squid eggs. They would go absolutely crazy for them, and they fatten them up very quick. I would feed them 5-6 times a day (not always eggs though) to keep them fat and less likely to eat their eggs.

Great system BTW!

 

[Chelsey]

ficklefins: You just try and find another tailspot that's smaller and has a different shape of urogenital opening than your tailspot has. It's not very easy and apparently I was unsuccessful, the one tailspot chased the other one right out of the tank

stunreefer: Rod's food, mysis, brine, emerald entree, formula 1 flake. I'll try the squid eggs if I can find them...where did you get yours? I only feed 2-3 times a day, I don't know if I have time to feed 5-6 times! The general concensus is that since this is the pair's second spawn they're still too inexperienced and need some more spawns under their belts before I have to start worrying about them becoming chronic egg eaters.

Thanks for the compliments!

 

[Chelsey]

The snowflake/orange ocellaris pair that I've dubbed "Casper and Wendy" laid again on 10-15 and ate their eggs, they're due to lay again 10-26.

2 new broodstock additions came this past Wednesday. I am planning on splitting these two up and pairing them with a large black ocellaris and a large orange ocellaris when they get big enough. The PVC elbow that is in the acclimation bucket with them measures 1" in diameter so they've got a few months of babying before they're ready to meet their future mates.

 

[hyperboy]

Congrats on the spawns! Good luck on the new pair!

 

[Chelsey]

Thanks The new pair will end up being two new pairs...I'm splitting these two little kids up and putting them with significantly larger ocellaris, one black and one orange.

 

[hyperboy]

Thanks The new pair will end up being two new pairs...I'm splitting these two little kids up and putting them with significantly larger ocellaris, one black and one orange.

Cool, keep us updated. I will be following along!

 

[cantagious]

Any updates !!!

 

[Sikryd]

Thats awesome Chelsey, keep the updates coming!