Baby clowns dying off?

[mstockmaster]

I bred my first batch of clowns, successfully got them through meta and I've been working on growing them out for about 2 months now. Within the past week I've had a number of them die. I can't seem to find the cause, they had all been eating well, water parameters are mostly in line (nitrates are a bit high but not dangerously high). The ones that are dying seem to have been the larger ones and look like they've not been eating. I had been feeding them normal flake food ground up finely. Any thoughts? I lost 4 today and there's no obvious signs of disease.

 

[Instigate]

I've never bred clowns before but I'm pretty sure you need to feed them rotifers or copepod nauplii when they're young.

 

[mstockmaster]

Yeah I'm well beyond that phase.

I've never bred clowns before but I'm pretty sure you need to feed them rotifers or copepod nauplii when they're young.

 

[Captain Quint]

@mstockmaster congrats on your first brood. What stage are the wee ones?

There's no doubt in my mind you have studied the heck on how to raise them, and I know you're aware of the stages they go through. I was just curious as to the stage of development thus far to see if we can pinpoint the root cause.

I would like to share something which you may or may not have looked at. Its a pretty simple timetable and I know you are probably aware of the steps. Just wondering if a step or two might have not been incorporated in your process.

Thanks for continuing the life cycle of sustainable marine life.
______________________

A good read if nothing else:

http://fellsman.se/akvarium/raising_clownfish.pdf

 

[mstockmaster]

@mstockmaster congrats on your first brood. What stage are the wee ones?

There's no doubt in my mind you have studied the heck on how to raise them, and I know you're aware of the stages they go through. I was just curious as to the stage of development thus far to see if we can pinpoint the root cause.

I would like to share something which you may or may not have looked at. Its a pretty simple timetable and I know you are probably aware of the steps. Just wondering if a step or two might have not been incorporated in your process.

Thanks for continuing the life cycle of sustainable marine life.
______________________

A good read if nothing else:

http://fellsman.se/akvarium/raising_clownfish.pdf

Hey there, this is a picture I took a few weeks ago. The larger ones are reaching a half inch but seem to be dying once they get to that size.

 

[mstockmaster]

More dead today. I have no idea why.

 

[reef lover]

Hows ammonia?? You said they appeared to stop eating before dying..2 things..1 maybe try dosing with prazi in case they somehow got internal parasites. 2 try feeding alternative foods to the flake food.
#reefsquad any breeders out there??

 

[Instigate]

Yeah I'm well beyond that phase.

Dunno how I missed that. I hope you figure it out. That's got to be frustrating.

 

[maroun.c]

may be try separating a few in a different tank to see if they start eating then you'd know its something in the water affecting them.

 

[mstockmaster]

Hows ammonia?? You said they appeared to stop eating before dying..2 things..1 maybe try dosing with prazi in case they somehow got internal parasites. 2 try feeding alternative foods to the flake food.
#reefsquad any breeders out there??

Ammonia is undetectable. I have been thinking about medication, cupramine or prazi. I have different food arriving today.

 

[mstockmaster]

may be try separating a few in a different tank to see if they start eating then you'd know its something in the water affecting them.

Theve been transferred to a 20L that was recently set up for them, same results so far.

 

[Captain Quint]

@mstockmaster

First of all, I commend you for raising them. I've not taken the time to breed in several years and I truly admire you for this.

I'm just kind of wondering...I'm sure your parameters are well within normal ranges going as far as you have. I'm wondering as to the possibility of low oxygen given that overcrowding is the number one reason for low oxygen in an aquarium. I don't see an airstone although it might just be out of sight. Perhaps they need a stone which produces more?


*** Common causes of low oxygen include:
*Overcrowding
*Elevated water temperature. Warmer water contains less oxygen than cooler water
*Excess waste from the little ones
*Lack of water changes

 

[mstockmaster]

I have a skimmer on the tank so that shouldn't be the issue.

 

[Captain Quint]

I have a skimmer on the tank so that shouldn't be the issue.

That is certainly a good thing. I gave my D.O. meter away when I stopped breeding and it did come in handy to keep a check on things.

Have you been doing up to 50% water changes? I'm just spitballing here to find a root cause. Not implying anything derogatory in your husbandry as I know you know how to do things correctly.

 

[mstockmaster]

I had done a few large water changes but typically more like 25%. I usually change their water when I change my main system water. New water goes into main system, water I pull out of main system goes into clown system. I've been using this system since the beginning.

 

[Captain Quint]

It is not unusual to lose many in the first stages, but you're now beyond those. I hate to admit it but I'm somewhat perplexed on the continuation of loses at this stage because it really sounds like everything you're doing is spot on.

 

[swissgaurd]

what salinity are you keeping
stop using main tank water,mix new batch ,change one gallon per day,make sure salt water is mixed well for 24 hrs before using

vic

 

[Captain Quint]

@mstockmaster how are things going?

Sorry, I lost track of this thread since 12-18...ugh

 

[mstockmaster]

Much better, I switched foods. I was previously using ground up flake. I switched to tdo and all losses stopped. Colors, health and growth improved dramatically.

 

[D-Nak]

Much better, I switched foods. I was previously using ground up flake. I switched to tdo and all losses stopped. Colors, health and growth improved dramatically.

TDO is good stuff.

I would also not use tank water as replacement water for your future batches. You're possibly adding parasites and pollutants from the DT that most fish can tolerate, but not larval/baby fish.