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Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Thursday, November 29, 2012 3:21 PM
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Breeding Journal DataSheet
This first post should be updated regularly to include new information as events take place or changes are made to your system General Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini Social Structure: Group of 7 to start -- eventually two pairs, plus two extra fish of uncertain gender. Size of Individuals: 5" - 7" Age of Individuals: Unknown Date added to Tank: 11/29/2012 Broodstock Tank Details Size of Tank: 40 Gallons Substrate Details: Bare Bottom Filtration Details: Penguin Emperor 400 HOB filter, plus some live rock in the tank. Water Changes: As necessary to keep water quality high. As much as 50% twice weekly, while trying to wean onto frozen foods (lots of uneaten food can accumulate). Water Temperature: 74-76 F Lighting: Low light levels from 16" strip fluorescent light on top of eggcrate on top of tank. Lighting Cycle: Manual, usually 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM or so. Other Tank Inhabitants: Tisbe on the glass and rocks, Amphipods & Mysids hiding in the live rock. Broodstock Feeding Details Food Types: Primarily enriched few-day-old BBS. Also live Tigriopus. Still trying to wean them onto frozen with various frozen cyclops brands, Spirulina brine, Hikari Mysis, Nutramar Ova, etc. as of 13 December 2012. By 31 December 2012, all of them are taking Ocean Nutrition brand frozen cyclops, some more enthusiastically than others. I still give them occasional treats of enriched several day old Artemia and/or Tigriopus and/or Moina. Feeding Schedule: Several small meals per day. Spawning Details Date of First Spawn: (Pair in Tank #1) 13 December 2012 Spawn Time of Day: Unknown. Update: The spawns always happen in the morning, shortly after lights on. Dates of Consecutive Spawns: (Pair in Tank #1): 21 December 2012 30 December 2012, 9 January 2013, 19 January 2013, 29 January 2013, 8 February 2013, 17 February 2013, 26 February 2013, 7 March 2013, 16 March 2013, 25 March 2013, 19 April 2013, 5 May 2013 (Pair in Tank #2): 22 December 2012, 1 January 2013, 11&12 January 2013, 5 February 2013, 24 April 2013, 3 May 2013 Courtship Details: Males spend a lot of time being aggressive towards and in generally trying to dominate each other. Females tend to lurk quietly in the caves. During egg transfer, female and male align their bodies, and both swim on their sides together, undersides touching, sometimes doing barrel rolls, and/or forming an "X" shape as the female deposits the eggs into the male's pouch flaps. Egg Size: Appx. 2 mm Egg Color: Light Orange Egg Count: Unknown -- first spawn, probably just a dozen or so. Later spawns are 25-30 pairs of eggs in two rows, for a total count of 50-60 eggs. Hatch Details Hatch Date: (Pair in Tank #2) 31 December 2012 Hatch Time of Day: Night, after lights out # Days after Spawn: 9 Larvae Description: Appx. 1 cm (3/8") long, fully developed eyes and tail fins and tiny snouts like parents, able to take copepods of various life stages. Consecutive Hatch Dates: (Pair in Tank #1): 8 January 2013, 6 February 2013, 27 April 2013 (Pair in Tank #2): 10&11 January 2013, 2 May 2013 Larval Tank Details Temperature: Ambient room temp. - appx. 72-74 degrees. Size of Larval Tank: 2 Gallon drum shaped glass fishbowl. Substrate Details: None Other Tank Decor: Rigid airline with opening at 3 o'clock position. Filtration Details: Live phytoplankton - appx. 250 ml of dense Isochrysis culture. Lighting: Small fluorescent strip light over eggcrate and a few layers of paper towels to diffuse the light. Lighting Cycle: 24 hours for the first day, then appx. 18 H on / 8 H off thereafter. Water Changes: None for the first two weeks or so -- top off for evap. as necessary. Might remove a very small amount (100 ml or so) to replace some Isochrysis as necessary. Larval Feeding Details Food Types: Apocyclops panamensis, Parvocalanus sp. As they grow, I have added Nitrokra, Tigriopus, and Moina. Feeding Schedule: Constant Metamorphosis/Settlement Date of Settlement Start: Hard to say, but I'll call it 21 January 2013 Days after Hatch: 13 Date of Settlement End: Hard to say, but I'll call it 28 January 2013 Description of Fry: Miniatures of parents, but still with some transverse banding.
Grow-Out Tank Details Temperature: Appx. 74-76 F Size of Grow-Out Tank: Initially, still a 2 gallon fishbowl, but on 16 March 2013, I moved the two juveniles I had into an 8 1/2 gallon kreisel with a 10 gallon sump. Substrate Details: None Other Tank Decor: None. I added a couple of lengths of 1/2" PVC pipe to the kreisel. Filtration Details: Live microalgae, a sponge filter and ceramic media in the sump of the kreisel. Lighting: Ambient room lighting. Lighting Cycle: Variable. Generally, lights are off from somewhere between 10:00 PM and Midnight until sunrise at appx. 6:00 AM. Water Changes: In the 2 gallon fishbowl, appx. 1/2 gallon per day or every other day. Size at Transfer: For the 2 gallon firshbowl, there was no transfer so N/A. For the kreisel, the larger, older juvenile was 4 cm, and the smaller one is about 3.5 cm. Age at Transfer: The larger one is about 9 weeks old. The smaller one is about 7 weeks old. Grow-Out Feeding Details Food Types: Various copepods. I provide them Tigriopus californicus, Nitokra lacustris, Apocyclops panamensis, Acartia tonsa, some Arctodiaptomus salinus, occasional Moina salina, too. Feeding Schedule: Continuous. Additional Information (No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please) Miscellaneous Information: 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.
<message edited by JimWelsh on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 12:59 PM>
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Thursday, November 29, 2012 3:29 PM
( permalink)
Thanks to Tal, who put me in touch with a fish collector in Hawaii, and that is how I was able to get these 7 specimens of this species that is rarely seen in the trade! They appear to be 3 pairs and one individual. Since I was able to get the fish directly from the wholesaler, they are in very good condition, compared to most pipes that I've otherwise gotten through retail channels. I actually observed pairing/mating behavior within minutes of them being moved from the acclimation bucket into the quarantine tank!
I am quarantining them in a 40 breeder that has a small amount of live rock, some large black ABS pipes, a HOB filter, and a heater. I seeded the tank with numerous Tigriopus, Tisbe, and Apocyclops, as well as the amphipods and mysids that came in with the rock. I've got Artemia hatched for them, as well as a full compliment of various frozen foods to try them on. So far, I've seen a little bit of snicking at the rock and the bare glass bottom, but haven't seen a whole lot of interest in food just yet. Then again, they have only been in the QT tank for about 3 hours now, and I think they just need some time to settle into their new home.
I'm excited at the opportunity to attempt to breed this species, as they are really beautiful fish, are Hawaiian endemics, are rare in the trade, and depending on what happens with the legal situation in Hawaii in the future, may become even more difficult to get than they already are.
Wish me luck with them!
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Thursday, November 29, 2012 3:45 PM
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Hi, can you send a picture, since this species is not on the species data list.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Thursday, November 29, 2012 4:17 PM
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Thursday, November 29, 2012 6:44 PM
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Thanks, and good luck
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Thursday, November 29, 2012 8:43 PM
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Wow.. those are awesome Jim! GL!
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Friday, November 30, 2012 1:53 PM
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Stunning good luck with them
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Saturday, December 1, 2012 12:03 AM
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Oh they are beauties Jim! Good luck with them!
Don't let fear and common sense stop you! =]
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Saturday, December 1, 2012 12:43 AM
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It's a slow start, but it's a start: I saw at least one of them enthusiastically eating frozen Cyclop-Eeze tonight! Woot! Several others expressed keen interest, but I saw few, if any snicks from the others tonight. Hopefully, the others will decide "I'll have what she's having." (Did anybody get the "When Harry Met Sally" reference?)
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Saturday, December 1, 2012 11:49 AM
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Absolutely. Peer pressure is a great way to teach new fish to eat frozen. I hope they'll all be at it within the next couple of days.
Good luck with 'em.
--Andy, the bucket man. "Not to know the mandolin is to argue oneself unknown...." --Clara Lanza, 1886
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Monday, December 3, 2012 1:04 AM
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Very nice. I will be keeping an eye on this thread for sure. Good luck with them!
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Monday, December 3, 2012 3:04 AM
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Yesterday, I saw very little snicking from anybody. This morning, I discovered that I had a bit of an ammonia spike (about 0.5 PPM or so) as a result of uneaten food trapped in the filter pad of the HOB filter rotting more quickly than the system could handle. A very large water change and filter pad change later, they were perking up. I witnessed several of them snicking one or more of the following: live Tisbe copepods starting to bloom all over the glass and rocks, 3-day-old enriched BBS, and/or frozen Cyclop-Eeze.
I'd like to see them eating more than what I am witnessing, but still, some eating is better than no eating. I'm still feeling optimistic about this group of pipefishes.
I'll be keeping a much closer eye on the status of both the HOB filter pads and the NO3 level in the tank on a bi-daily (twice daily) basis from now on.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 2:11 AM
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I've upgraded the HOB filter on their tank to a Penguin Emperor 400 that has been running for months on another tank. The Emperor 400 is rated for an 80 gallon tank, so maybe this one will be able to keep up on this 40 breeder!
I have 5 day old Artemia grown on RGComplete that they are all eating enthusiastically. I don't know what the problem is with the Cyclop-Eeze -- I saw one of them eating it with gusto the other night, but now I can't get any interest in it or any other brand of frozen cyclops.
I do also see a lot of snicking of Tisbe off the glass and rocks during the day. All seven of them are staying very alert, perky, and healthy-looking.
There is a curious behavior that I interpret as males facing off that usually happens during feedings. One fish will express interest in a food item, and then another will come right alongside. Next, both fish lose any interest in the food item, but both "mirror" each other as they curve their bodies, snout downward, and head towards the bottom, until one of them "blinks", and breaks formation suddenly, swimming up and away from the other fish. I've seen various pairs of them doing this literally dozens of times since I've had them.
I saw some stringy, white poops, usually indicative of internal parasites, during the first day I had them. I've seen no such white striingy poops lately. I did see what I think are some pipefish poops floating the the water column last night, and they were orange in color, but I'm not certain they were poops (just kinda confident that's what they were). I'd like to witness them pooping, but no such luck just yet.
I did feed a snack of Tigriopus + Apocyclops + a few small Moina tonight, and they seemed to be eagerly eating the live feeds.
My plan is to wean them onto frozen like one might do with seahorse fry: Transition a mixture of live + frozen foods from mostly live to mostly frozen over the course of a week or so. Plan "B" will be to get them nicely fattened up on live feeds, and then switch them "cold turkey" onto frozen cyclops.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 2:21 AM
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What type of flow do you have in their tank? Chad had good luck getting baby Banggai to eat when adding foods that get blown around a bit by turning on a powerhead during feeding, simulating food movement.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 2:32 AM
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I'm experimenting with both having the HOB filter turned on, and also turned off. It doesn't provide a whole bunch of flow, but it certainly does keep the food moving. They actually seem to respond better to the live foods with the HOB filter off. It is definitely worth trying to add an additional powerhead, and see if I get a better feeding response to non-live foods with increased flow. Thanks for the tip -- I'll try it out.
I just saw another thing I'm pretty sure is a pipefish poop in the water column. What does it say about me that I think I can recognize pipefish poop? LOL!
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Saturday, December 8, 2012 2:42 AM
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Petsmart sells a small pump setup that works really well for keeping food in suspension. I've used it with a few broods of seahorses at the bottom of the tank to keep food off the bottom while they're learning that frozen food is edible. I can't find it on their site but I saw one in the store just the other day. They are about $15 and come with a small spray bar attachment. If you flip it so the whole unit is upside down and sprays water across the bottom, it will help keep the food from settling. In a 40 gallon breeder you might need two though.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Saturday, December 8, 2012 3:30 PM
( permalink)
 Originally Posted by JimWelsh
I've upgraded the HOB filter on their tank to a Penguin Emperor 400 that has been running for months on another tank. The Emperor 400 is rated for an 80 gallon tank, so maybe this one will be able to keep up on this 40 breeder!
I have 5 day old Artemia grown on RGComplete that they are all eating enthusiastically. I don't know what the problem is with the Cyclop-Eeze -- I saw one of them eating it with gusto the other night, but now I can't get any interest in it or any other brand of frozen cyclops.
I do also see a lot of snicking of Tisbe off the glass and rocks during the day. All seven of them are staying very alert, perky, and healthy-looking.
There is a curious behavior that I interpret as males facing off that usually happens during feedings. One fish will express interest in a food item, and then another will come right alongside. Next, both fish lose any interest in the food item, but both "mirror" each other as they curve their bodies, snout downward, and head towards the bottom, until one of them "blinks", and breaks formation suddenly, swimming up and away from the other fish. I've seen various pairs of them doing this literally dozens of times since I've had them.
I saw some stringy, white poops, usually indicative of internal parasites, during the first day I had them. I've seen no such white striingy poops lately. I did see what I think are some pipefish poops floating the the water column last night, and they were orange in color, but I'm not certain they were poops (just kinda confident that's what they were). I'd like to witness them pooping, but no such luck just yet.
I did feed a snack of Tigriopus + Apocyclops + a few small Moina tonight, and they seemed to be eagerly eating the live feeds.
My plan is to wean them onto frozen like one might do with seahorse fry: Transition a mixture of live + frozen foods from mostly live to mostly frozen over the course of a week or so. Plan "B" will be to get them nicely fattened up on live feeds, and then switch them "cold turkey" onto frozen cyclops.
perhaps use Tigger-Feast as a transition between live copepods and frozen cyclops  If you want to give it a whirl, I have some Tigger-Feast in reserve I could send you.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Saturday, December 8, 2012 4:22 PM
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Sure, Gresham! Sounds like a good idea, and certainly worth trying.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Saturday, December 8, 2012 4:30 PM
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I'll have it shipped out first thing Monday
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Dunckerocampus baldwini
Saturday, December 8, 2012 6:29 PM
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Cool! Thank you!
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