Breeding Journal, Species: [Pterapogon kauderni]

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JNeff
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Breeding Journal, Species: [Pterapogon kauderni] - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 1:29 PM
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:  Pterapogon kauderni
Social Structure:  pair
Size of Individuals:  2"
Age of Individuals:  unknown, as they were adults when I acquired them
Date added to Tank:  April 2012

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  30 gallon tank used as sump for larger reef  
Substrate Details:  sand
Filtration Details:  live rock, deep sand bed,  large skimmer
Water Changes: 50% monthly                
Water Temperature:  80F
Lighting:      18 watt power compact         
Lighting Cycle:  12 hours on and 12 hours off
Other Tank Inhabitants:  1 pair of orange ocellaris clowns

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  frozen cyclop-eeze, frozen brine, raw table shrimp, frozen mysis
Feeding Schedule:  2-3 times daily

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  did not record dates of first 2 spawns, but the spawn I reared was on 7/8/12 (3rd spawn)
Spawn Time of Day:  evening
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:  not recorded
Courtship Details:  pair swimming close and shaking 
Egg Size:  did not see egg transfer, but eggs looked large in his mouth! (3mm or so???)
Egg Color:  yellow/light brown
Egg Count:  at least 24 (had 24 fry)

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:  7/17/12  still mouth brooding during this time
Hatch Time of Day: unknown due to mouth brooding male released fry throughout 8/7/12-8/9/12. the bulk were released the night of 8/8/12
# Days after Spawn:  eggs hatched on day 9 post spawn 
Larvae Description:      tiny adults with yolk sac still visible in belly
Consecutive Hatch Dates:    unknown besides the hatch on 7/17/12 


Larval Tank Details
Temperature:  78F
Size of Larval Tank:  10 gallon hexagon
Substrate Details:  none
Other Tank Decor:  filter sponge with wooden kabob skewers stuck in it, sponge filter, heater, 2 air stones
Filtration Details:  sponge filter
Lighting:  40 watt bulb in shop light
Lighting Cycle:  24 hours on for first 30 days then 12 hours on and 12 hours off
Water Changes:  as needed for nitrates, cloudy water, and artemia overpopulation  (probably 50%+ weekly)

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:  newly hatched brine, then selcon enriched brine, finally frozen cyclop-eeze and brine.  (Never got these guys to eat frozen mysis, but the guy I sold them to said they later did.)  
Feeding Schedule:  newly hatched brine were kept constant for 30 days, then frozen cyclop-eeze and brine 2-3 times a day thereafter 

Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Settlement Start:  7/29/12
Days after Hatch:  12 
Date of Settlement End:  7/29/12 
Description of Fry:  perfect tiny adults with large yolk sac in belly for first few days

Grow-Out Tank Details

Temperature:  78F
Size of Grow-Out Tank:  10 gallon hexagon
Substrate Details:  none
Other Tank Decor:  filter sponge with wooden kabob skewers stuck in it, sponge filter, heater, 2 air stones
Filtration Details:  sponge filter
Lighting:  40 watt bulb in shop light
Lighting Cycle:  24 hours on for first 30 days then 12 hours on and 12 hours off
Water Changes:  as needed for nitrates, cloudy water, and artemia overpopulation  (probably 50%+ weekly)
Size at Transfer:  I did not move these fry from their hatch/grow out tank until the day I sold them all to a friend.  This was in October 2012 and they were around 1/2"  
Age at Transfer:  over 2 months

Grow-Out Feeding Details
Food Types:  frozen cyclop-eeze and frozen brine.  (Never got these guys to eat frozen mysis, but the guy I sold them to said they later did.)  
Feeding Schedule:  2-3 times daily

Additional Information
Sorry this info is a little dated.  I moved in 2012 and gave this pair to a friend. I haven't bred these since, but I want to get back into it!
(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Miscellaneous Information:  I know a lot of people favor taking the fry from the male around or after day 22.  I let mine brood for 32 days.  On day 30 (post spawn) he spit our 6 fry and by day 32 I had 24 total.  I placed him back into the broodstock tank and put the female in a cage I made from egg crate suspended inside the broodstock tank.  She dumped a batch eggs the day after I moved him from the hatch tank (glad he didn't get them because he was looking thin).  I separated them to allow him time to bulk up again before she gave him another batch of eggs.  He had a large appetite and recovered quickly!



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 JNeff on Thursday, June 25, 2015 12:40 AM>

JNeff
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: [Pterapogon kauderni] - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 1:49 PM
This is a pic of a fry the male dropped 21 days post spawn.  I think having my water temp at 78F slowed down development.  As you can see this little guy didn't make it...
<message edited by JNeff on Thursday, June 25, 2015 12:09 AM>
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JNeff
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: [Pterapogon kauderni] - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 1:52 PM
Here is a pic of the fry 5 days after they were released by the male
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JNeff
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: [Pterapogon kauderni] - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 1:54 PM
This is a pic of the female dumping a batch of eggs.  The male had just released the fry after 32 days of mouth brooding!  I had the female separated from the male in a cage.  He needed to bulk up before she handed him another clutch!!!
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JNeff
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: [Pterapogon kauderni] - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 2:36 PM
Here are links to some videos:
25 day old dropped fry 
 
 
3 day old fry
 
 
5 day old fry
 
 
2 month old fry
 
<message edited by JNeff on Wednesday, July 8, 2015 2:29 PM>

JNeff
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: [Pterapogon kauderni] - Monday, December 7, 2015 9:39 PM
I didn't have any photos of my male mouthbrooding eggs when I submitted my report on Banggai Cardinalfish.  I recently took up breeding them again and today I had the good fortune of walking in during the egg transfer process.  I thought I would share the video and complete my documentation.
 
https://www.youtube.com/e...p;video_id=jL5PlEjUNKM
 
(Hope the link works... It would not let me link it the correct way with the youtube button taking the "s" out of "https".)

JNeff
  • Total Posts : 70
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: [Pterapogon kauderni] - Monday, December 7, 2015 9:51 PM


JNeff
  • Total Posts : 70
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Re:Breeding Journal, Species: [Pterapogon kauderni] - Monday, December 7, 2015 9:52 PM
There we go... Got it on the second attempt.