Clownfish Breeding Stand Design help

[US Marine Coral]

Hello All,
I have decided to dedicate a space in my soon to be "fish room" for a clownfish breeding system. Thanks to Eric for getting me hooked on clowns I have a picture of the space I will be using, it is 7feet wide area and the ceiling is just under 9ft tall. I would like to maximize the space so I can go all the way up to the ceiling. I am thinking of just using 2x4's to construct a frame with 3 shelves to hold a mixture of (6) 20gal tall tanks on the first 2 shelves and (2) 20gal long tanks on the top shelf, most of them to be divided in 2 with black acrylic, for a total of 14 chambers. Depending on my success or lack there of, I will construct a growout system on the wall to the left of the patio doors.
I labeled the picture with the area and what I will be putting where. This is my first time clown breeding system, so please give me some input of what else I need, of if something would be more functional over there. All coments are welcome. Thanks in advance. Oh, yeah I put in a before pic of what was there before. Much better use of space

 

[madean]

I am thinking about this as well and the few breeders that I have talked to all suggested the use of 10 gal tanks or smaller for the larval tanks. I had the idea to split 20 longs into two tanks and have two bulkheads drilled for drains, one half way up and the other all the way up. The idea was to be able to use as a larval tank at only ten gallons and as the fry grew and matured I could increase the tank volume by closing a valve in the lower bulkhead. I was advised against this because the tank would be too big and the amount of rots I would need to supply would be huge. From what I got out of it, there are basically three systems in use here. The larval system which is basically a ten gal tank half filled. Each larval tank is completley isolated. The grow out tanks which is young juves after about 30 days until seperation. All of these tanks can be common or share filtration. And the broodstock or parent tanks, which can also have shared filtration depending on how many pairs you have. Please if anybodies opinion in this is different please chime in. this is what I have gathered so far about which systems there are. Filtration is all different as well. Gotta know when to put the air stone in and when the sponge filter. When to change food, and water. There is alot to it. I wish you good luck and I hope you have success.

 

[ovrboost]

good luck, if you ever think about breeding australian black percs, let me know.

 

[fote03]

Good luck. Much better way to use the space!

 

[msman825]

I'd be concerned about tieing all tanks into 1 system, if you get something bad like brook are ick it will go threw all systems

 

[US Marine Coral]

I'd be concerned about tieing all tanks into 1 system, if you get something bad like brook are ick it will go threw all systems

Thats a valid concern. I am actually going to put the system in the opposite corner so I will have 12ft of wall space to work. I will have seperate systems for the broodstock, larve, and growout systems. I'll post some pics of new wall space. Meeting a fellow reefer right now to pick up 3 more 20g tanks that are already drilled. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[jeff@zina.com]

10 gallon tanks are more efficient space-wise, short end against the wall. 20" of wall for 20 gallons versus 30" for 20 gallons with a 20 long. Larva go in BRTs (Black Round Tubs) and growout is a third system with 10 gallon or 20 gallon tanks.

This is for a.percula and a.occelaris, larger clowns need a larger tank (20 highs are good there). Next step is to join MOFIB.

So, sauna or humidor? And if it's a sauna, why'd you give it up...?

Jeff

 

[US Marine Coral]

10 gallon tanks are more efficient space-wise, short end against the wall. 20" of wall for 20 gallons versus 30" for 20 gallons with a 20 long. Larva go in BRTs (Black Round Tubs) and growout is a third system with 10 gallon or 20 gallon tanks.

This is for a.percula and a.occelaris, larger clowns need a larger tank (20 highs are good there). Next step is to join MOFIB.

So, sauna or humidor? And if it's a sauna, why'd you give it up...?

Jeff

I was going to use 10g tanks but I got a great deal on 5 20gal high tanks that were already drilled and space is not an issue right now. I am looking for the Black round Tubs but my local feed/horse shop only has the huge ones. I need to find some smaller ones. Know anyone who has used them so I can see some pics of their system?
That is a pic of my sauna and I love it. I actually relocated the sauna to my bedroom. use it much more now in the last two weeks than all of last year

 

[hardin4019]

http://www.tractorsupply.com/livestock-feeders/1-3-bushel-rubber-utility-feed-tub-6-1-2-gal--2171205

^^^ 6.5 gal feed tub. Know if you have a tractor supply around? Maybe Ebay?

 

[US Marine Coral]

Thanks Shawn, I will check it out.

 

[madean]

Hey jeff why the black round tubs from ttactor supply. Just out of curiousity, I think I read somewhere that round tanks were better at this stage, but what is your reasoning? I would think black would be hard to see the bottom for siphoning on dead fry and excess food. Just curious for the reasoning and do you have experience with those particular ones.

 

[US Marine Coral]

Good question. I heard the round were preferred too but don't remember why. I would be interested to know why.

 

[madean]

Anybody have experience with using round tubs for raising fry instead of rectangular aquariums.

 

[US Marine Coral]

Clowns laid eggs again

Clowns laid eggs again

Anybody have experience with using round tubs for raising fry instead of rectangular aquariums.

I went to the feed store today to look at them. It was a 6.5 gallon one. It was much bigger than I thought, kind of flat and only 6" tall. I was going to get it to try it out but it really stank like rubbber, so I decided against it and just got a 5.5gal tank instead to use for the larvae. My Occ's actually laid a clutch last night in my 150g reef tank. It was their 3 clutch. The first two times they laid against the overflow. I let the first batch go and was going to try and collect the second one, but I found a huge turbo snail right on top of them.
Yesterday I noticed the clowns cleaning the same spot on the overflow and it was about 2 weeks since the female(gerri's heer name) laid and she looked huge. My friend told me to glue on a piece of tile over the spot so what the heck, I did it. High and below, after about 30 min of looking like they were ****ed, they started picking at the tile. After a few hrs and when the MH lights went off, BAM, Gerri laid a nice clutch right on the tile. It looks even bigger than the last batch. I was thinking of setting up the 5.5g larvae tank and moving the tile over there and blow bubbles on it to imitate the male(Tom's his name) fanning them. And this way no critter can eat the eggs. As you probably guessed, the two clowns started out as Tom & Jerry, until Jerry took on the female role, so now it's Gerri :fun2: Anyway here is a pic of the eggs on the tile.

I glued this tile over the spot they laid on before(sorry for dirty glass, I did not want to disturb their "Love Shack"

Eggs on the tile

Proud Daddy tending to his duties

Mom coming over to check out Dad's work

 

[bexar]

We're going to test round tubs soon. We've heard it does well for circulation. Sounds logical....?

 

[bexar]

I was going to use 10g tanks but I got a great deal on 5 20gal high tanks that were already drilled and space is not an issue right now. I am looking for the Black round Tubs but my local feed/horse shop only has the huge ones. I need to find some smaller ones. Know anyone who has used them so I can see some pics of their system?
That is a pic of my sauna and I love it. I actually relocated the sauna to my bedroom. use it much more now in the last two weeks than all of last year

I tried larger tanks with dividers but it becomes a problem to clean. Not all fry grow up at the same speed or way.

 

[bexar]

Great looking fish!!!

 

[US Marine Coral]

Tks Bexar, let me know how the round tubs work out. I mean it makes sense and all, I just couldn't stand the smell. Who knows, maybe after I wash it down with some vinegar it might go away.

 

[madean]

My female looks a bit like your male.. Not completely black but a little blacker than yours. It always made me wonder if she was really an onyx. The male is much lighter in the orange department but jet black where he should be black. The female is like a burnt orange red where it should be a light colored orange.

 

[madean]

Ok that post was wrong- my female looks like your female and was sold to me about 4 years ago as an onyx perc pair. The male jumped out of the tank and I recently got a replacement male onyx perc and the color looks so different. But the female never completely darkened, they were two pairs that the store had and i got one and they kept the other. Their pair really darkened up and looked like a true onyx perc. Somehow mine didn't and ended up not looking like one at all. Funny how that happens. But disregard last post- completely wrong