# Bicolour Blennies breeding, need help please



## zgenius (Mar 27, 2008)

My bicolour blennies have layed eggs atleast 3 times now in the last 2 months or so and I would like to take the plunge and try to rear them. I have read alot about breeding other fish but I cant seem to find any info on breeding bicolour blennies on this site or any other. 

They have been laying them in a koralia 1 that was shut off in my display tank so it can be easily removed to my other fish less 30 gal tank. But I cant really see any eyes on the eggs to know when to take them out. After about 2 weeks or so the eggs disapear and I am sure no one else is eating the eggs.

They are both wild caught and from what I have read there is no documentation of these fish being breed in captivity so any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated and I would be more than glad to make a log and share any info with everyone.

Thanks in advance for any help


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Congrats on that!! I do wish you luck!


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

try feeding rotifilers or powder cyclopeze.
NAFB has cyclopeze .
BIG A has rotifilers


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## zgenius (Mar 27, 2008)

*breaking news*

So I was watching tv and noticed that my clown fish which are in the same tanks as the blennies were eating at some particals is the water. 
At further investigation I saw that they were what looked like larve. They had eyes and were swimming around. They all gathered at the top of my tank for some reason there were hundreds of them, so I scouped out a cup of the water and there were 50 or so in it and took it to the fish store and it was confirmed they were fish.

So I raced back home to skim them all out into a 10 gal tank and much to my displeasure they all dissappeared. Where could they have gone I dont think it was possible for them all to be eaten. Also what would make them come back up to the top again so I can grab them?

I also noticed both my blennies got alot more aggressive in the last 2 days.

Any help would be greatly appreciated


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

The blennies, when hatched, all went for the surface?

I know a number of species of FW fish, when they hatch, they are pretty much helpless and float there for a while until they can swim. Maybe they have all sunken to the bottom and are hiding out there?


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

blossom112 said:


> try feeding rotifilers or powder cyclopeze.
> NAFB has cyclopeze .
> BIG A has rotifilers


Cyclopeze will actually be too large during the initial phases. Rotifiers, live brine shrimp and Golden Pearls


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

ameekplec. said:


> The blennies, when hatched, all went for the surface?
> 
> I know a number of species of FW fish, when they hatch, they are pretty much helpless and float there for a while until they can swim. Maybe they have all sunken to the bottom and are hiding out there?


They are attracted to lights. The day they hatch you will want to put the eggs in a seperate tank. Raising these will be no easy task and death rates initially will be very large.


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## Symphy68 (Sep 1, 2008)

Try to get this book: Clownfishes A guide to their captive care, breeding & natural history by Joyce D. Wilkerson. If you are able to do the live food part you will be very close to succes....

One of the most important phases in fish breeding is feeding.

Good luck and keep us posted and if you can take pics of every thing you do....


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## zgenius (Mar 27, 2008)

I will take some picks asap but the larve that I was able to save are so tiny and most likely starved to death by now. Is phyto enough for larve? I only have phyto to feed them and they are way to small for BB shrimp. I am having a hard time finding rotifiers in the toronto area, does anyone know where i can get some? I want to be ready for the next batch. I am almost willing to give have of my next hatch to an experienced breeder to see if they have any luck. 

Thanks again for all the help and please feel free to give any advise or suggestions.


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## Symphy68 (Sep 1, 2008)

I'm going to try to put you in touch with a local clownfish breeder...
Phyto is not enough you need some sort of rotifers, Clown fish breeders have both in quatities.

Be prepared and hope you can make it happen next time. So far you have a mated pair and the "right" conditions which by the way you should be recording.

Let me get back to you with my findings.


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## zgenius (Mar 27, 2008)

*Pics added*

These were layed sometime today so I really need to get some rotifers asap. I feed them frozen brine shrimp last night and topped off the tank with freshwater not sure if this is note worthy. If anyone knows where I can get rotifers please let me know asap.

Thanks again

Kerri


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## Symphy68 (Sep 1, 2008)

Kerri,

Sorry for being late at my answer been busy too...

I can offer you live phytoplankton and frozen rotifers all I have... The clownfish breeder been elusive but we still have a good chance.

Please contact Bob or Debbie from MAST and ask them for a clowfishbreeder in Toronto or the GTA. (905) 881 35 48


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## Symphy68 (Sep 1, 2008)

We can try oyster eggs as well se what happens...


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

I baught rotifilers at big al's
Gl


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## zgenius (Mar 27, 2008)

Live rotifers? If so which ba's


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

not live frozen .
It will be nexr to impossible to find live .
I feed my fry the frozen and cyclopeze they are all thriving and alive.
We shall see how my cleaner shrimp fry go with them too.
try 
www.reefaquatica.com/store/


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Kerri, Give me a shout I can still offer you Golden Pearls.....


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## zgenius (Mar 27, 2008)

*Found rotifers*

Ok so I found some live rotifers at ba's in Newmarket and started my culture in a 2L bottle and I just want to make sure i did it right.

I poured half the bag of reef crews live rotifers in a 2L bottle and slow dripped about 1L of 1.014 new saltwater, I than put in a wooded bubbler at as very soft bubble rate. I see alot of tiny things foating around which Im going to assume are the rotifers but I also see some on the bottom. Are the ones on the bottom dead or still in hybernation from being in the fridge?

Thanks again for any help and if i am doing something wrong please feel free to let me know. Also if anyone is familiar with reef crew products and can give some tips or advice, it would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks

Kerri


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## zgenius (Mar 27, 2008)

*Update*

Ok so my rotifers culture is going good, but my blennies threw a curveball at me. They laid eggs last friday on the back top of my koralia, than on tuesday they laid an equal amount of eggs on the back bottem of my koralia and now again today they laid more eggs on the inner side walls too.

So it seems they are laying eggs every 4 days. I was planning on taking the koralia out and putting it in my larve tank but I'm not so sure that is the best thing to do now.

I can see silver eyes on most of the first batch so I'm pretty sure tonight should be hatch night. On the other hand the last batch that hatched were found in the afternoon.

Just when I thought I had it figured out, I get all these different variables thrown my way, which I cant seem to find any other info on.

Also assuming all goes well and they hatch can I just pour in the rotifers water and all or do I have to seive them and just add the rotifer and no water?

Thanks again for any help or oppinions.

Ps I try to get some more pics

Kerri


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