Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis

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DLBerlin
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Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Saturday, January 2, 2010 6:30 PM
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: Chromis Viridis (Blue Green Chromis)
Social Structure: school of 15
Size of Individuals: 1.5 to 2.5"
Age of Individuals: est 2 to 8 yrs
Date added to Tank: 2003-2008

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:450g display,approx. 550g total system size
Substrate Details:2-4" sandbed
Filtration Details:protein skimmer, live rock,nitrate reactor
Water Changes: 10% approx every 6 weeks
Water Temperature:79-82
Lighting:MH
Lighting Cycle:approx 10.5 hrs day
Other Tank Inhabitants: full mixed reef, LPS dominant

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types: Mysis, Spectrum pellets, misc coral foods
Feeding Schedule: 1-2 times a day

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn: Mid-2007
Spawn Time of Day: various
Dates of Consecutive Spawns: almost constant spawns occurring between various members of the group
CourtShip Details:
Egg Size: .5mm
Egg Color: white
Egg Count: est 400-500

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:
Hatch Time of Day:
# Days after Spawn:
Larve Description:


Larval Tank Details
Temperature:
Size of Larval Tank:
Substrate Details:
Other Tank Decor:
Filtration Details:
Lighting:
Lighting Cycle:
Water Changes:

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:
Feeding Schedule:

Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Settlement Start:
Days after Hatch:
Date of Settlement End:
Description of Fry:

Grow-Out Tank Details
Temperature:
Size of Grow-Out Tank:
Substrate Details:
Other Tank Decor:
Filtration Details:
Lighting:
Lighting Cycle:
Water Changes:
Size at Transfer:
Age at Transfer

Grow-Out Feeding Details
Food Types:
Feeding Schedule:

Additional Information
Miscellaneous Information:





DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Saturday, January 2, 2010 8:07 PM
Eggs:


And I was surprised to see this!


Looks like some of the eggs were laid in a previous spawn?
I now have larvae hatched and swimming!




witt
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Sunday, January 3, 2010 7:30 AM
This is exciting. Chromis are an interesting genus compared with other damsels, and most demersal spawners for that matter, in that they hatch prematurely - a prolarvae of sorts. They require a day or 2 in the water column to develop to the first feeding stage with mouth and gut fully formed.

DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Tuesday, January 5, 2010 7:07 AM
Thanks Witt
Sorry to take so long to reply, had a family issue that commanded most of my time the last few days.
By the first morning all larvae were dead. The air had slowed to almost non-existant and I awoke to a cloudy mess.
I am working on getting a food source going and will try again soon. The Chromis are still spawning almost constantly so I have no shortage of eggs to work with. 

DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Friday, January 15, 2010 7:58 AM
Well I am ready to go again.
I have rotifers ready, and a larvae tank all ready.
There are currently 3 large females with ovipositor extended, 1 that has a male spawning with her so far. Hoping to have a good batch of eggs to pull tonight.
By the way, I am about 99% positive the females make a drumming noise when fighting.


DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Monday, January 18, 2010 9:02 AM
New batch hatching as I type this! Didn't expect a hatch this time of day?


DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Monday, January 18, 2010 10:37 AM
Chromis Viridis 1 hr post hatch   



unknown worm? This was on the slide with the larvae


DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Monday, January 18, 2010 11:51 AM
Quote Originally Posted by witt


This is exciting. Chromis are an interesting genus compared with other damsels, and most demersal spawners for that matter, in that they hatch prematurely - a prolarvae of sorts. They require a day or 2 in the water column to develop to the first feeding stage with mouth and gut fully formed.


Hey witt, should I hold off on first feeding till tomorrow if they hatched this morning?


DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:38 PM
That batch was all dead this morning.
Another spawn today.
I also ordered S strain rotifers, Acartia tonsa copepods, and AlgaMac-3050 today to get some smaller and better foods for them. Looking into setting up a BRT for them also.

mPedersen
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:33 PM
Where did you order your A. tonsa from?

DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:35 PM

mPedersen
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Thursday, January 21, 2010 12:58 AM
Figured it was Dan Underwood, but wanted to ask for other folks who many not know (or maybe, just maybe,you had found another source )

Pix are looking great.  FWIW, let me throw this down for ya - Mandarins and Harlequin Filefish hatch out similarly.  In fact, I think Harlequin Filefish got placed as a "C" category fish and does much the same as Witt described (demersal spawner hatching 'prematurely' as a "prolavae"), same as the Green Chromis.  Maybe you'll be the first.  It's certainly within your reach.  GO FOR IT!

DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Thursday, February 4, 2010 9:40 AM
Well I shut down the pumps in the main tank last night hoping for a Mandarin spawn, which didn't happen, but was rewarded with a surprise hatch of Chromis instead!
I scooped out a bunch and put them in a 5g tank I had readied for the Mandarin eggs. They were still alive this morning, so I have moved them to a BRT now. I have about 4-5g of water in it to hopefully keep the water quality up better this time. They are actively swimming around, not all at the bottom.  No real estimate of how many I have yet, but it appears to be at the least a few hundred.
I have an Acartia tonsa culture started, but it hasnt really taken off yet. I do have a good culture of S strain rots now along with the L strain, but haven't recieved my Algamac yet. It should be here in a few days. I can also collect plankton from my reef tank at night if anyone thinks that may help? I have a very large mature system, around 550g altogether. I read that a few of the succesful Mandarin breeders had good results doing this.
I'll be checking often on development of a mouth to get a better idea when to add first foods. I have heard 2 days, so 48 to 72 hrs after hatch? I think I added food too early last time and just fouled the water.

DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Thursday, February 4, 2010 7:26 PM
24 hrs and still kicking!
Looks like the mouth is forming so I added the first rots and pods tonight.

kileysmama
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Friday, February 5, 2010 12:22 AM
Woohoo!!!! 

DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Friday, February 5, 2010 7:51 AM
24 hrs post hatch- starting to see mouth so I added foods at this time

head

gut


36 hrs post hatch





Still doing good!


mPedersen
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Friday, February 5, 2010 3:05 PM
See the green in the gut?!  Clearly something has been ingested!

DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Friday, February 5, 2010 3:34 PM
Great!
I was hoping that's what that was!
Still going good. Just added some more enriched rots, and have a slow drip adding water from the broodstock tank.

DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Friday, February 5, 2010 3:57 PM
Oh and the AlgaMac-3050 is here and tonight's feeding will be enriched with that.
I will also shut down the pumps and collect plankton from the display tank to add tonight.


DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Saturday, February 6, 2010 6:32 AM
Still going!

48 hrs


58 hrs - empty belly, just before the morning feeding


DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Monday, February 8, 2010 6:42 AM
They made it through yesterday afternoon, but by yesterday evening they were all gone. I will be making a few changes to the tank, lowering the standpipe so I can keep a higher food density and ramping up production on the pods, then trying again. I was really happy to have kept them going this long, much longer than my last try. Just gotta keep plugging away at it.

Fishtal
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Monday, February 8, 2010 11:21 AM
Congrats on getting this far!  Kevin and I were talking about you when he was over yesterday.
http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

DLBerlin
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Monday, February 8, 2010 4:54 PM
Quote Originally Posted by Fishtal


Congrats on getting this far!  Kevin and I were talking about you when he was over yesterday.


Thanks Tal!
You had all nice things to say I hope -angel



Fishtal
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Monday, February 8, 2010 5:06 PM
Quote Originally Posted by DLBerlin


Quote Originally Posted by Fishtal


Congrats on getting this far!  Kevin and I were talking about you when he was over yesterday.


Thanks Tal!
You had all nice things to say I hope -angel



LOL, actually we were talking about your Chromies, not you personally.
http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

fishboy13
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Chromis Viridis - Monday, February 8, 2010 6:30 PM
Yeah, good job getting this far Deb. Keep up the good work.