Mandarins almost getting jiggy with it?

[afboundguy]

I set up a Wyze camera to see if my mandarins are getting busy and I noticed my phyto and display fuge lights were on way to long so I adjusted them and still need to further adjust the phyto lights (DT off at 7:45pm and phyto off at 9pm).

I was watching playback from tonight and it appears that the male is certainly trying. The longer video you can see his dorsal fin is up all proud! I plan to watch the rest of the video tomorrow but does this appear that he's at least trying? I am hopeful that once the lights are synced and more consistent that will increase breeding behavior but man both the mandarins were waaaaay more active in the footage!

 

[afboundguy]

 

[afboundguy]

Fingers crossed I see actual breeding dance once lights go out!!!

 

[IKD]

I can’t see the video, but are they swimming and dancing with each other all the way to the surface of the tank? That is the mating dance I have seen right at ‘dusk’.

 

[afboundguy]

I can’t see the video, but are they swimming and dancing with each other all the way to the surface of the tank? That is the mating dance I have seen right at ‘dusk’.

They're not. The male is trying to entice and the best they did was halfway up the tank. I haven't checked the rest of the video but I plan to tonight.

 

[afboundguy]

I can’t see the video, but are they swimming and dancing with each other all the way to the surface of the tank? That is the mating dance I have seen right at ‘dusk’.

I checked the rest of the footage and they did breed! They did the dance and I could see the release of eggs and sperm!!!

 

[Fury808]

That is awesome!!!

 

[afboundguy]

That is awesome!!!

I know! I was beyond excited when I saw it happen on the footage!!! Can't wait to see where this goes! I have already created an equipment list to create larvae and broodstock setups once I start Parvo cultures!

 

[FernBluffReef]

Love watching ours go up and down in the water column dancing as they go. Females are fat with eggs every couple weeks. I’ve never seen the release of eggs, etc. I guess I don’t stay up long enough to. Maybe stay up longer next time for them to finish

 

[Fury808]

I know! I was beyond excited when I saw it happen on the footage!!! Can't wait to see where this goes! I have already created an equipment list to create larvae and broodstock setups once I start Parvo cultures!

Where did you learn about how to raise Mandarins. I was unaware that this was withing the abilities of a hobbyist. I'd love to learn more. Can you explain the process more?

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

I know! I was beyond excited when I saw it happen on the footage!!! Can't wait to see where this goes! I have already created an equipment list to create larvae and broodstock setups once I start Parvo cultures!

Oooh this is so fun!Good job!

 

[afboundguy]

Oooh this is so fun!Good job!

Thanks!

 

[afboundguy]

Where did you learn about how to raise Mandarins. I was unaware that this was withing the abilities of a hobbyist. I'd love to learn more. Can you explain the process more?

I will be as brief as I can as I'm exhausted and should go to bed but I have issues sleeping anyways.

First you'd have to catch the eggs after they release and fertilize after their dance/swim. The eggs generally hatch in a few days and after 2-3 days post hatch they have the ability to eat food.
They have small mouths and can really only eat Parvo nauplii pods. Parvo pods are tough to culture and you have to sieve the nauplii and keep densities low and they really only eat T-Iso or galbana with a little bit of Cheato phyto mixed in.

As they grow you keep feeding them larger food. Typically need a larvae and/or grow out tank.

Full disclosure I haven't tried raising the eggs but I have done lots of research and I am in the process of trying to track their spawning and also try and get Parvo pod cultures up and running consistently in order to provide appropriate first food.

 

[Fury808]

Thank you for the info. It's fascinating.

 

[afboundguy]

Thank you for the info. It's fascinating.

Anytime!

 

[afboundguy]

Been busy and haven't had much time to properly watch footage and when I have time I am skipping ahead 30 seconds at a time but I caught them spawning again last night!!!

 

[KrisReef]

I am astonished that this has been posted on a family site?

Good luck raising a new family! :cool:

 

[afboundguy]

I am astonished that this has been posted on a family site?

Good luck raising a new family! :cool:

I should report myself! Eventually I will thanks! My Wyze camera has been being a pain in the butt and not recording properly and I have to keep reformatting the micro SD card every day to review the previous nights footage to track their spawning!

 

[afboundguy]

Looks like they spawned multiple times tonight. Appears to have been 2-3. First one was behind rocks but captured two other ones!

 

[dansyr]

WWishing you luck on this, and selfishly hoping you get far along enough in raising larvae to post cute baby mandarin photos soon :)

Thought you might like this paper - field observations of mandarins in the wild spawning (timing, frequency, sizes, etc) lots of good data here

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-022-01281-1