Banggai close to releasing fry... getting excited

[Lotus]

My banggai pappa has been holding for about 21 days now, so I'm expecting babies sometime between now and Sunday.

The other day he released a dead wiggler But, this evening I saw a little fry inside his mouth

The parents are still in the main tank, and I put a chunk of codium in the corner of the tank to provide some cover for the fry. We'll try to catch a few, if we can. We have a 15g tank still set up from when we were quarantining corals, so there's somewhere to put the babies, if we manage to catch any.

 

[azfishgal]

Congrats!!! *BOUNCINGS You know....I didn't see a saltwater tank on your website, I guess you do need to update, either that or I need to open my eyes a bit more. Can you take pics of your male? I have two Bangaii Cardinals, so maybe I'll have the same experience one day.

 

[Lotus]

I'll see if I can get pics of my male and female. I don't want to freak him out and make him spit his fry, but I'll try as soon as the fry are out.

To be honest, it's kind of hard to tell the difference when the male isn't holding. A pair will hang out together most of the time. My female gets a greyish color to her stomach area when she's got eggs, and the male has a slightly squarer jaw area. Our LFS did their "best guess" on a pair, and they got it right. The lady at the store says that females' faces are slightly greyer than males', and that the males have a more black face. Most people get six or so and then see which pair up, then remove the others.

We've only had the banggais six months or less, I think. This is their third time with babies. First time something unknown happened (inexperience, I guess), second time we had a power outage and he lost them, so we're hoping for somthing this time.

Yeah, that's one reason we need to update our site There are pics of my saltwater here: http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/saltwater-general-discussion/42845-125g-saltwater-startup.html

 

[ecotank]

You know....I didn't see a saltwater tank on your website, I guess you do need to update, either that or I need to open my eyes a bit more.

It is my fault, she just didn't want to blame me, I've just been so busy lately that I've neglected the websites pretty bad. Not looking like alot of free time is around the corner, but I will try to get em done.

 

[TRe]

u got very lucky to end up with a female/male pair ... ive wanted a pair for a while but i cant get myself to pay what they want for them already paired up...ill prolly just take my chances and try to pair them up myself

 

[Lorna]

I have a mated pair and when I got them I just picked out two at the store that seemed to be hanging out together. The first time they spawned was in January and the babies all ended up in my sump. In all I had about 20 there. Well over time that number dwindled down to 2 who are still happy residents of the sump and now about the size of a quarter and eating like pigs. They are really fast and hard to catch as they hide inthe cheato. Since then he has dropped about 3 times that I know of. Once I noticed he was about ready and as he hangs out near the bubble tip the fry were a nice tasty treat for the nem. I am not sure I could ever catch him in the main display and consider any babies that make it a bonus......the others provide a snack for the other residents. Sounds cruel I know but there is no practical way to get them out without isolating the male prior to delivery. Even if you try to catch him the stress of the catch may make him drop them prematurely. I think success in breeding is accomplished by keeping them separate from the beginning in a tank equipped with just a fake urchin to provide protection for the fry once they are dropped. Lotus, you should try to construct a fake urchin and place it in the tank near where the male hangs out......the urchin is their natural protector of their fry and the babies will go to it immediately once released. I have seen some pics of these on the net......good luck and I hope you have many happy babies.....take pics....

 

[FishGeek]

Congrats Lotus!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[azfishgal]

I'll see if I can get pics of my male and female. I don't want to freak him out and make him spit his fry, but I'll try as soon as the fry are out.

To be honest, it's kind of hard to tell the difference when the male isn't holding. A pair will hang out together most of the time. My female gets a greyish color to her stomach area when she's got eggs, and the male has a slightly squarer jaw area. Our LFS did their "best guess" on a pair, and they got it right. The lady at the store says that females' faces are slightly greyer than males', and that the males have a more black face. Most people get six or so and then see which pair up, then remove the others.

We've only had the banggais six months or less, I think. This is their third time with babies. First time something unknown happened (inexperience, I guess), second time we had a power outage and he lost them, so we're hoping for somthing this time.

Yeah, that's one reason we need to update our site There are pics of my saltwater here: http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/saltwater-general-discussion/42845-125g-saltwater-startup.html

You have a great looking saltwater tank.

When I picked out my Cardinals I tried to pick two that looked like they were hanging out together. And one seems to have a more square jaw. They hang out together all the time and don't fight, so I might have a mated pair. Never seen any babies drop though, so don't know for sure. I've had them for about 4 months now, so I guess time will tell.

 

[Lotus]

Well, he dropped the babies last night. I can't find any in the tank There are none in the overflow or sump. I'm hoping I'll find one somewhere in the tank... there are a lot of places to hide.

Now, we have to make the decision to set them up in a breeding tank or leave them in the main tank. We got 25lbs of live rock for free the other day, and have plenty of empty tanks and equipment. The problem is the time and the space.

 

[FroggyFox]

Well I'm sure they're so tiny...I remember having issues finding guppy fry in a 10g tank so I can only imagine finding them in over 100 gallons with live rock and little crevices and everything. Hopefully they're ok Let us know if there are any "fry sightings"

 

[Lorna]

bangaii babies are about the size of a pea when they drop them. Their tall fins make them look bigger than they are. I think they are probably goners Lotus, sorry to say......keep your eye on the male and make sure he starts eating and fattens up before next round. I do believe that setting up a breeding tank is probably the only way to reliably save the babies.

 

[Lotus]

Yep, I'm feeding him up. I can see the female is already full of eggs, so she'll be after him again soon.

My banggais love bloodworms, by the way. I'm feeding Selcon-soaked mysis, live blackworms (a few a day) and a home-made seafood mix to help him get his strength back.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

wow they're lucky ! You treat 'em well

 

[Lotus]

Here's some pics. I think the female is the top one in this pic:

 

[KahluaZzZ]

everything looks great in your tank...geez..even the coralline..so vivid my eyes are burning

 

[Lorna]

here are my pair and I can't tell the difference.....unless he is holding that is.