Breeding Journal, Species: Pomacentrus alleni

General
Species:  Poacentrus alleni
Social Structure:  single pair
Size of Individuals: 3"
Age of Individuals: unsure
Date added to Tank: After QT on 7-25-2009  added a harem of 4 to the reef tank; October 25, 2009 placed 3 into a 20 gallon breeder tank (they spawned 1 week later)

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  20 gallon
Substrate Details:  barebottom
Filtration Details:  flow through, sump, micron sock, skimmer
Water Changes:  weekly 25%
Water Temperature:  80-82
Lighting:  T5
Lighting Cycle: 14 hrs on, 10 hrs off
Other Tank Inhabitants:  none

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  pellet, mysis, homemade mush
Feeding Schedule: twice daily 

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn: 11-1-2009 
Spawn Time of Day:  unknown 
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:  unsure; they always have an egg mass and appear to spawn every few days 
Courtship Details: male cares and protects the eggs; also keeps female away unless she is spawning 
Egg Size:  much smaller than percula eggs
Egg Color: transparent
Egg Count:  hundreds

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:  unsure
Hatch Time of Day: during the night 
# Days after Spawn:  unsure since they always have an egg mass but I believe they hatch in 3-5 days
Larvae Description:  extremely small and fragile/ will NOT survive on rotifers 


Larval Tank Details
Temperature: 80
Size of Larval Tank: 20 gallon 
Substrate Details:  bare bottom
Other Tank Decor:  none
Filtration Details: sponge filter or HOB filter 
Lighting:  normal output florescent
Lighting Cycle:  24 hrs for first week
Water Changes:  20% water change while vacuuming bottom every other day

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:  will NOT survive on rotifers (currently searching for appropriate food to colonize)
Feeding Schedule: constant live food

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:  Extremely difficult fry. None reared in captivity to my knowledge. 



You will be required to provide photographic evidence in this thread of each event submitted for the MBI Program.
If your thread does not contain these photos the MBI Committee will not be able to approve your reports.

Doni Marie~

Adult

 
 
Father watching over the eggs

 

 
 
YouTube video of Larva caught in a snagger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HievXC2YzbY
 

Doni Marie~

AWESOME Doni!  How lucky to get them spawning on the glass too!

Thanks. I'm glad I took some photos then.  Now they are in a different tank and spawn on white ceramic tiles which makes it almost impossible to see the eggs.
 
I am very anxious to attempt to raise these but am waiting to find a better/smaller food source than rotifers.
 
I really need to get a good microscope so I can accurately measure rotifers and other zooplankton.

Doni Marie~

Doni, I'm still trying to wrap my head around how these guys are spawning and looking for some more specific information in the initial post if you can provide it.  There seems to be more info in the reports that isn't mirrored in the journal thread.  Also, do you perhaps have any other journals or forum posts somewhere where you've been keeping more information?
 
Let me see if I'm understanding correctly.  You have a single pair you added in November of 2009.  You also state the started spawning in November of 2009.  How did you get the pair?  Were they a spawning pair when you got them?  Did the start spawning the very same day you added them to the tank?  Or was there days or weeks before they started spawning?  Based on the report data provided, it sounds like they spawned the same day you added them?  Obviously you're spawning them, that's not what I'm questioning..I'm trying to figure out how long it took to really get the spawning pair.  If it was truly the same day, great, but it seems atypical, thus my pressing for more details
 
It's obviously important that we try to pin down more details if possible.  It sounds like the spawning is "constant" even with only the single pair, but some of the other info suggests maybe they're spawning every 3-5 days?  Your hatch report suggests they hatch in roughly 36-48 hours - would that be an accurate assessment?
 
 

Matt you remind me of my 10th grade Social Studies teacher! LOL 
Anoying but totally warranted   Thanks!
I do apologize for the vagueness but journaling is one thing I have not found time to do. I rely totally on memory and photos to piece timelines together. I will do my best to fill in details where my responses are weak.
 
 

Doni Marie~

Figures that they would take a break from spawning when I'm ready to try to raise a batch...

Doni Marie~

Any other fish take a break recently?  It seems that fall does that...my Onyx stopped spawning, Jay's Maroons went on hiatus...

I've certainly noticed a decrease in pre-spawning behavior in my 'bonded' pairs and my black & white's have not spawned again (that I have noticed) in over 5 weeks.  The fish room's ambient temp has been low (72-75) over the last month which has effected the water's temp. I have since ramped up the heat so hopefully they'll get jiggy again.

Doni Marie~

Newly hatched fry:
I'll get better photos. These were taken this morning as I was rushing to get ready for work.
 
Their hatching tank is full of O. marina, A. panamensis, and small rotifers. It is also tinted green with algae paste.

 

(disregard the date shown on the photo)




 

Doni Marie~

Good luck Doni!

Nice pics Doni!

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

Thanks guys!
The difficult thing about having a large volume of water is trying to find the tiny fry in 20 gallons of greenwater!

Doni Marie~

No doubt. Good luck with them!

--Andy, the bucket man.
"Not to know the mandolin is to argue oneself unknown...." --Clara Lanza, 1886