Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Darwin Black"

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:27:44 GMT

OK, just updating some more. I don't remember when, but maybe 2 weeks into July I tried introducing the original male (in the cup) to the replacement female. The fish battled constantly for an hour and in the end, I returned the male to his cup.

Today, probably another 6 weeks altogether (August 29th, 2010) I released the male into the tank again. The battling ensued again, however, this time the replacement female appears to have won out. A couple hours after the initial introduction, the male had a couple split fins and some scales missing, and was backed into a corner of the tank whenever the new female felt like it. However, by evening, while still skirmishing a bit, both clowns were in the Red Bubble Tips. It may seem that possibly this pair will finally get along. If things look bad in the morning, I won't attempt to pair them up again, but will instead pair the new female with one of my offspring, and will make the existing male into a female, hopefully trading a few of my offspring for an unrelated baby from someone else...

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:12:32 GMT

Just a followup - with Ethan coming early things were crazy, but we're slowly adjusting. I need to remember that I just can't get as much done in a day as I used to.

The important updates on the Black Ocellaris pair is that I LOST the female back on June 23rd, 2010.

About a week later, June 30th, 2010, I was received a Black Ocellaris female to replace her. The new female was maybe, at best, 1/4" longer than my existing male. They fought a lot, so I pulled the male out into a specimen cup with holes drilled in it. Since that time, the replacement female has had full freedom to move around in the tank with the male being restricted to a small space. In the next day or two I'll try reintroduction and see how that goes.

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (cmpenney)

Fri, 14 May 2010 05:34:04 GMT

Probably better that you where there for Ethan then the clownfish. I'm sure the wife appreciates it.

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:44:51 GMT

So, just a followup, as far as I can tell the last spawn hatched the day Ethan was born, May 10th, 2010. Kinda wishing I had been able to collect that batch...how cool would it have been to have clownfish born on the same day as my son?! Oh well...grand scheme of things I can let that one slide!

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Wed, 05 May 2010 23:21:36 GMT

One last update, I sold off 135+ babies last month, but I retained 2 to make sure I hit the 60 days post hatch milestone.

And HERE THEY ARE - 5-6-2010, 65 days post hatch.

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Wed, 05 May 2010 22:14:15 GMT

FWIW, I have more annecdotal evidence to support the 'light = more black" theory. First, there's Zooid's clowns that I saw in Denver at Reef Ed last week. Great looking Black O's. I think Gale said the were 3 months old (90 days)? Objectively, I'm going to say that the ones I had under the HO's were blacker and were younger.

The second thing - well, we're at 60+ days post hatch now. In the last couple weeks I moved the largest babies out of the tank with the HO T5's and into a breeder net in a tank lit by a single "plant and aquarium" type 15 watt bulb. I looked at them this evening and I swear, areas that were black are now reverting to TAN on the older babies.

The LAST thing is that about the same time, I also moved to Amphiprion emphippium out the SPS cube (lit with a 150 watt 14K Metal Halide) and into the same 10 gallon lit by the cheap dim bulb. I had been disappointed that the Fire Clowns had become so dark after my purchase of them and placing them in the cube. Well, I swear, they are becoming more red, and less dark and the black is covering less of the body.

One last thing - the evening I left for Reef Ed, April 30th, the Black O's were going through the motions of spawning but had not yet spawned. I assume they laid the eggs on the 30th, because when I returned there was a nice big nest awaiting me. The SURPRISING thing is that I moved their entire tank across down on April 27th. Obviously I pulled the move off well as they didn't skip a beat on spawning this time! Of course, all we did to move them this time was drain out about 3 gallons of water, keep it in a 5 gallon bucket, move the entire tank full (it's only a 6 gallon nanocube) and fill it back up when we got to the house. Obviously not nearly as traumatic as the move from Chicago to Duluth.

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (Trademark)

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:08:56 GMT

I guess I really never paid that much attention at those times, I just assume that the color I had was normal or what it was supposed to be. I need to pay closer attention to things of that nature ( will start)

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (Fishtal)

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:49:39 GMT

Originally Posted by mPedersen

Yes, but at what age?

I'll have to go back and look, but I'd say that full black coloration was achieved by 90DPH, or less.

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:41:58 GMT

Originally Posted by Fishtal

My Darwins get completely black under minimal lighting... I have my tanks covered with the corrugated plastic panels, the light is more diffused. Not on purpose, that's just the way it is.

Yes, but at what age?

Originally Posted by Trademark

I have my B&W's under a simple push disc LED, and I think that mine are pretty dark at 85days today

But how did they compare at lets say 50 days post hatch? 30 days?

Again, it's just a theory, but my experience here certainly gives me that anecdotal feel that there's something indeed going on...

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (Trademark)

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:29:12 GMT

I have my B&W's under a simple push disc LED, and I think that mine are pretty dark at 85days today

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (Fishtal)

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 12:17:11 GMT

My Darwins get completely black under minimal lighting... I have my tanks covered with the corrugated plastic panels, the light is more diffused. Not on purpose, that's just the way it is.

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:33:12 GMT

Darnit, I'm so "there" already. Just waiting for 60 days post settlement. Come on guys, they're beggin'...

By the way, I am now rapidly being further convinced that LIGHTING is indeed the secret to getting dark colorations to develop at a young age in the clown types that DO turn black. Look at these Black O's. They're actually washed out from the flash. I'm running a Twin Tube NOVA Extreme SLR T-5, 18 inch (36 watt), one actinic one 10k. I've seen lots of Black O's small and honestly, mine seem to turn out darker than those I've seen raised under dim lights.

Can't say it's for sure, but I'm very interested to finally try my own Onyx Perc experiment once the "hatchery" is up on and running...

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 22:59:35 GMT

April 13th, 2010, mid afternoon the Black O's put down another nest. This despite being totally ignored with all my Overtime @ work and the Lighting Project kicking off...

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:50:07 GMT

After the move, when everything is getting set up, ALL larval rearing tanks will have the ability to be flow through

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (Trademark)

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:36:06 GMT

have you ever thought about a flow through system? I'm sure you have tossed it around, solve water change issue, thats my vote with your next batch

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:46:20 GMT

Didn't have a chance to pull the nest for the second night of hatching, and I think I have enough babies already with the first one. Going to try to increase water changes following advice from Edgar to see if I can get better barring on this batch!

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:15:52 GMT

Everything is doing great this morning...babes are robust and swimming well and appear to be feeding. The eggs that didn't hatch are in with the parents and are alive, which means more to hatch tonight!

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 23:27:04 GMT

Yes, but I'd still like them to all hatch on the same night. I even dropped the temps on all my tanks following Witt's presentation at the MBI Breeder's Workshop...thought maybe, just maybe, that could be the ticket. of course not!

The hatch tank was running at 5 gallons. I added 20 drops of Reed's RotiGreen. I took the tile out and put it back with the parents...we'll see what they do with it.

Matt

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (Fishtal)

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:18:52 GMT

Originally Posted by mPedersen

"Called it". Lots of nice looking babies hatched out

Woot!

Don't ya just love it when you get the timing right?

Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Amphiprion ocellaris "Black / Darwin" (mPedersen)

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:05:38 GMT

"Called it". Lots of nice looking babies hatched out

Woot!