Spotted Mandarin

[ae87]

Pretty sure my female is carrying eggs. Happening sooner than I’d anticipated-post male introduction. As simply and efficiently as possible, what do I need for preparation? Protection? Nutrition? Where/how do they typically have them? I read something about the male and female releasing egg and sperm at the same time? I’ve read of false spawning, laying infertile eggs. How can you tell?
How often do they spawn?

Just FYI, I do not have a separate tank established. I only have a small separation/holding tank that can float at the top...

 

[P-Dub]

I have no first-hand experience with this task. However, Google is your friend here. Just in case you haven't looked...
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..6.1.241....0.Tg4SPE-dUuo

 

[Surfzone]

I hope this is ok but here is a like to my early spotted Mandarin breeding attempts. http://www.marinebreeder.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=176&t=3008

 

[ae87]

I have no first-hand experience with this task. However, Google is your friend here. Just in case you haven't looked...
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..6.1.241....0.Tg4SPE-dUuo

Yes, I’ve Googled. Came here for first hand advice and open dialogue. Thank you for the link to Google.

 

[ae87]

I hope this is ok but here is a like to my early spotted Mandarin breeding attempts. http://www.marinebreeder.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=176&t=3008

Yes!! I did a quick read over and am excited to go back later tonight and re read all of it. Thank you so very much!

 

[ae87]

I’ve read through the first page twice now and am stopping there until I’ve gotten that far! Sounds like you take the approaches I do-facilitate and allow things to happen naturally. If you don’t mind, I’m going to keep you in the back of my mind as a reference in case I need someone to bounce ideas off of as my Mandarins progress.

The morning of this post I saw mine ...”hopping” around each other. I’ve read, and you’ve once again stated, that they spawn after the lights are out.

I saw the photos of yours of them going to the top-did you witness the spawning as it was happening or notice the eggs sometime after the fact?

Are they clustered together, or float off separating instantly and you had to scavenger hunt for them? (I ask because you were able to use a coke bottle)

I’m nervous I won’t catch them and either the pump or my other fish will eat them

Gonna be my new hang out spot at night for a while!
Fingers crossed!!

 

[Surfzone]

I would turn off all the pumps at twilight and wait for the spawn. Once they did their thing I would use a coke bottle to scoop out the eggs. The eggs float at the top and hatch in a matter of hours. Feeding began a few days later. I had the advantage at the time to live on the coast so I had all kinds of wild plankton to play with.