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Breeding Journal DataSheet

This first post will be updated regularly to include new information as events take place or changes are made to my system

General
Species:  P. fridmani (Orchid Dottyback)
Social Structure: Mated pair
Size of Individuals:  Female 1.5", Male 2"
Age of Individuals: Male, from ORA on 5-6-08(purchased on 8-3-08) est. 8 months, Female est. 6 months    
Date added to Tank:  Male- 08-03-08 Female- 08-02-08 Lost original female Dec 2011, new wild caught female added May 2012. ~1"     

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank: Standard 10 gallons     
Substrate Details: Fine layer of black sand, two lengths of PVC pipe  
Filtration Details: Plumbed with 5 other 10 gallon tanks and a 55 gallon sump/refugium. Filter sock, protein skimmer, refugium with LR, LS, and macroalgae 
Water Changes:
Water Temperature: 81-83F 
Lighting: Standard Shop light
Lighting Cycle: 14hrs light, 10hrs dark
Other Tank Inhabitants: Blue leg hermit crabs 

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  Various frozen diets, squid, bloodworms, mysis   
Feeding Schedule: Every four hours starting 1 hour after lights on.  

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn: 10-19-08
Dates of Consecutive Spawns: Every 6-8 days, usually every 7 days. 
Egg Description:  The eggs will be laid in a mass, about 1/2'-3/4" in diameter, consisting of several hundred eggs.  At first the eggs are clear, after a day or so, the eyes will be evident as black spots in each egg.
Behavior:  Spawning usually takes place in the late afternoon.  The male entices the female into the cave for spawning.  Eggs are tended by the male for four days.  In my case, the male's "cave" is not the same piece of PVC that they use for spawning, not sure why.  On the afternoon before the expected hatch, the eggs are removed and placed in an egg tumbler(see below).  The eggs hatch the following morning and need to be moved to the larval tank and fed right away. Recently I experienced a hatch within an hour of transferring the eggs to the tumbler that was located next to a bright light.

 

Larval Tank Details
Temperature: 81-83F
Size of Larval Tank: Standard 10 gallons, half full to start. 
Substrate Details: None 
Other Tank Decor: Small piece of LR 
Filtration Details: None until 21 days, then sponge filter.  
Lighting: Screw-in CF bulb w/reflector               
Lighting Cycle: 24/7 until Meta 
Water Changes: Siphon detritus every few days.  20% after 7 days and increase water volume.  

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types: Rotifers, newly hatched brine shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, copepods, Otohime A 
Feeding Schedule: Every 4hrs

Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Metamorphosis: Between day 26 and 35 (see below) 
Date of Settlement:

Grow-Out Tank Details
Temperature: 80-83F 
Size of Grow-Out Tank: Standard 20G 
Substrate Details: None
Other Tank Decor: Small piece of LR
Filtration Details: Plumbed into a central system, approx. 130G 
Lighting: Standard Shop light 
Lighting Cycle: 14hrs light, 10hrs dark 
Water Changes: 20% bi-weekly 
Size at Transfer: 3/4-1" on first batch, see below.  Now I transfer them when they're about 1cm  
Age at Transfer: about 2 months (This was on my first attempt, since then I've been transferring them around 5-6 weeks.) 

Grow-Out Feeding Details
Food Types: Finely crushed flake foods, OtohimeA, Spectrum pellets(small), cyclopeeze soaked in garlic
Feeding Schedule: Every 4 hours 

Additional Information
With my first batch that made it past meta, spawned 7-01-09, I left them in the larval tank for an extra month.  I thought they had died and I let the phyto take over.  I tried culturing copepods in the tank, just for fun, and had no luck.  It turned out that the 3 remaining fry were consuming the copepods.  I transferred them to the grow out tank around 9-28-09.  I've managed to get a higher amounts past the meta point with each consecutive batch.  The first three have since been sold and the next group is about ready for sale.

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