Breeding Journal, Species: Amblygobius Phalaena

General
Species:  Amblygobius Phalaena
Social Structure:  Pair
Size of Individuals:  5" and 2.5"
Age of Individuals:  not known
Date added to Tank:  Nov 2009, Feb 2011

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  25 gallon
Substrate Details:  none
Filtration Details:  Central
Water Changes:  none
Water Temperature:  78
Lighting:  indirect only
Lighting Cycle:  14 on
Other Tank Inhabitants:  none

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  Any meaty fare
Feeding Schedule:  3 times daily

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  suspected 22/23 March 2011
Spawn Time of Day:  not known
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:  2nd Spawn 4/8/2011 , 7/12/11, 7/25/11
Courtship Details:  Male gets aggressive chasing female. He also alters his colouring from very dark to almost white. He will hover above a chosen spawning pipe and then enter it, moving in and out with just half his body to entice the female to enter.
Egg Size:  1mm
Egg Color:  whiteish
Egg Count:  150

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:  Missed first hatch 3/26/2011 2nd Hatch 4/12/2011
Hatch Time of Day:  After lights out at 9pm
# Days after Spawn:  3.5
Larvae Description:  About 3mm in length with large eyes and visible stomach


Larval Tank Details
Temperature:  78-80
Size of Larval Tank:  5 gal BRT
Substrate Details:  None
Other Tank Decor:  None
Filtration Details:  None
Lighting:  Ambient fish house lights
Lighting Cycle:  14 on
Water Changes:  5% daily

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:  L Strain Rotifers
Feeding Schedule:  Continuous

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
Hatch No2. These larvae were placed in a tub that contained red head fry that had hatched approximately a week earlier
(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Miscellaneous Information: 
Previous spawnings in 2009are here http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=221&t=6233



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Good luck with them!

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

Thanks mate. Had no luck with the last time but think I have a better chance now with the new setup.
Incidentally, does anyone have any experience of the same species of fish laying different types of egg nests? Think I will start a new thread.

Spawned again today will remove pipe on Monday night to hatch.

Was looking in the tub containing the red head fry today and counted about 5 when I noticed one  that looked different. I am not sure but I think it may well be a A. Phalaema fry. I hatched the two spawns in this same tub so could be and its definitely gone through meta, its nearly as big as the red heads. Didnt get chance to try and catch it as it was near lights out so will have to wait until the morning. Fingers crossed.

Yep I am sure there's a Phalaena in there through meta. It swims completely different to the red heads, Has blue reflection in his eyes and stays in open water rather than clinging to the sides. I don't want to remove him from the tub to get shots so I tried to get some shots in the tub. Not great but hey I tried!

 
And here's a shot of the red heads

Wait and see...Congrats BTW,nice pics of nice juvs!
Did they hatch large as the redheads?

Thought I had better update this now these have been classified.
I have had 2 spawns from this current pair. Spawns from a previous female occured in Nov 2009 and can be found here. http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=221&t=6233
This is the female I had in 2009 with the current male. This shot was taken 11/20/2009

And this is my current female with the male. This shot was taken 4/6/2011

 
I have discussed this on another thread but thought it worth putting it all on here anyway. The two females lay a different type of eggmass. This must be due to environmental surroundings and is noteworthy. This is the eggmass from my last female whom would not lay in a pipe but preferred to lay in the open against a pot.  This shot was takeen 11/21/2009

 
You can see the gelatinous mass that is laid along with the eggs. This is the type of nest my current female lays. Each egg is individually attached to the pipe, with no gelatinous mass surrounding the eggs.  This shot was taken 3/25/2011.

 
I have yet to get any of these larvae past Meta, but I think I may have one fry which is in with the red heads that looks like an A phalaena. As soon as I am comfortable that I can remove it without killing it I will gt a photograph. It may well be some weeks away though.

Mind putting dates with some of those photos?

Well been some up and downs with these fish. The female disapeared down the standpipe and was missing in action for three weeks until I finally spotted her one day in the sump. When I went out to feed them tonight though they were nowhere to be seen. I knew this could only mean one thing. Sure enough after watching the tank the female darted out from one of the pipes. I lifted the pipe and to my amazement I found the biggest nest of eggs I have seen. There must be thousands. Knowing the male is a good carer of the eggs I am really confident I have a chance of getting these through meta this time as I have S strain rots!
 
Feast your eyes fellow breeders!
 

 

Well missed the hatch on these! Checked them on the Friday night when I thought they would be ready and they were gone...
She spawned again today though. Needles to say will be checking the eggs daily.

Hatched these last night.  About 40% still left to hatch hopefully tonight.  There are at least a thousand larvae in the BRT though, so hopefully I can get them past meta this time.

Day 4 and only about 10% of the larvae still alive. There so damn tiny I can't tell if their eating. The BRT is full of S strain rots and it looks like they are striking at them. 4 days seems to be a milestone with these little guys, so will have to keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow

No luck getting these past 5 days. The female is massively gravid today, so I think she will spawn again tomorrow.
Anyone got any advice? I am going to strain down some buckets I got outside to see how many pods I can get and try them. Apart from that would appreciate any help that can be given. She lays about 2000 eggs so should get some through to meta with a little help.