New baby RFA's

Bigfish of La. · Feb 25, 2019

I Have 6 RFA in my 80G tank and several days ago noticed what I thought was some majanos and I was prepared to eliminate them with some aptasia rx.
Upon closer inspection today I noticed that some have colored discs of red and/or green, and determined that I have baby RFA's, some attached to rock work and others on the sand bed. My tank is 2 years old and noticed several months ago a spawning event.
I counted no less than 3 dozen and hope they survive to adulthood.
Has this happened to other owners of RFA's?

James M · Feb 25, 2019

They produced babies !!

Bigfish of La. · Feb 25, 2019

Yes, still too small to get photos. Have to turn off flow and look to locate.

DangerDave · Feb 25, 2019

Nice! I'm a bit envious. I've had about 30 of them in a frag tank for 6 months now hoping to spawn some. I also have about 10 in my display (all plumbed together). Nothing yet, but I'm hoping someday!

Dave

Bigfish of La. · Feb 25, 2019

I started with 2 in a 29G bio cube about 3 years ago and they spawned several times, so much so that the water became cloudy and fish were going nuts. I must have had 2 of the same sex as they did not produce babies. I moved up to an 80G tank and added 4 more RFA's and noticed they were spawning early in the evening on the winter equinox, again the water became cloudy, look like smoke coming out of the oral disc. I will add that the 4 I added were small, so maybe they were not sexually mature and now the 6 inflate to about 3". Good luck!!

RJinPV · Feb 25, 2019

Bigfish of La. said:
I Have 6 RFA in my 80G tank and several days ago noticed what I thought was some majanos and I was prepared to eliminate them with some aptasia rx.
Upon closer inspection today I noticed that some have colored discs of red and/or green, and determined that I have baby RFA's, some attached to rock work and others on the sand bed. My tank is 2 years old and noticed several months ago a spawning event.
I counted no less than 3 dozen and hope they survive to adulthood.
Has this happened to other owners of RFA's?

As Bigfish of LA pointed out they tend to spawn on the equinox. I have 3 RFAs now and hope they'll spawn in March. Since the equinox is when the day and night are both 12 hours and I have always been curious if the tank's lighting cycle can screw it up and confuse the RFAs. What was your lighting cycle back in September during the last equinox?

reef lover · Feb 25, 2019

@Ron Reefman has alot of experience here.
Ive had several babies produced in my tank so far...probably more that i havent seen.

Ron Reefman · Feb 25, 2019

OK, I have a question. Are you saying winter equinox as in Dec 21? Which is not an equinox, it's a solstice, like June 21. The equinox are March and September. I just want to see the dates get clear in my head!

I don't think mine have been that closely associated with either solstice or equinox. But that's OK, I've never actually seen it happen, just the end effect, new baby RFAs!

There is a good discussion thread link in my signature below.

Baldguy · Feb 25, 2019

Mine spawned about two weeks ago. Not close to an equinox or solstice.

RJinPV · Feb 26, 2019

Baldguy said:
Mine spawned about two weeks ago. Not close to an equinox or solstice.

What is your tank lighting on and off times like, and have you kept them stable? I am curious if the lighting cycle we use on our tanks can simulate equinox conditions somehow.

Baldguy · Feb 26, 2019

RJinPV said:
What is your tank lighting on and off times like, and have you kept them stable? I am curious if the lighting cycle we use on our tanks can simulate equinox conditions somehow.

On at noon, off at midnight. Been on that schedule everyday for years.

reef lover · Feb 26, 2019

I run hydra 26 that replicate the lunar cycle.

Ron Reefman · Feb 26, 2019

I run a long day but it's a long easy ramp up in the morning, a 5 to 7 hour midday (1st and last midday levels are down a bit but still high enough to allow for photosynthesis IMO), and a long ramp down with lots of blue only into the evening. I love those fluorescing colors! I had a neighbor and her 2 young teens stop by who had never seen the tank. It was at night and they were in awe of the colors! I have to admit, I love when that happens!

RJinPV · Feb 26, 2019

I run a lighting schedule similar to Baldguy, just shifted ~2 hours earlier. I start ramping up at 10AM and finish ramping down at 10 PM. T5s come on in the middle for about 8 hours. My AI Primes do the ramping and lunar cycle. My tank is in the living room so it gets the ambient lighting which obviously varies with the local sun. It is just hard to say at what level the ambient light influences the RFAs. Maybe lighting doesn't play a role at all it stimulating spawning. Anybody know of any articles on this subject?

Bigfish of La. · Feb 26, 2019

Ron Reefman said:
OK, I have a question. Are you saying winter equinox as in Dec 21? Which is not an equinox, it's a solstice, like June 21. The equinox are March and September. I just want to see the dates get clear in my head!

I don't think mine have been that closely associated with either solstice or equinox. But that's OK, I've never actually seen it happen, just the end effect, new baby RFAs!

There is a good discussion thread link in my signature below.

My mistake, they spawned Dec 21 and all 6 of my RFA's were spawning. This happened from 6:30 till about 7:00 and the water became cloudy as they were spawning and the fish were going nuts.

I checked my phone for a video when I only had 2 in my 29G bio cube and they spawned 3/20/2017 starting at 8:11PM and lasted for about 30 minutes. This spawn did not produce any babies as they must have been the same sex. I now have an 80G tank with 6, of which I added 4 small ones that now have probably reached sexually maturity.

I have my Radions that ramp up at 9AM and start to ramp down at 7PM and they are linked to the lunar cycle.

Ron Reefman · Feb 26, 2019

Bigfish, people with RFAs breeding is actually starting to become almost common... well, not really. But happening way more often now than it was even just 2 1/2 years ago when mine did it for the first time.

I'll have to pay more attention to my tank around the spring equinox from 5 to 8pm. I'd really like to see this happen for a change!

Bigfish of La. · Feb 27, 2019

Ron Reefman said:
Bigfish, people with RFAs breeding is actually starting to become almost common... well, not really. But happening way more often now than it was even just 2 1/2 years ago when mine did it for the first time.

I'll have to pay more attention to my tank around the spring equinox from 5 to 8pm. I'd really like to see this happen for a change!

Ron Reefman,
I read your thread about RFA and it’s very interesting. I only noticed my babies a few days ago and I was about to eliminate them because I thought they were majanos, some on sand bed and others in the rock work. With a blue flashlight at night I could see the coloration on them and the ones on sand I used a small spoon and moved them to a small container with rubble, which I left at the bottom of the tank.

hart24601 · Feb 27, 2019

I have had quite a few babies too. I noticed more when they were in pico with no filter or skimmer.

Ron Reefman · Feb 28, 2019

hart24601 said:
I have had quite a few babies too. I noticed more when they were in pico with no filter or skimmer.

That makes perfect sense to me. They 'float' out when they are 'born' and could easily be sucked into any filtration system. They can also be eaten by any carnivores like a wrasse.

Bigfish of La. · Feb 28, 2019

I

Ron Reefman said:
That makes perfect sense to me. They 'float' out when they are 'born' and could easily be sucked into any filtration system. They can also be eaten by any carnivores like a wrasse.

I have 4 wrasse and so far they have left them alone, I just hope some survive to maturity