Breeding Journal, Species: Elacatinus Evelynae

General
Species:  Elacatinus Evelynae
Social Structure:  F/M mated pair
Size of Individuals:  2-2.5 inches (female noticeably fatter)
Age of Individuals:  Unknown, but acquired when much smaller than current adult size.
Date added to Tank:  September 9, 2010

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  10 Gallons (20x12x10)
Substrate Details:  10 pounds live sand.
Filtration Details:  Aquaclear power filter (150GPH); 10 pounds of live rock (with an algae overgrowth!)
Water Changes:  10-20% every 2 weeks.
Water Temperature:  80 F
Lighting:  36 watts total T5HO 18"
Lighting Cycle:  14 hours per day (9am to 11pm)
Other Tank Inhabitants:  1x Ecsenius stigmatura, 2x Lysmata wurdermanni, clean up crew.

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  Cyclopeeze (frozen), NL Spectrum pellets (for small fish), Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef flakes & Formula 2 flakes, Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp.
Feeding Schedule: 2-3 times daily usually around 10am and 6pm

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  20 October 2010
Spawn Time of Day:   Unsure.
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:  Every 8-14 days approximately.
Courtship Details:  Pair form "T" shape; Male retreats into spawn "cave" (Hydor Koralia powerhead that has been turned off).
Egg Size:  1-2 mm
Egg Color:  Translucent white
Egg Count:  20-100+

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:  24 January 2011
Hatch Time of Day:  Evening at 10pm, and next morning around 10 am.
# Days after Spawn:  Unsure
Larvae Description:  3-4 mm, almost transparent except for eyes, spot on tail and spot on center of body that reflect light (e.g. from a torch).


Larval Tank Details
Temperature:  81F
Size of Larval Tank:  10 gallon (only filled to 3 gallons for first 10 days, increasing to 5 gallons by Day 23) (20x12x10)
Substrate Details:  Bare bottom, fully cleaned 1-3 times a week; otherwise, quick turkey baster of dirt/scum at bottom.
Other Tank Decor:  Heater (with indicator light hidden).  Tank sides darkened for first 3 days.
Filtration Details:  Airstone
Lighting:  Fluorescent 18" 15 watt lamp
Lighting Cycle:  16 hours (8 am to midnight)
Water Changes:   Parent tank water introduced constantly at 1 drip/second for Days 1-4.  Water at lower salinity introduced constantly at 1-2 drips/second, for Day 5 onwards.

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:  Days 1-20: "L-strain" rotifers, sometimes enriched with Selcon for 5+ hours before, maintained in mix of live greenwater (Nanno, Tetraselmis, T-iso) supplemented with Roti-grow as necessary.
Days 16-23: NHBS (San Francisco strain); Rotifers enriched with Phytofeast & Selcon.  New Life Spectrum Small Fry Pellets.
Days 23-31: BBS enriched with Phytofeast & Selcon.  Otohime B1 and B2, New Life Spectrum Small Fry pellets 
Feeding Schedule:  Days 1-16: Rotifers maintained at density of 10-20 /ml.
From days 16-26: Enriched rotifers and NHBS - maintaining NHBS around 1-2/ml.
From days 27-31: Enriched BBS (around 1/ml) and Otohime B1 and B2 (2-3 times daily)
Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Settlement Start:  16 February 2011
Days after Hatch:  Day 23
Date of Settlement End:  TBA
Description of Fry:  On day 23, first larvae to undergo meta - black stripe down notochord, visibly connecting to eyes; this one is behaving and swimming differently, spending more time near or on tank bottom. The next day, this larvae's yellow/blue coloration is much more prominent - looks like a miniature adult.
 
By day 27, only 5 larvae out of 38 were still not settled.  All larvae metamorphosed by day 31, and have yellow/blue coloration.  Post-settlement fish spend time on tank sides and bottom. 

Grow-Out Tank Details
Temperature:  81F
Size of Grow-Out Tank:  10 gallons
Substrate Details:  Nil.
Other Tank Decor:  Heater
Filtration Details:  Sponge filter.
Lighting:  36 watts total T5HO 18"
Lighting Cycle:  15 hours (9am to 12 midnight)
Water Changes:  10-20% daily.
Size at Transfer:  Larvae tank converted into grow out.  No transfer.
Age at Transfer:  No transfer.

Grow-Out Feeding Details
Food Types:  Otohime B1 & B2.  Occasionally NHBS.
Feeding Schedule:  3-4 times a day.

Additional Information
 
(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Miscellaneous Information: 



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Photos taken at Day 23:
 


 
 

The parents:
 

 

 

Together: 

Day 24: 4 larvae now have the darkened stripe across their backs, of about 30.
 
Still keeping lighting on for 16 hours / day, feeding NHBBS and NLS fry feed.  Managing water quality with constant slow drip (1 drip/second of fresh saltwater) and removal of 10-20% daily.
 
As this is only my third attempt at raising a hatch, any observations regarding settlement and care during this period would be greatly appreciated - whether generally in relation to the seven-spined gobies, or more specifically concerning the cleaners.
 

So where did you get your pair?  I assume they're ORA fish?

Hi Matt, yes - I got them as a tank-raised pair from Diver's Den.

Just curious, what is the NLS fry feed?

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

New Life Spectrum fry formula, which is apparently 250-300 microns.  Larvae get excited when its in the water, but I'm not sure how much they manage to eat before it sinks.
 
Will try Otohime when it arrives.  Interested in what you've found best to wean larvae off NHBBS.

Ok, got it now. I use Otohime A to wean off of rotifers, then a variety of finely crushed flake foods and frozen cyclopeeze when they are big enough.

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

Had a couple of straggler larvae completing meta yesterday (Day 31).  Most stick to the sides of the tank unless actively seeking food.  Still small - about 3/4" in size, on average, but much fatter and faster, and will nice blue/yellow coloration.  No deaths since Day 23.  At last count, there were 38 babies (I had originally estimated 30).
 
Weaning them off artemia nauplii to dry foods - Otohime B1 and B2 (difficult to see which size they prefer), NL Spectrum fry pellet, with occasional treat of Ocean Nutrition's Instant Baby Brine Shrimp product. 
 
Sponge filter added to larvae tank, as it will now serve for grow out, with water level increased to fill most of the 10 gallon tank  Hopefully, this will provide enough biological filtration, with Prime added whenever the Ammonia badge strays from 0.02 mg/L.  Water changes at 10-20% daily, with fresh saltwater dripping in around 1-2 drops/second.  Daily siphon of tank bottom to remove food particles.
 
The broodstock female is looking gravid again...

Post-settlement at Day 32

Awesome!

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

hi just trying to find out how long your eggs take to hatch and at what temp, i have a nest which hasnt hatched at 10days?
 
any help appreciated, and congrats on your sucess