We got babies (Rod's Onyx Percula)

[OrionN]

I got this breeding pair of Rod's Onyx for a long time got directly from him when he was still selling them and before he lost his pair. IMO, they are a perfect Onyx Percula with no deformities and very beautifully colored. Anyway, they have beeing laying eggs for ever. I though I try to raise some clowns. Got the Rotifers start and about 50 ml of frozen Phytoplankton from GC reef last week and started a Rotifers culture. Anyway, I am not 100% ready but the eggs hatched Saturday. With not enough equipments and just come back from going out of town, I through something together thinking that this is a practice dry run.
I used a salt 5 g container and heater with an air line to hatch the fry. Also I got a 1 g rotifers culture going for about 5 days. Fortunately the rotifer strainer arrived that day.

There were several hundred fry hatched Sat night. I do not have enough rotifers so I added the rotifers and phytoplanktons in the fry bucket. That was a big mistake, because then I cannot see anything due to the greening of the water. Sunday, I went to Petco and got three 10 g tanks for 30 dollars. Below are pictures of these tank and how I used them, plus the picture or two of the fry.

Not having enough rotifers, I choose the strongest 50 or so fry to try to raise. The rest was discarded. I rather do this then loss them all due to lack of food. This seem rather heartless of me but I think this is for the best. Some is better than none. Now over 48 hrs I still have about 50. One death on Sunday night and none Monday night. Below are the pictures.

[OrionN]

The first picture is a picture of the Parents. I got them to lay on a tile so it is easy to hatch in the fry tank. Second picture is the fry tank. White paper on the bottom and blue cover the side. The third picture is the two rotifers culture tank. One older and one newer (acturally same time but I just put most in tank 1 and 1/5 in tank 2). The last two pictures are pictures of the fry. Tiny and difficult to take picture off to show anything. I put the tank slanted to make it easier to siphon out sediment on the bottom. 10 g tank are fairly light, I don't expect any leak from this. I hope I am not wrong.

With any luck I end up with a fair number this first "dry run"

[koa25]

Very cool. Keep us updated.

[allan]

Very nice. My wife is actually interested in trying to raise some clowns. Sounds like it's a blast.

[Scutterborn]

After hearing some many successful stories, I'm really feeling an urge to try my hand in this as well.

Good job, Minh.

[Third Coast Tropical]

Good luck Minh. Pretty Cool!

[KING]

Nice..good luck. An pls keep us posted..love pics..

[OrionN]

No death the last 72 hrs or so. I have 56 fry start today PHD#4. All swimming well and eatting well. I transfered all the babies to a high 5 gal tank I got from Aquarium Masters. It is essentially a 2.5 g footprint but double the height. I count them as I transfer them last night (with a spoon).
The Mommy and Daddy clowns spawned a huge nest again last night so I will have more babies in about 1 week.

[grouch]

Very nice good luck with the fry.

[Third Coast Tropical]

I hope you have a lot of time on your hands!!! Have fun. It is satisfying to watch from egg to adult. Do you still have your other pair from the clutch I raised?

[Triggerman]

The parent clowns are awesome! nice coloration and pattern

[OrionN]

TCT,
I keep the dark black one. The other I gave to GC Reef. I pair that Onyx Percula with a Ocellaris Snowflakes. I keep them in a reef tank at the office and not taken really good care of them as I should. Today they just lay their first clutch of eggs. I think I will try to raise fry from this pair. Snowflakes and Onyx should make interesting babies.

Start of PHD#5 right now. All the 56 babies are doing well. I have plenty of rotifers. I should be able to raise all of the fry this time. Will see how the snowflakes pair's egg look like tomorrow.

[OrionN]

Start of PHD#6, all fry accounted for and doing well. I added Otohime A, just a small amount today. Will see how they take it. I think there are too much rotifer in the water and they are too full to go after the Oto A.
I need to prepare for the hatch next week. Need another heater. The sponge filter I ordered arrived. I think I will need to get some live phytoplankton (have not got them yet) to add to the fry tank. This (the phytoplankton and the sponge filter) will keep ammonia down. I am thinking of add a small LR with Macro algae in it also. I don't think this will impede cleaning of the tank and will go a long way in keeping ammonia down in the fry tank, especially if I have several hundred instead of 56 fry.

[Mr Cob]

nice Minh! Hey if you do add liverock to the fry tank make sure it doesn't have any pests in it that could harm the babies. I cannot think of any other reason to not add it...though I'm new to this as well, maybe someone else will have some insight.

[OrionN]

Well, this morning I got the office and confirmed that my Onyx and Snowflake pair got their first spawn, a puny little nest of 50 eggs or so eggs only. If the eggs develop normal, I will try to raise these but I am sure the number will increase the nest few spawn.

[Mr Cob]

nice.... hopefully you'll get some nice snow onyx from that pair

I'm wanting to pair my onyx female with a platinum for some Onyx Picassos.

[OrionN]

Tonight my babies are going to be a week old. They are all doing well. Last mortality was one on the second night, otherwise all 56 are still with me. One or two have reach meta and start to swim like an adult fish. I am not convert them to OtoA very well. I only half-heartly add the OtoA the last several day and always with plenty rotifers in the tank. I can't tell if they are eating the dry food yet. Some observation:

1. Rotifer eat day and night. Light is not needed. They clear off the phytoplankton like you would not believe
2. Most of the mortality for this patch was the first night. Some breeder keep the light on 24 hrs for the first night, after they hatch of course. The eggs would have a difficult time to hatch if it is not in total darkness. I think I will do this next patch. Of course this would likely mean that whatever not hatch the first night likely will not hatch. I will make sure the rotifers density is high that first night.
3. The fry don't look much different pre and post meta (right after) other than the swimming pattern
4. Several of my fry are just not good eater. They don't look much larger than newly hatch fry. Other always gorge themselves and are much larger.
5. Off to Petco today sometime and get a few 5 g tanks. I think this will be the size I use for hatching fry. I am spending a lot at Petco the last few weeks. Their price beat LFS prices hands down.
6. Got to cut the acrylic today to cover the tanks. It will keep dust out and keep the surface of the water clean


One question to whoever read this and have personal experiences at raising clowns:
When is it OK to remove the cover on the side of the tank?

[OrionN]

The babies are looking good. More than 50% finish metamorphosis and have the first band. There are some stragglers but on a whole I am happy with the hatch.
This weekend I am out of town for 2 days. I think I need to arrange for someone to come by to take car of them or else, they will not do well. We will be gone for two days, one night.

[SoLiD]

This is Awesome Minh!

[Triggerman]

any updates on this one?

[OrionN]

The babies are just over 1/4 inches. No death that I know off since the second night. All have first stripes and most have eat Oto A. They looks like adult skunk clowns. I think it is possible that Skunk clowns are clowns with color development arrested at the fry level.

I accidentally let the tile with the last week spawn drop on the egg (eggs crushed between the tile and the bottom of the aquarium), so only two or three hatched but weak and deformed and did not live 24 hrs. Next hatch is this Sunday and Monday. I have to set up two more fry tanks this weekend. One pair is the same Onyx, and the other pair is a Onyx Percula X Snowflake Ocellaris. This second pair will have interesting babies for sure.
More picture this weekend.

[SoLiD]

Onyx Percula + Snowflake Ocellaris = Snow Onyx

My Snow Onyx Pair
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd285/SoLiDST33L/TANK-NEM.jpg

[Zack]

Um... beautiful shot! Lets see more

[OrionN]

Very nice tank and colorful coral. Nice clowns also.

Update pictures of my babies from today PHD 20

Babies about just over 1/4 inches and all with head band

http://www.maast.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=18822&d=1359171843


The 5 gal tank I use to raise them at this time including the Macro-algae in it.

http://www.maast.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=18823&d=1359171853

[Triggerman]

Very nice!!! I'm enjoying seeing your progress

[Mr Cob]

Looking good Minh, man I would love to have more space. Looks like you have lots of room for rotifer cultures and larvae tanks.


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[OrionN]

All of the babies are actively eating Otohime A. I think it would be much easier from now on.

[OrionN]

Not good news regarding my Onyx fry. The Onyx pair spawned the Saturday before last. The should hatched, and I planed for them to be hatched, Sat night. I am not sure what happen but all of them hatched Friday night so I ended up with no Onyx fry. The SnowflakesXOnyx spawned last Sunday. Since the Onyx hatched in 6+ days at 83 degree, I took the eggs from my other pair home from my office yesterday afternoon. That tank also keep at 83 degree. None hatched last night. I just peek into the fry tank, we got fry tonight. I did not want to let in too much light so I cannot see too well other than there are some fry.
I will wait 2 more hours and will put light on that tank for the next 24 hrs, and will add rotifer tonight. Hope that will help the fry to go through the first 24 hrs.
Will update tomorrow.

[OrionN]

Not good news regarding my Onyx fry. The Onyx pair spawned the Saturday before last. The should hatched, and I planed for them to be hatched, Sat night. I am not sure what happen but all of them hatched Friday night so I ended up with no Onyx fry. The SnowflakesXOnyx spawned last Sunday. Since the Onyx hatched in 6+ days at 83 degree, I took the eggs from my other pair home from my office yesterday afternoon. That tank also keep at 83 degree. None hatched last night. I just peek into the fry tank, we got fry tonight. I did not want to let in too much light so I cannot see too well other than there are some fry.
I will wait 2 more hours and will put light on that tank for the next 24 hrs, and will add rotifer tonight. Hope that will help the fry to go through the first 24 hrs.
Will update tomorrow.

[OrionN]

I only end up have 13 hatched, that was an unluckly number and one died last night. The rest seem to be OK. I hope more will hatch tonight.

[OrionN]

Onyx PHD #24
All of the fry are doing well. I end up with 55 babies. All eating Otohime A. Some are smaller than other but baring any mishap, they should all survive. I think I will add Otohime B in the next day or so.
SnowOnyx PHD #2
Well, no further hatching of the SnowOnyx spawn. I check the eggs and they were overgrown with a slimy fungus so I removed it. I end up with only 12 babies from this spawn. 13 hatched and one death the first night. Last nigh one was swimming corkscrew like but this AM all was swimming like normal.
I did leave the light on all night the first night and last night was normal with light off from about 9PM to 6AM.
I think feeding the very first night is essential for weaker fry. So far they don't seem to eat rotifers as well as the Onyx fry as I remember from 3 weeks ago. All are strong swimmer and I hope they all will do well.

[KING]

So Minh..i know Onyx take mons to color up..long time..But with you mixN it with the snown...Well that make the bbys color up faster? Pls let me know if im wrong but around 8 mons for Onxy to get its full look..

[OrionN]

I don't know about the black but the white bar developed quicker in Ocellaris. Ocellaris is not as aggresive either. My Onyx already start to fight at 1/4 inch size.

[OrionN]

The Onyx babies are the same but growing really fast eating Oto A.

SnowOnyx PHD#3
I can only count 11 fry. I am not sure what happen to the other one. Likely he was the one I observed corkscrew the first night and irregular swimming the second night. I guess he did not make it. The rest seem to do great and full. The light is about to turnout for the night. At this point I don't expect much more death. I mainly just keep the 11 in a 5 g fry tank with rotifer. Just need to keep the water green so that the rotifer can keep up with the loss due to the clowns. I got way too much rotifer for the 11 clowns so I have been harvest them and dump them to my reef tank. Hope the clams and coral can eat them.

[OrionN]

Bad news first. Last week my female Onyx jump out of the tank, so no more Onyx baby for now. I got total of about 80+ babies of the Onyx pair right now. I guess I will keep some of these to keep the strain. Actually right now I got my female Onyx (daughter of the dead clown) pair with the Snowflake. Still have the male. I can pair these together, but I think not. I will keep breeding the Onyx X Snowflake. Wait for one of the babies to grow up and pair with Male that will turn female. Either that or look for another Onyx to pair with my widowed Male.

Update.
Onyx PHD 34
All doing Well. I did have to cull two fish due to spinal abnormality. I took some pictures yesterday and a few days ago

SnowOnyx PHD 14
I only have 7 of these guys, all doing well. They seem to be very aggressive, even more so than the full Onyx. All seem very well formed and all have passed Meta and have first band. The body of these guys seem darker than the Onyx, which is unexpected, at least to me.


Onyx PHD 7
I got about 40 of these guys. They are doing well, start to reach Meta. I run out of heater. Last night the temp got down to 76 degree and the fish seem sluggish, even if they are full, and eating well. I decided to add the SnowOnyx PHD 14 with this bunch. I just finish add the two tank together. Both group seem to be doing great.


SnowOnyx PHD 3
I got 200+ of these guys. All doing well, a few death here and there overnight but none the last 24 hrs. They are doing very well. I got a vedio of these guys on YouTube. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGy7HMHU8Mc&list=HL1360511402&feature=player_detailpage


Over all this adventure have been fun, but a lot of work.

[Scutterborn]

Sorry to hear about your female. That really sucks.

[OrionN]

Thanks. That clown fish is 8 year old. Older than my youngest son.

[Mr Cob]

Lots of babies man! Sorry about the female, that has got to be hard. I lost a few fish and they were only with me for a few months so can't imagine 8 yrs.



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[Troy Valentine]

I just read this whole thread....Its kinda like Charlotte's Web... She did all that work for you and then dies. Like the book, at least you got the 80+ offspring to remember her by. "Some Fish"

Sorry Minh

[OrionN]

Thanks guys. I will try to raise SnowOnyx for now. With the Onyx babies, I am sure I will end up with another Onyx pair in the near future.

[Fishstix@JewelsOfTheSea]

Yep sorry for the loss, but it looks like she died happy and "fat" for sure. Keep up the good work, as the post mentioned up above, she left you some healthy offsprings to remember her by.

[OrionN]

I finally got some pictures that can give details of the fish.

This is the picture of my best Onyx, I got about 5 of this color and shape and darkness. It is taken with high ISO (3200) so is a bid grainy under florescent light but due to the low light, there is not a whole lot I can do about it. The first picture is unedited other than re-size. The color on my monitor is a lot lighter than the color in real life so I use Photoshop to automatically correct the color of the rest of the pictures, included an edited version of this picture so you guys and gals can judge what kind of color correction was done. The edited color give true color of the fish in my judgment. The babies have a clear fin borders that cannot be seen in the pictures



2029720298202992030020301

[OrionN]

The group picture of other fish as the light turn on in the morning (5 min before picture taken). Most of the fish in the group pictures are SnowOnyx. The SnowOnyx out number the Onyx 5 to 1. Also SnowOnyx have the characteristic of Ocellaris which tend to school into a fishball instead of scatter like the Percula.
About 1/2 of the SnowOnyx have extra white, some very nice marking. I did not have the time to take picture of my best Snowonyx this morning. This will have to wait until later

20302

[Mr Cob]

Nice Minh. I see some nice premium snow onyx in there.

The onyx percs already getting black, that's Awesome! Great pics.

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[SoLiD]

Great pictures Minh. I need to come by one day and check them out.

[OrionN]

I need some pepermit shrimp. If you have time maybe you can show me how to catch them this weekend

[SoLiD]

Oh yeah, it's extremely simple. We just have to drive to the Port Aransas Jetties after dark though.

[OrionN]

are you game this weekend?

[SoLiD]

I'm pretty sure I can break away for one night. Plus I have all the equipment for each of us. Buckets, nets, led head lights, and so on. We might only need to pick up some fresh AAA batteries. Call me when you can. 361-774-786five.

[OrionN]

We got a bunch of peppermint shrimp last night. A lot more than we need. Anybody want them let me know. I will take them out to the LFS this afternoon or in AM. Thanks SoLiD

[JWALLACE]

HELP. I'm new to this forum and Sherita said y'all would know what to do. I apparently have a breeding pair of Maroon Gold Band Clowns and they have laid eggs. Do I try to save these and raise the fry or just let the fish and shrimp have a good meal? I would like to raise them but know ABSOLUTELY nothing about raising fry.

[KING]

Let these go..but don't worry because they will most likely breeding again soon for you...get all the info u can an try agin on there next clutch..

[OrionN]

First food of clowns is rotifer. You need to feed them rotofers for about at least ten days and then convert to dry powder foods, either Golden Pearls or Otohime. Rotofers need phytoplankton as food. You can order frozen phytoplankton and rotifer start culture from Reed Marineculture. You can also order Otohime food there also. You don't need to order rotifer if you can get a small sample of it from someone who breed clown fish.
The specific of how to do these culture you will have to read either online or buy a book

[JWALLACE]

I am looking for a home for my mating pair of Maroon Clowns. They lay eggs about once every 2-3 weeks. Female is about 3" and male about 2". I've been battling them destroying my tank for some time, but they decided to "rearrange" my Fruitloops last night so they're GONE.

[Ratattooy]

P


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