Breeding Journal DataSheet
This first post should be updated regularly to include new information as events take place or changes are made to your system
General Species: Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai Cardinal)
Social Structure:
Size of Individuals: 3 inches
Age of Individuals: 4 1/2 years
Date added to Tank: 4 1/2 years ago
Broodstock Tank Details Size of Tank: 40 gallon Breeder
Substrate Details: Nature's Ocean Bio-Active Reef Sand and Reef Substrate
Filtration Details: UV Sterilizer, Natural Live Rock
Water Changes: %15 water change after every Hatch
Water Temperature: 81 Degrees
Lighting: Aqualight Pro HQI/Compact Flourescent/Lunar Light Fixture
Lighting Cycle: Lunar always on, Flourescents on from 10pm - 8am, HQI on from 12am - 6am
Other Tank Inhabitants: 1 Cleaner Shrimp, Half Dozen Hermits, Dozen Snails, various Acros.
Broodstock Feeding Details Food Types: Mysid Shrimp, Omega 3 Brine, Spirula Enriched Brine
Feeding Schedule: 1/2 cube morning, 1/2 cube after work, 1/2 cube before bed. Switch to only 1/2 cube in morning when spawn occurs
Spawning Details Date of First Spawn: January 2007
Dates of Consecutive Spawns: Every month since then except from November 2008 - Feburary 2009. (Moved those months someone held onto them for me to get my new tank up and cycled. Once back at home spawned March 2008.)
Larval Tank Details Temperature: 81 Degrees
Size of Larval Tank: 10 gallon
Substrate Details: Barebottom
Other Tank Decor: Plastic Grass looks like Urchin, Plastic shark with open mouth
Filtration Details: None
Lighting: Glow from parent tank. (No lighting)
Lighting Cycle: Glow From Parent Tank. (No Lighting)
Water Changes: 50% once a week.
Larval Feeding Details Food Types: Live baby brine, sometimes enriched with selcon
Feeding Schedule: every morning before work
Metamorphosis/Settlement Date of Metamorphosis:
Date of Settlement: 11/28/2009
Grow-Out Tank Details Temperature: 81 degrees
Size of Grow-Out Tank: 125 gallon
Substrate Details: Barebottom
Other Tank Decor: Live Rock, Live Coral
Filtration Details: Berlin Turbo Protein Skimmer, UV sterilizer, Natural Live Rock
Lighting: 2 Pendulum 250W HQI's, 5 independent Moon Lights
Lighting Cycle: 1 pm - 7pm HQI's, Moon Lights always on
Water Changes: 15% once a week.
Size at Transfer: 1/2 inch
Age at Transfer: 1 1/2 - 2 months
Grow-Out Feeding Details Food Types: Omega 3 Brine shrimp, Spirula Enriched Brine Shrimp, live brine everyone once in a while
Feeding Schedule: 1 1/2 cubes every morning, 1 cube a night. (Houses approximately 50+ babies)
Additional Information Miscellaneous Information: Been breeding Banggai Cardinals every month for the last 3 years. Obtain approximately 30 - 40 babies per spawn. Parent breeding tank contains 4 Hydor Koralia water circulation pump, 1 Number 2 pump, 1 Number One pump and 2 nano Pumps. Number one pumps blows straight accross front of tank, Number 2 pump blows diagonally across from end of where Pump number one goes, One Nano blows from where pump number 2 ends to pump number 1. Last nano blows next to pump number 2 in adjacent corner blowing accross back of tank and across heater.
Babies as stripped by the following methods. After day 21 of the male's hunger strike due to babies being populated in is mouth I strip the babies by the following process. Step 1 have a 10 gallon tank ready (or larger size depending on what you have available) with temperature set as the same as main parent tank, with air strip bubbler, and a plastic plant to simulate an urchin. Step 2 prepare a batch of live baby brine in 24 hours prior to stripping. Step 3 have a 5 gallon bucket filled about 1/3 of the way full of water from the parent tank. Step 4 give chase to the male and attempt to net him. Once in the net and the net breaks the surface of the water in the main tank the male will spit out the babies. Immediately dip the net into the awaiting 5 gallon bucket. Babies and adult will swim free. Using smaller net quickly net the adult male and re-release him back into the main tank. Step 5 dump babies from 5 gallon bucket into 10 gallon aquarium. Babies will school together into fake plant for protection. Step 6 add live baby brine shrimp to the aquarium. Babies will immediately begin to feed.
<message edited by Aquatic Aquaman on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:05 AM>