Breeding Journal, Species: Pseudochromis fridmani

General
Species:  Pseudochromis fridmani
Social Structure:  Pair
Size of Individuals:  2" and 3"
Age of Individuals:  unknown
Date added to Tank:  May 2010

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  Breeding setup approx 1000L total.  Tank 380x610x390mm 67L 17.5US Gal
Substrate Details:  None.  Plastic pipes provided for "caves" and a flower pot.
Filtration Details:  Skimmer, UV, Macro Algae, Live Rock
Water Changes:  100L Fortnight
Water Temperature:  27.1C
Lighting:  Power Compact
Lighting Cycle:  7am to 7:45pm
Other Tank Inhabitants:  Black and White Ocellaris Clown Fish

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  Spectrum Thera A+, Spectrum Salt H20 flakes, Enriched Brine Shrimp, Marine Green, Home Made Mash (prawn, pipi clam, white bait, squid, garlic, norrie etc). Occasional live brine shrimp
Feeding Schedule:  Morning and night.  Pellets followed 10 minutes later with frozen food.

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  Early November 2010 Photos below from spawn 11/20/2011 and 06/27/2012, Hatch report 09/02/2012
Spawn Time of Day:  Unknown
Dates of Consecutive Spawns: 14 days approx once regular spawns have commenced 
Courtship Details:   Unknown
Egg Size:  1.5-2.5mm
Egg Color:  Cream/White
Egg Count:  50 approx

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:  9/6/2012 to 9/8/2012 see Additional Information
Hatch Time of Day:  10pm
# Days after Spawn:  6
Larvae Description:  2-3mm clear streamlined fry with large black eyes.

Larval Tank Details
Temperature:  26c
Size of Larval Tank:  20L with 15L of water
Substrate Details:  None
Other Tank Decor:  Heater
Filtration Details:  water change and air stone
Lighting:  Ambient
Lighting Cycle:  7am to 7:45pm
Water Changes:  20% every 3 days

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:  SS & L Rotifers raised on Reed Rotifer Diet. Greenwater acheived by tinting the water with Nannocholoropsis, about 250ml.  1ml of AmGuard for ammonia control daily
Feeding Schedule:  morning, afternoon and night

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

The first part of the hatch from the batch was on the 6th, over the next two days more hatched.  The initial bulk of the hatch was on the first day with some stragglers over the next two days (6th to the 8th).  For reporting I used the last day of hatch, eg when it was complete. 

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

06/27/2012 S Pair 1
08/28/2012 S Pair 1
09/02/2012 S Pair 1 H  9/8/2012
09/10/2012 S Pair 1 Eaten by 09/12/2012
09/17/2012 S Pair 1


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.

Is the male eating the eggs instead of tending?  There seems to be a good sized handful of us on these forums having this experience.

The first batch, the female was swimming around with them trailing her.  I never saw them after that.
With the second batch they laid them attached to the underside of a flower pot, that had an aptasia in it.
I rescued the nest and its now in an egg tumbler.
The following photos are of the same egg.
It is about 24 - 36 hours old.


 

 

I collected a batch of eggs tonight.  There seems to be quite a number of white eggs around the edge of the egg ball.
 
Good (or unfertalised?)


 
Bad

 
Hatched/Ruptured?

I have removed the egg bundle and put it into an egg tumbler with broodstock tank water.

Very average pictures of the adults.  They like to hide so this is as good as I can deliver.
Male and Female

 
Male swiming in the open (no chance of a similar photo of the female she is way to skittish)

I interupted the female with a trail of eggs again last night.  They were still attached to her and in a long strand.  I left her alone for a few hours and then went searching for them, but was unable to find the eggs.

I've done that before. The eggs usually get eaten when that happens.

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

A couple of times now I found eggs when I moved the air filter whilst cleaning the tank. The female likes to hide under the sponge of the filter between the bottom of the tank and the sponge.
 
Something I have noticed (or rather not noticed) is any different behavior between the pair when they are about to spawn. One of them is very shy and hides a lot (female), the other tends to be out swimming around. 
 
Previously but not when I have found egg masses, I have seen the female looking thin and a little beaten up occasionally and have taken this as a result of spawning. But I have never seen the behaviour, just the result. I have however not found eggs in these examples.  Within a few days the female looks normal again.
 
Quite a few months ago and again a couple of weeks ago I did interrupt the female laying eggs, she swam off with them still attached, but they were never found.
 
I have also found a nest/ball that was about to be eaten by an aptaisia. I tried to tumble it but it did not work.
 
At this stage overall Im not having any real luck with either of my pairs of these other than stumbling on eggs every now and then.

Mine are like this as well.  My current female is much less skittish than my last one, but the male is far from outgoing.  He is usually in his PVC pipe cave, and if he has eggs he will not leave the pipe to eat.  I can't tell by the look of my female, she always looks gravid and never looks beat up.  I'm not having any luck either, my male keeps eating them.
 
For poops and giggles you may try putting a larvae snagger in the tank and turning it on nightly for a week to see if you catch anything.  With my last pair, this is how I found out they were spawning as I had no idea.

Don't let fear and common sense stop you! =]

Im not sure how long you have had this, but I just noticed it and had a good giggle
 
"EasterEggs
Viewer of fish porn"

I just added it yesterday.   Under "edit profile" go to "custom title"...or something like that. 

Don't let fear and common sense stop you! =]

I did this on another tank and I caught something interesting (bad camera photo but you get the idea)

 
She was just sitting there looking pleased with herself.  I had left the snagger in the tank for a couple of days and it had collected a heap of copepods, they became a trapped free meal.

Hehehehe....Mandarins are so personable!

Don't let fear and common sense stop you! =]

New egg ball.  Im trying an egg tumbler so I will see how that goes.

I have lots and lots of fry.   YEAH! 
 

About 2-3mm long and fairly active swimmers.

All fry are now gone.  The pair have laid again, but the male has eaten the eggs.

The pair had quite a break, but have now resumed spawning.  Today, a massive batch of eggs.  About 1/2 the size of the female.

No luck yet?

Don't let fear and common sense stop you! =]