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HOT TIPS Column: January 2008 Issue of Advanced Aquarist

January's theme is "Have you ever attempted to breed any of your livestock? If so what and how?"

Your tips and tricks will help new and existing reefkeepers and also helps to bring the hobby to the next level (plus it's just cool to get published in a magazine like Advanced Aquarist).

When published, your hot tip will have your username published (along with your real name if you so desire). Every month we will be running a new HOT TIP thread so stay tuned and help out when you can.

The staff at both Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist would like to thank you for your continued interest and support of our online community, magazine, and services.

Let the submissions begin!

Best regards,

Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist staff

[Thales]

Yes. I have been working on breeding the dwarf cuttlefish Sepia bandensis for about 4 years. I have closed the lifecycle several times, but have been unable to produce hatchlings in any great quantity. Still trying. I have about 200 gallons devoted to the project, and the hardest part has been a stable source on inexpensive live saltwater feeder animals. I am thinking of branching out to other cephalopods as well.

Soon I will also be getting several captive bred Bangaii cardinals from different sources so I can breed them. They will probably go in my 180 gallon sump.

Captive breeding and captive propagation are important and I think more people should do it.

[D.W.L.]

I have raised Bangaii cardinals. I just let them breed in my 225g tank but it had large 30in. deep overflows. They contained lots of rubble which was a breeding ground for mysid shrimp.
Some of the young bangaii made it the overflows and survived on pods, mysid shrimp and eventually frozen Cyclop-eeze, that was fed to the shrimp.

My current 4yr. old pair of Ora percs, lay eggs on a regular basis but I have not tried to raise any. We tried once with eggs from a pair of Cinnamon clowns. Their keeper removed the eggs and kept them in a small aquarium running on airstones & a heater. They did hatch and he was feeding the fry a store bought fry food. The young were doing fine when an accident uplugged the small aquarium.

My lawnmower blennie has layed eggs at least two times now. Usually high in the tank on the rear glass or rock. She then fans them, while trying to fend off others. The lack of a male to fertilize or the threat of the other fish, usually end the eggs existance. I would guess that even if a male was present, and the eggs hatched, they would end up the same as the young perc fry.

[beaslbob]

Not much of a breeding experience but my very first marine tank back in 1979 was interesting. It was a UGV with dolomite substrate and a dead coral decoration. After a few months, three three strip damsels started spawing and continued off and on for a few years.

I put the eggs in another tank with a sponge filter and tried to find some rotifers. But the best I could do was have some white wiggly things for a few weeks.

So not the best raising experience but at least the spawing was extremely interesting to watch.

Of course who would want damsels anyway?

.02