First time I have found clown eggs.

UltraKelius · Mar 12, 2023

Sounds like you have your tinting spot on if you’re struggling to see them!

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 12, 2023

UltraKelius said:
Sounds like you have your tinting spot on if you’re struggling to see them!

Not real sure about that. Just not much light. Can’t really tell how green the water is with all the black paper, but I add a small amount of RGComplete every day, plus what I tint the rotifers with after I harvest and strain.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 16, 2023

New update, not really spending a lot of time observing. Wondering if I can take the front cover off or how long it needs to stay full dark. I know I still have fry but no idea how many. I don’t think a lot.
On the new front my pair laid eggs again. I hat them a terracotta pot because they didn’t have one to tick in , but apparently that is all they are going to do with it as they laid the eggs on the other side of the nem this time. Ungrateful little buggers. So the clock has started in hatch two. Thinking about getting a vossen trap for this brood. Probably set up a 10g fry tank as I think the 20 was a little hard to keep enough rotifers in. Does anyone have a recommendation on starting a second rotifer culture or just increase my phyto dosing to encourage heavier density?
@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius

Thanks.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 16, 2023

HankstankXXXL750 said:
New update, not really spending a lot of time observing. Wondering if I can take the front cover off or how long it needs to stay full dark. I know I still have fry but no idea how many. I don’t think a lot.
On the new front my pair laid eggs again. I hat them a terracotta pot because they didn’t have one to tick in , but apparently that is all they are going to do with it as they laid the eggs on the other side of the nem this time. Ungrateful little buggers. So the clock has started in hatch two. Thinking about getting a vossen trap for this brood. Probably set up a 10g fry tank as I think the 20 was a little hard to keep enough rotifers in. Does anyone have a recommendation on starting a second rotifer culture or just increase my phyto dosing to encourage heavier density?
@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius

Thanks.

Front cover off yes, and as I said- will be about every 3-4 weeks
Did you offer flower pot as suggested?
A couple 10g tanks and a trap will be good and you have food all set

ISpeakForTheSeas · Mar 17, 2023

HankstankXXXL750 said:
New update, not really spending a lot of time observing. Wondering if I can take the front cover off or how long it needs to stay full dark. I know I still have fry but no idea how many. I don’t think a lot.
On the new front my pair laid eggs again. I hat them a terracotta pot because they didn’t have one to tick in , but apparently that is all they are going to do with it as they laid the eggs on the other side of the nem this time. Ungrateful little buggers. So the clock has started in hatch two. Thinking about getting a vossen trap for this brood. Probably set up a 10g fry tank as I think the 20 was a little hard to keep enough rotifers in. Does anyone have a recommendation on starting a second rotifer culture or just increase my phyto dosing to encourage heavier density?
@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius

Thanks.

Yeah, you can take the front cover off (my understanding is that it's less about the light and more about the dark backgrounds making it easier to see the rotifers they're hunting).

Sorry they didn't use the pot - that would have made getting the fry out a lot easier.

If you have room and the time for it, I'd setup a second culture - if nothing else, that way you'd have a backup in case one fails.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 17, 2023

Don’t know what is up with my BTA wether it is going to split at some point. But it has gotten huge. Covering up the pot I gave them that they didn’t use.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 21, 2023

So 10 days later and I have 4 fry for sure. Maybe more as I only thought I had three for several days. At least one is smaller than the other three. The largest ones are appearing darker in color.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 25, 2023

@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius my second brood is set to hatch in the next few nights between now and Monday. My nem decided to up and move last night so my eggs are right up top without it’s protection Just mommy and daddy. It moved clear to the bottom of the tank, but still nice and plump. Has been frequently deflating then returning to normal. Is there anything I should do to help protect the eggs?

Any reason you would think it would move. Water parameters are stable, no changes in lighting. However it has gotten really big, and I’m wondering if it is wanting to split. It is a rose BTA.
Thanks for any advice.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 25, 2023

HankstankXXXL750 said:
@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius my second brood is set to hatch in the next few nights between now and Monday. My nem decided to up and move last night so my eggs are right up top without it’s protection Just mommy and daddy. It moved clear to the bottom of the tank, but still nice and plump. Has been frequently deflating then returning to normal. Is there anything I should do to help protect the eggs?

Any reason you would think it would move. Water parameters are stable, no changes in lighting. However it has gotten really big, and I’m wondering if it is wanting to split. It is a rose BTA.
Thanks for any advice.

As for eggs- Parents are their protection - do Nothing with eggs at this point.
As For the nem , the reason they move is stress. Not the stress we humans go through but rather change.
generally when an anemone moves down or across tank, its due to changes in Light or water flow. Too much light, they hide. Too little light , they shrivel or climb.
Too much flow and they move to lesser flow or hide. Too little flow and they head for the power head. Other would be splitting or harassment from the clowns and even high Phosphate.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 25, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
As for eggs- Parents are their protection - do Nothing with eggs at this point.
As For the nem , the reason they move is stress. Not the stress we humans go through but rather change.
generally when an anemone moves down or across tank, its due to changes in Light or water flow. Too much light, they hide. Too little light , they shrivel or climb.
Too much flow and they move to lesser flow or hide. Too little flow and they head for the power head. Other would be splitting or harassment from the clowns and even high Phosphate.

I hope he is going for the split then. He has only moved once in 2 years and got in the Nero 3. My phosphates are too the moon in this tank, but have been for a long time so would t think this would cause a sudden departure.

Skynyrd Fish · Mar 25, 2023

how are the babies?

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 26, 2023

Skynyrd Fish said:
how are the babies?

16 full days and still have at least 4 healthy looking babies.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 26, 2023

Day 11 of second clutch of eggs. Better prepared this time. Don’t know if it will be tonight or tomorrow, but have a vossen trap set up and going to be ready both.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 27, 2023

Decided to take a picture. Air running so not the best, but I have 4 babies that are or have changed color. Not easy to see as I just fed rotifers with RGComplete to tint.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 27, 2023

Whoops I took different pics as that one turned out bad and edited the post, but must have forgotten to save. Here are the pics. Please read next post as I have a problem.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 27, 2023

HELP EMERGENCY!!

I have ammonia, and pretty high. My ammonia badge turned green (alert). This is the first time that I have gotten any color change on it. I noticed this after I got back from town after feeding the rotifers with the RGComplete before I left.

So I had fresh saltwater mixed but had taken some out and added RODI so I had to bring the salinity up first. So I added a dose of prime. Then added around two quarts of fresh mix to the tank probably have 12-15gallons in the 20 gallon tank. I followed this with a 1 gallon water change not wanting to alter the water chemistry too much. Still the badge was green after some time, so I tested with my RedSea kit. Ammonia between 1.2-2.0. I didn’t let it finish the full 15 minutes as it was definitely too high. I then changed out 1 gallon with their original DT and brought that down and removed a gallon and added the DT gallon plus switched out the sponge filter with the one in the DT sump (yes stupid me, I put it in there but never switched it with the original in the fry tank that wasn’t seasoned). I also added a dose of SeaChem Stability which I think is basically their version of MB7 which I have never purchased.
Hoping the sponge combined with the prime stability will carry me through. I’ve been changing out a gallon per day for the last three days or so, but have had no indication of an issue until it really spiked today.
I was concerned that it was from feeding the rotifers, or maybe because I left the RGComplete out for a couple hours, but the rotifer culture reads .2 just slightly changed on the Red Sea kit tested for the full 15 minutes.
Any thought why I would just now be getting ammonia, I figured the ammonia reducer in the RGComplete must be working as I hadn’t had to add anything yet.
I looks like all 4 babies are doing ok and swimming normally at this time.
@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius

Thanks for any help.

ISpeakForTheSeas · Mar 27, 2023

HankstankXXXL750 said:
HELP EMERGENCY!!

I have ammonia, and pretty high. My ammonia badge turned green (alert). This is the first time that I have gotten any color change on it. I noticed this after I got back from town after feeding the rotifers with the RGComplete before I left.

So I had fresh saltwater mixed but had taken some out and added RODI so I had to bring the salinity up first. So I added a dose of prime. Then added around two quarts of fresh mix to the tank probably have 12-15gallons in the 20 gallon tank. I followed this with a 1 gallon water change not wanting to alter the water chemistry too much. Still the badge was green after some time, so I tested with my RedSea kit. Ammonia between 1.2-2.0. I didn’t let it finish the full 15 minutes as it was definitely too high. I then changed out 1 gallon with their original DT and brought that down and removed a gallon and added the DT gallon plus switched out the sponge filter with the one in the DT sump (yes stupid me, I put it in there but never switched it with the original in the fry tank that wasn’t seasoned). I also added a dose of SeaChem Stability which I think is basically their version of MB7 which I have never purchased.
Hoping the sponge combined with the prime stability will carry me through. I’ve been changing out a gallon per day for the last three days or so, but have had no indication of an issue until it really spiked today.
I was concerned that it was from feeding the rotifers, or maybe because I left the RGComplete out for a couple hours, but the rotifer culture reads .2 just slightly changed on the Red Sea kit tested for the full 15 minutes.
Any thought why I would just now be getting ammonia, I figured the ammonia reducer in the RGComplete must be working as I hadn’t had to add anything yet.
I looks like all 4 babies are doing ok and swimming normally at this time.
@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius

Thanks for any help.

Hopefully one of the more experienced reefers will comment here for you, but - from my definitely non-expert perspective - if the ammonia is really that high (which I’d guess it is since it registered that way for two different tests), I’d be more concerned about getting the ammonia out for the fry at this stage of their development than I would be about changing the other parameters too quickly, so I’d personally do either a sizable water change or a few more small water changes to try and lower the ammonia to a safe level.

I don’t know why you’d get an ammonia spike out of the blue like that - sorry.

Again, hopefully one of the more experienced reefers will chime in for you here.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 27, 2023

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Hopefully one of the more experienced reefers will comment here for you, but - from my definitely non-expert perspective - if the ammonia is really that high (which I’d guess it is since it registered that way for two different tests), I’d be more concerned about getting the ammonia out for the fry at this stage of their development than I would be about changing the other parameters too quickly, so I’d personally do either a sizable water change or a few more small water changes to try and lower the ammonia to a safe level.

I don’t know why you’d get an ammonia spike out of the blue like that - sorry.

Again, hopefully one of the more experienced reefers will chime in for you here.

That’s my biggest question. No changes other than the fry getting bigger. Haven’t fed baby brine for a day. Now I haven’t been testing, but the alert badge never once hinted at green. I did a 4ish gallon water change on top of the two 1 gallon changes. When I did it, I tinted some water and tested it and it came up clean so I’m just lost. Added the sponge which should be seeded, been in the DT sump since the day after hatch. Hoping that will be enough.
Expecting my other brood to hatch tonight.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 28, 2023

Well as far as a hatch, I did call it right. 12 days from egg laying. However it was pretty disappointing. I set up the vossen last night. Light off at 11 so I covered the tank and went downstairs to wait so I didn’t disturb the fam. Thought I would be really smart and let them hatch and settle in before turning on the light with the vossen. Not sure that this is correct. Guessing I should just turn on the light and hope they hatch. Went back up at 12 and the hatch had happened as I saw a fry. Turns out that my blue spotted puffer, purple tang and sally lightfoot also saw some fry (I’m guessing as the puffer was no longer sleeping on the back wall and there were not many fry. I sat with my head tucked under the towel and watched, thinking I was catching some fry. Would put my phone flashlight on top whining down and when some fry would show up I removed it so they would go to the light at the vossen entrance. I would watch them swim away from the bubbles and not get drawn in. Maybe I was pushing too much air? So I turned it down some. Really no directions and very little help online. Thinking I might have caught a dozen (nowhere near the number I expected) I determined it was over and pulled the trap. Checking to see how I did I found a whopping 3 fry. Brought them down and got them situated and as there are some eggs left I went back up and caught a straggler with my ladle. If any of the remaining eggs are viable I will try to get some more tomorrow night. Hope my survival rate is better than last time as I had over 60 and got 4. Might not get any with 4.
Bit hey, it’s fun.

HankstankXXL750 · Mar 29, 2023

@vetteguy53081 @ISpeakForTheSeas @UltraKelius
So today I am still fighting ammonia. I guess I don’t understand as I had t changed anything except an occasional feeding of baby brine. Could this be causing it.
I anticipated that adding the sponge from the DT sump would have provided a biological filter but ammonia again close to 1.2. I did another 4 gallon water change, going to let it sit a while and do another.

what else should I be looking at. I’m afraid I lost one of the babies as I only see three now, but it could be hiding.

Thanks
Kent