Archive for March, 2010
Clownfish Larvae Death
Just wanted to complete the most recent clownfish spawning blog and post the (dismal) results. Over the first two days post-hatch (almost sounds Shakespearean…oh, no, wait, the phrase I’m thinking of is ‘post-haste’, but even if not Shakespearean, the story does end in tragedy) the handful of clownfish larvae that had made it through the [...]
Clownfish Eggs Hatch
So the clownfish (amphiprion ocellaris) eggs hatched last night, after 8 days of incubuation. The clownfish eggs were initially laid on the glass of my display tank (75 gallon mixed reef). In my basement, I had a 20 gallon black round tub filled (to about 2-3 gallons) with water from the display tank, rotifers, enriched with [...]
Clownfish Spawning Day Eight Pre-hatch
Here are the photos of the clonfish eggs from tonight, prior to hatch. Larvae look highly developed through the egg casing. Amazing how strongly the eggs are attached to the glass. Both the male and female reacted to my presence today and were thrashing about next to the nest. The eggs could be seen rapidly [...]
Clownfish Spawning Days 6 and 7
Here are the pictures for Day 6 and Day 7: By Day six, approximately 30% of the eggs had shiny, reflective eyes. By Day 7:, the eggs appear ‘spaced out’ along the glass wall, shape seems almost elongated, tiny reflective eyes seen in just about every egg. Shimmering/reflective property of the eyes is remarkable [...]
Clownfish Spawning Day 5
Day 5: Now, approximately 5% (or less) of the clownfish eggs have developed eyes. As the clownfish eggs sway in the current gently, the eyes are visible in a few. It does appear that the spawn has been thinned out a bit by the male. Hatching should commence in about three evenings. I set out the [...]
Clownfish Spawning Day 4
Not much changed, day 3 to day 4. The male and female appear to be in the same roles, performing the same behaviors. The eggs have developed a more robust dark color. They are even becoming a more shiny silver/metallic color, however they do not appear to have the characteristic reflective eyes which should appear [...]
Clownfish Spawning Day 3
Clownfish Eggs Day Two Day 3: The male clownfish rarely leaves the site of the nest. He typically only ventures out for food, or to chase away a tankmate. The female clownfish stays in close proximity to the nest, but takes a wider berth and appears to be less strongly tethered to the nest. [...]
Clownfish Spawning
Yesterday, a pair of Amphiprion ocellaris (common clownfish) spawned in my display tank. This is the second time the clownfish have spawned in the last two weeks—the size of the spawn is larger than the first time. In addition to the typical flake ration I feed the display tank, I added live blackworms that I picked [...]
Dosing Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are small photosynthetic organisms considered to be one of the building blocks at the base of the coral reef food chain. Many filter-feeding invertebrates depend on phytoplankton as a significant source of nourishment. Within the saltwater reef tank, however, phytoplankton are generally not present in abundant numbers. As a result, advanced aquarists often dose this valuable living food [...]
