Breeding Journal, Species: Gobiodon citrinus

General
Species:  Gobiodon citrinus (citron goby) 
Social Structure: single pair 
Size of Individuals:  @ 2.0 inches
Age of Individuals:  Unsure
Date added to Tank:  5-8-2011

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  65 gallon
Substrate Details:  Deep sand bed
Filtration Details:  sump, skimmer, UV
Water Changes:  10% monthly
Water Temperature:  78-80
Lighting:  T5 HO
Lighting Cycle:  14/10
Other Tank Inhabitants:  two spot gobies, snails, hermit crabs 

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  thawed mysis, homemade mush, New Life Spectrum pellets
Feeding Schedule:  2-5 x per day

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  Noticed the eggs on 7-23-2011 
Spawn Time of Day:  between noon - 3pm
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:  They spawn every 5 days
Courtship Details:  Male dances/quivers in front of female
Egg Size:   < 1 mm (very tiny - much smaller than percula eggs)
Egg Color:  white/clear
Egg Count:  several hundred

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:  7-28-11
Hatch Time of Day:  Within the first few hours of lights out
# Days after Spawn:  4-5
Larvae Description:  close to invisible - very tiny and clear


Larval Tank Details
Temperature:  80-82
Size of Larval Tank:  20 gallon
Substrate Details:  bare bottom
Other Tank Decor:  none
Filtration Details:  airstone
Lighting:  normal florescent
Lighting Cycle: 24 hrs  
Water Changes:  10% every few days
Larval Feeding Details
Food Types: live rotifers & copepods within the culture 
Feeding Schedule: constant

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

(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Miscellaneous Information: 
The fry are difficult to collect even with a larva snatcher. They dart away VERY quickly to any movement.


You will be required to provide photographic or video 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. PHOTOS AND VIDEO S MUST BE PLACED IN ADDITIONAL POSTS, NEVER IN THE FIRST POST IN A JOURNAL.

Doni Marie~

They were kind enough to spawn on the glass so I could see
 
 

Doni Marie~

Very nice pic!

Witt is sitting here with me and we both said the same thing. 

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

Good luck, Doni,
If you have success, please let me know. I would like to get some captive bred ones.

Wow, great stuff! Will follow this one with great interest.

Thanks everyone!
I am excited about this too. It is refreshing how a new spawning like this rejuvenates my excitement!
Does anyone know how many days before they hatch?

Doni Marie~

Doni, I'm just gonna guess and say it's probably 4-6 days to hatch.

 
Thank you Matt. I have been setting up the Vossen larva trap nightly just to be sure but they have not hatched yet. Maybe tonight!

Doni Marie~

Another spawn occurred today while I was at work (6am-6pm) even though the previous spawn has not hatched.
I have the larva snagger set up and ready to snag. Hopefully, I'll have some fry in the morning!
 
Here is a photo of the male tending the two nests. It is difficult to see in the photo, but the older eggs have silver eyes and the new spawn appears white/clear.

 

Doni Marie~

The 1st set of eggs hatched sometime during the 5th night.
I THINK I captured fry but they are soooo tiny and clear.. close to invisible. I'll continue to capture the fry as they hatch (every 5 days)...
 
I was in a hurry to get to work so I did not have time to get some photos of the fry. I'll try the next time.

Doni Marie~

That's cool Can't wait to see the pics!

RLTW

180 Gallon Mixed Reef

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

Also very interested! So exciting!

I missed the hatch. Apparently the eggs hatch during the 4th night after a spawn, not the 5th. I'll be ready next time.
I can't see any fry in the 20 gallons of 'green soup' nursery tank but hopefully they're are some doing okay. It is filled with rotifers and some copepods. Hopefully, they're eating okay.

Doni Marie~

I managed to catch them in the act of spawning and also got a video of the almost invisible fry right after hatching!
The fry are VERY fast and are sensitive to the slightest movement... They can easily evade a cup or baster when I attempt to catch them. I know now why the larva catcher doesn't work so well with them... they fry can easily dart away due to any movement/bubbles.
At each spawn, I managed to scoop out some of the evasive fry so I know I have some in the 'nursery' tank filled with rotifers and copepods. I've read that they grow SLOW but hopefully, they are alive and growing well. The 20 gallon  'nursery' looks like pea soup (IA & rotifers) so I can't see anything in it...
 

Doni Marie~

Fry just after hatching:
CLICK to watch video

Doni Marie~

Spawning video.

Doni Marie~

Very cool! Looks like a nice tank as well. What kind of plants are those?

Thanks Kathy.
The green is Caulerpa prolifera and the red is Halymenia durvillaea.

Doni Marie~

The vids are a great touch Doni!  Keep up the great work!

Sorry for the blank post, IE seems to be "ify".... How are these guys doing? I'm considering getting a pair so I'd love an update and if you have a pair available that would be even better, tia.