Breeding Journal DataSheet for Apogon margaritophorus
General Species: Apogon margaritophorus "Copper or Lattice Cardinalfish"
Social Structure: Polygamous, schools, pairs up for actual spawning only
Size of Individuals: 2" - we had 2 male sand 1 female.
Age of Individuals: unknown (wild caught)
Date added to Tank: 10-23-2005
Broodstock Tank Details Size of Tank: 24 gallon nanocube
Substrate Details: live sand
Filtration Details: stock nanocube filtration but later on added Remora C Skimmer
Water Changes: typically 25% per week
Water Temperature: generally around 80F
Lighting: 150 watt HQI Metal Halide
Lighting Cycle: generally 12 hours on, 12 off, with moonlights
Other Tank Inhabitants: This was my SPS tank. There were MANY other fish - most notably 2 other cardinalfish species also spawning at the same time - Pterapogon kaudernii and Apogon leptacanthus.
Broodstock Feeding Details Food Types: YOU NAME IT. They liked everything. Mostly frozen brine and mysis
Feeding Schedule: Multiple times per day.
Spawning Details Date of First Spawn: The group had actually spawned prior to coming home!
Spawn Time of Day: typically afternoon / evening
Dates of Consecutive Spawns: Typically every 7-9 days
CourtShip Details: Female initiates courtship. Often, one of the first signs that the female is in the mood is that both males in the tank will distend their lower jaws, as if making rooms for impending spawn. Once the female has chosen her mate, she nudges the male she has selected, performs circling swimming displays. The male may yawn repeatedly as if dislocating or enlarging his buccal cavity. Courtship reaches a peak with the pair swimming parallel at each other’s sides. Spawning ensues shortly thereafter. The actual spawning happens VERY quick – usually within the span of 30 seconds or less (i.e. turn your back on the fish and look back 30 seconds later only to find the male is now holding). The ONLY spawning event I have witnessed was a “freak” occurrence, lasting well over 30 minutes, with the female apparently having difficulty in passing the egg mass. In this “botched spawn”, the male ultimately took the egg mass in 3 large bites over the course of 15-20 minutes and consumed them immediately. The female in this group will spawn with both males. During pre-spawn courtship the female will vigorously defend the pair’s mating location from the other male. To a lesser extent, the chose male will also attempt to drive away the odd-man-out. Typically following a spawn she will continue to associate with her chosen partner for the next 24 hours before resuming her normal behavior.
Egg Size: small (never measured)
Egg Color: clear with orange oil spot
Egg Count: hundreds
Hatch Details Hatch Date: NEVER found a hatch. Suspect that male may have been eating eggs much of the time (i.e. on days where they only held for 2-4 days), but later information suggested that they simply only incubate for possibly as short at 6-7 days, so I may have been routinely MISSING it. Tried artificial incubation without luck.
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:
Originally reported this all over the place, but most can be seen here -
http://www.nano-reef.com/...owtopic=72646&st=0 There are MANY videos of courtship and post spawn bevhavior in the thread above. VIDEO - male holding eggs immediately after a spawn: http://www.cichlidrecipe....reef/post_spawn_1.html Single Apogon margaritophorus egg after spawning: 
<message edited by mPedersen on Monday, January 18, 2010 3:44 PM>