Moving pairs

Re:Moving pairs (NirvanaFan)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:48:22 GMT

I guess I'll move them back then. So, I will quickly swap their tank when they have eggs.

Thanks!

Re:Moving pairs (KathyL)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:02:07 GMT

And then you'll move them back?

My opinion: they'll resume spawning faster if you put them back to the position in the rack to which they are accustomed.

Re:Moving pairs (NirvanaFan)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:48:05 GMT

I thought I remembered reading somewhere to move them with eggs, but I couldn't remember. Kathy, all my pairs currently breeding are clownfish (ocellaris, Onyx, Clarkii, and Tomato).

I think I'll move the dottyback to a 5 gallon bucket temporarily. That will give me an empty slot for a "new" tank. Then I can move the pairs one at a time down the line to a tank with a larger bulkhead.

Thanks again! I appreciate it.

Re:Moving pairs (Fishtal)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:44:49 GMT

Good points, Kathy. I hadn't thought about the eggs keeping them distracted.

Re:Moving pairs (KathyL)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:42:38 GMT

In my opinion, you should move the pair, I am assuming they are clownfish, with their eggs to a bucket, switch out the tanks as quickly as possible, and put the fish and their eggs in the same position in the tank.

Moving them between nests will most likely make them stop spawning for 3 months. Moving them to a new position in your system may do the same thing. Moving them with eggs gives them a diversion from the shock of having been moved. They are too busy to care. When you put them back, you want them to have the same view of the room they had before. Even if they eat this nest, they will more likely spawn again at the usual time. This is only my opinion. Your results may vary.

Re:Moving pairs (Fishtal)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:01:13 GMT

I've never moved my clowns while they have eggs but I found that if I cleaned my dottyback tank while they had eggs they would promptly eat them.

Re:Moving pairs (NirvanaFan)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:47:05 GMT

I do have one tank that has a lone dottyback in it. I could take that tank down, move it, and set it aside for a while. Then, I would be able to set a new 10 gallon tank up that has a 1" bulkhead. At night, I could pull the pot/tiles out of the tank and then switch the fish over to the new tank. Every pair would get moved one spot, will that matter to them?

Re:Moving pairs (Fishtal)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:41:40 GMT

Personally, I wouldn't move them while they are tending to eggs if you want them to hatch. Any time you move a pair it can stress them out and they may quit spawning for a while.

If I were you I'd have the new tanks ready and do a fast switch in between spawns.

Moving pairs (NirvanaFan)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:37:23 GMT

I have a bunch of tanks hooked up to the same system. Right now there are six 10 gallon tanks. 4 of them have 1/2" bulkheads, and two of them have 1" bulkheads. I want to upgrade all the bulkheads. The problem is, there are pairs of clownfish in the tanks. A few of those pairs are actually laying eggs. So... the question....

What is the best way to upgrade the bulkheads in the tank, while minimizing the stress on the fish? Hopefully they continue laying. Should I move them when they have eggs? I was thinking of buying a couple tanks and installing the 1" bulkheads. Then, quickly net the fish, put them into a bucket with their eggs, and quickly take the tank down. I'll set the new tank up, then add the fish and their eggs back to the new tank.

Should I do this when they have eggs? Would doing it at night be better (so they're easy to catch and "out of it")?

Thanks for the advice!