Mandarin larvae

[Dewey115]

Just a note that I am still tagging alot, great job and updates.

Are you still using the pads in the culture of the pods? Have you worked out a method for keeping them stationary in the tank? I have been working on a way to get as many pads in there as I can and try to get as much surface area as I can to see how high of a population I can keep stable. I have also noticed that my amphipods especially love when a pad is layed flat on the bottom of the tank and I put a small piece of rock over it (to keep it in place). It seems they like to crawl underneath the pad because of the open movement they can get but still be in hiding. Not sure if this actually helps anything, could just be a nice easy place to hide, but worth mentioning. Take care and keep up the progress.

Rick

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Rick
Remember that wile the pads make a very good home they are actually for transferring Amphipods. In the Aquarium prime I just drop a Scrub pad in anywhere. I am wont to get the pad out of the Aquarium prime as soon as all the Amphipods get out of it. I put seven or eight pads in the 5 gallon Amphipod bucket* and they hold each other in place. In the 32 gallon trashcan, I just put the pads under the Caulerpa and let it all float.
Neither bucket nor the trashcan have any substratum so that Amphipods must live in the pads. In this way I am able to harvest and transfer the Amphipods. As I use them for food animals.
Sand underneath algae washed up on the beach is the Amphipods' natural home. Your method, which I think is conducive to superior reproduction rates, provides them with this natural home, only without the tide washing thier nest away.
*The water in the 5 gallon bucket gets too warm in the summer.
Jeff

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Everyone
In this last week I have added a female to #5 and #6. They are both quite young.
Jeff

 

[Elmo18]

Hi Jeff...I just heard from someone who has tried raising Mandarins. He has gotten his to around 3 months old, and they start to be canniballistic, which sounded interesting.

Good progress you're doing.

- Elmo

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Rick
Please tell me more about your Reef sanctuary, the concept behind it, and improvements that should be made over and against a refugium.
Jeff

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Elmo
Thanks for the information. I'll be thinking of ways to get around that. That's probably HVHY didn't make them benthic at that stage of their life. I think that if I use the same technique for growing Mysidosis shrimp it will help.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Everyone
The female Mandarin in Aquarium #6 is eating frozen blood worms. I observed this yesterday. But I don't know which fish she learned this from. From the way she avoids the Clownfish and stays close to the male Mandarin it would likely have been by observing him eat.

Aquarium #5 has had added to it a six line Wrass.
Jeff

 

[NaH2O]

Hi Jeff -

What other fish are in Aquarium #5? Is it still the mandarin and clownfish? I'm curious as to why the Six line was added. This thread has been very interesting.

Thanks!

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Aiptasia proliferation

Hi! Thank you.
1 Entacmaea quadracolor
2 Lysmata wurdemanni
2 Synchiropus splendidus 1m and 1f
1 Premnas biaculeatus
1 Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
Clibanarius tricolor
Paguristes cadenati
Astraea tecta
Nassarius sp
The Pseudocheilinus hexataenia has been installed as an arm against the proliferation of Aiptasia anemones in #5.
#5, 29 gallon tall, 1/2" sand bed, 50 lb's. LR, 4.4 watts per Gallon, 300 watt heater, w/o baby-safe system, has Amphipod pile.
These Hyperlinks are to the are to the exact webpage of the venders that I used to obtain each animal. The Amphipods came with the Live Rock (LR). Adelaide provided 5 species of Copepods.
#5 has been the heaviest of all in Mandarin food species populations growth of Amphipods but moderate in Copepods.
I employed pre cured Live rock from a LFS to get the population of Mandarin food species going. Then at some point I failed to be diligent enough to notice the Peppermint shrimp had died. Which led to Aiptasia proliferation. #5 may yet need to be torn down.

*This brings me to the conclusion that it is not enough to only use one Peppermint shrimp. In the larger Aquariums two or more should be used.

*Wile both Peppermint shrimp and Wrass will eat the food species intended for the mandarin and thereby compete with the Mandarin for food the Aiptasia will almost eliminate all food species.

*The Six Line Wrass is valueable only in that it will ead food species, such as Amphipods and Copepods, that Aiptasia need in order to proliferate.

The male Mandarin in this case, would not be in danger if placed in a 10 gallon aquarium for a month as he is thoroughly trained to eat inert food. He even shows up in the front of the aquarium when it is chow time.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Everyone
I just observed the male mandarin in #6 feeding directly off the blue scrub pad.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Everyone
I have lost the battle against Aiptasia in #5. It is now being torn down. In the tare-down I could find only two Amphipods.
When I rebuild #5 I will install the Baby-Safe system.
Jeff

 

[NaH2O]

The Pseudocheilinus hexataenia has been installed as an arm against the proliferation of Aiptasia anemones in #5.

This may be a dumb question on my part, but why the 6-line wrasse against the aiptasia? They eat pods, so I'm confused as to how they would keep the aiptasia from proliferating?

Thanks Jeff

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Nikki
6-line wrasse Pseudocheilinus hexataenia eat food spiecies Aiptasia too and at this point there were almost no pods, of any kind, left. So it was eating only inert feed like the rest of the fish. I was hopping against hope that it would start picking on the Aiptasia's food spiecies that were too large for the Peppermint shrimp to eat. It will be the last fish removed before I clean #5. After the other fish are out I will no longer give it any inert feed. In that way it will learn that Aiptaisa food spiecies are are Wrasse food as it begins to sample different things.
#5 still has the same water and fish in it. Only the female Mandarinfish was moved to another Aquarium. The E. quadracolor was put back in it's mother's aquarium. When I drain and clean out #5 I will install the Baby-safe system, the parts for which are ordered and in route.
Only the LR has been removed from #5. Which was layed out to dry for 3 days on the back porch, durning which it rained most of the time. The LR is now curing in a 32 gallon trash can with salt water and a skimmer/power filter set-up just like an aquarium.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

The Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab (Paguristes cadenati), sometimes called the Red Reef Hermit Crab or Red Legged Hermit Crab, has red legs and a yellow face. It is found along the reef faces and coral rubble of the Caribbean and Western Atlantic. It scavenges animal matter and algae, but will only grow to 1-1/2 inches in length.
The Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab is best kept in this reef-style aquarium where it will have ample supplies of algae to eat. It is helpful in keeping algae under control, including filamentous algae and especially Cyanobacteria.
If there is insufficient algae to eat, their diet must be supplemented with dried seaweed. In six months of observation I have noted they will also accept many other types of foods.
So far I see this Species as a valuable addition to a Mandarinfish inhabited aquarium.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

I have some prefilter sponge squares that I used to clean the glass in small places (that the mag cant reach) in my prop tank. I was lazy and left the sponge in there and found it covered with a huge range of critters a few days later. I think that pads like you mention are very easy ways to transfer them over. Is the bucket still working as planned? Sounds like a pretty easy way to culture them as long as it works well. Good luck, take care

Rick

I've been thinking about this for two months. About using it in filtering.
Jeff
:idea: Use egg grate to incase the pads. We've all been putting the mechanical filter in the wrong place. The Amphipods can't survive in them. Put the mechanical filter down in the aquarium water so Amphipods can live in it. An Amphipod Condo.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

The Amphipod Condo

Just a note that I am still tagging alot, great job and updates.

Are you still using the pads in the culture of the pods? Have you worked out a method for keeping them stationary in the tank? I have been working on a way to get as many pads in there as I can and try to get as much surface area as I can to see how high of a population I can keep stable. I have also noticed that my amphipods especially love when a pad is layed flat on the bottom of the tank and I put a small piece of rock over it (to keep it in place). It seems they like to crawl underneath the pad because of the open movement they can get but still be in hiding. Not sure if this actually helps anything, could just be a nice easy place to hide, but worth mentioning. Take care and keep up the progress.

Rick

Move the Mechanical filter to the Amphipods Rick! Build a egg grate case to house the pads and use the assembly as the Mechanical filter on the suction side of the pumps. It will only need to be large enough to incase the intake sponges with scrub pads. When you put the "Pod Conde" into service do not use the sponge, the "Pod Condo" should be hollow. If you build the "Pod Condo" so large that the scrub pads in the walls need sport then use small sections of egg-grate, inside. Build it around the sponge then take the sponge out. Amphipods living there should keep it clean.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

If I am correct the Amphipods should come right up to the Amphipod Condo and harvest detritus directly from the mechanical filter. Mandarinfish will in turn feed of the Amphipods directly from the sides of the Amphipod Condo.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

This is just a mechanical filter that is placed over the suction side of a pump. This photo is of an Amphipod Condo its envisioned, aimed at, or designed for an Emperor 280 power filter (photo exceeds file size limit). Its intended to provide food for detritivores like the Amphipod and is therefore placed in the Aquarium or Refugium prime.
Its built from egg grate and two types of tile setter's scrub pads. The sides and top are the white pads and are less corse. This allows juvenile Amphipods to range throughout the sides wile the most corse blue pad on the bottom sets on the substrata. In this fashion the blue pad is a very attractive and successful Amphipod nest.
It is crucial that the blue pad is layed flat on and be in full contact with the substrata in this manner having achieved in actual testing, by Hobbyist whom have recorded their findings on this websight, a record of significant achievements in the area of Amphipod production.
The Amphipod Condo therefore is a true living bio-filter, facile to construct.

 

[fredfish]

This is an amazing thread. I have been looking for a way to easily raise harvest and feed amphipods to my seahorses and your pads are just the thing.

On brine shrimp enrichment, I see that you are using oyster eggs. At what age are the brine able to start eating oyster eggs? I had been thinking about doing this as well for my searhorse fry.

I am also setting up a copepod culture system in the hopes that this will give me decent fry survival rates.

Fred.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Fred
Start with the Oyster eggs the 2nd day. Did you check-out the Adelaide's Copepod websight.
Jeff