Gobiodon okinawae

[Luis A M]

I am raising a small nice bunch of G.okinawae.They are very small and hard to see.They seem very delicate and they usually dissapear some few days after hatching.I thought they could not eat rots,but Ed says they do (he has raised them)
Anyway they´re still hanging on at 14 days,still about the same size of a newly hatched neon goby.But they look OK,so let´s hope!

[MReith]

Hi Luis

Today I placed two G. okinawae in the same tank ... they're still fighting, but I hope they will pair up in the near future. Did you have success with your bunch of larvae and the Brachionus diet?

Martin

[Luis A M]

No,seems a tough species to rear
They hatch very small and don´t show much growth.Lat survivor,at 29 days was still about the size of a newly hatched neon goby

[aquafarmer]

Luis,

What size tank do you have your pair in? I had one in a nano, but it just died Really great little fish and I want to get another one or two. I'm can put them in a 30 gal if needed.

Thanks!

Christine

[Luis A M]

No,a 10 gal is quite big for them.I keep two tanks with two pairs spawning regularly.One spawns on a flowerpot,in the hidden side.The other in an Acropora skeleton,always in the same spot.

[chris melb]

Luis i have also had two pairs of yellow coral gobies, one pair in a 5gal (feed cylcop eeze and NHBS) and one pair in a 10gal (NHBS, Hikari Mysis), had them for little over 5 months have not noticed any eggs. Ive noticed that in each pair their is dominant one and tends to consume most of the food, while the submissive one is chased at times and eats less. Im just wondering what would u reccomend i feed them in an attempt to get them to spawn.

[Luis A M]

Patience,I guess Seems they´re not ready yet.
I feed mine Otohime and bbs.

[joefrith]

I have heard quite a bit about how skinny these clown gobies come into the LFS's and how it is even more difficult to get them to start feeding in captivity. Have guys experienced this?, especially when it comes to conditioning the breeders.

[chris melb]

Thanks Luis i thought that was the answer haha, but ive heard that they have a very short lifespan of two- three years have heard any different? Im assuming mine are all adults

[chris melb]

Joefrith yes IME all my clowns were very skinny, some did not make it especially when pairing up, as they become quite aggressive initially I have found. For those buying skinny/weak coral gobies from LFS, I would recommend they be housed individually at first and feed live feeds initially, mine all took to newly hatched brine shrimp and were slowly acclimatised to small dry foods, mine also have taken to mysids which are meant for my seahorses but they prefer newly hatched brine shrimp. I would begin to pair them up when they are fit and healthy.

[Luis A M]

Expect very small,hard to raise larvae.IME they survive some time,but showing very little growth.But they can be raised,see Ed and Witt´s book.
Wondered if the largest species,G.citrinus had largest eggs and larvae,but they probably won´t.And they´re not so nice.

[aquafarmer]

The one I had before went immediately for cylcopeeze and I also fed it H2O mysis and Hikari. I would occasionally give live brine enriched with spirulina and live phyto also.

I'm off to get my 2 tonight

Christine

[chris melb]

Luis do you mean this book titled:

"The Complete Illustrated Breeder's Guide to Marine Aquarium Fishes"
Matthew L. Wittenrich.

I had a look at the index on amazon didnt seem to seem Okinawae (although its hard to read from there). But i bought it anyway, im sure it will come in handy.

[Luis A M]

Yes.So you´re the only one still waiting for it?.I´m commenting the book in "larviculture".

[chris melb]

yes i just ordered it, has had alot of positive reviews, thanks Luis ive been reading what you have posted in 'Larviculture' 57 speices raised by one person is quite an accomplishment. Would great to achieve success like that. Although im enjoying every minute of this hobby.

[The Ediaz]

I just sold my last and only spawn about 100 fish to Inland Aquatics, as far as I know I was the only one raising them in US, the stock I sold him makes very good brood stock I added a mate to a single one I had they were spawning within 2 weeks.

They are easy to raise but grow very slowwwwww, you need the keep the tank FULL of rotifers about 20-30/ml maybe more for most to make it to meta.

Ed

[Clownfish75]

Hi Ediaz

Do you know if the larvae feed at night? do they need rotifers then?

THanks

Christian

[chris melb]

Ed thats great two weeks im like 4-5 mths and still nothing, is there anything additional i should be feeding?

I have a pair fed on NHBS and CE
Another pair fed on NHBS and Hikari Mysid

[The Ediaz]

I don't know if they feed at darkness don't think so, but I leave a low watt light during the nite anyway so mine fed.

Since thay need lots of rotifers, they pick the smallest from the water as the big ones reproduce the tank must be full at all times if you feed phyto it will stay full, so adding rotifers at nite is not necesary.

Feed them shrimp,squid,artemia,fish flesh , spirulina and krill meal, if I don't feed that to mine they stop spawning.

Ed

[mpedersen]

Ed, I got to see yours at one of my LFS's recently..kudos on rearing those! Darn TINY though, like 1/2"? How old were those?

Matt

[The Ediaz]

Your kudos are late since I raised those more than a year ago

It takes a long time to get them to market size and they want to give you .75 cents for them. I don't raise them for that same reason, IA requested 100 a month at a decent price, maybe...

E

[Luis A M]

I started a new run feeding the pod P.scotti as a monodiet.See details in: http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1446
I have a small group doing reasonably well.They reached the size of a newly hatched neon goby at 10-12 days.They could probably take rots now.I wonder how possibly could have Ed raised his on rots as a first food .I guess there must have been some ciliates in the tank

[Luis A M]

META AT 40 DAYS!!!
Only four larvae remain.I recently moved them from their exclusive calanoid naup diet to bbs and Otohime "A".They are still very small,about 5 mm.,though their body profile is taller.They remain colourless wathsoever,though one of them shows a hint of yellowish tint.
I put a small dried piece of Acropora in the tank,and soon the larvae took an interest in it.I saw one larva perching on it briefly yesterday.
Today two of them are completely settled.They behave like adults,staying put among the coral branches which they only leave to take some food in open water and quickly darting back to their refuge.Amazing sight considering they are still colourless and only about 5mm long!
Witt in his book gives 33 days as the larval period,taking the first larva to settle,which is compatible with my very small sample.
So I could crack a new species,good way to end this year
I call raising 1-3 juveniles a "marginal success",as it is not a real success,but it´s neither a failure.What should I call raising four? (just kidding).
Marginal successes are OK when they are followed by real successes,where decent numbers of juveniles are raised.Problem is when you get stuck in marginals as happens to me with damsels!

[KathyL]

Great news, Luis! Got any pictures?

[Luis A M]

Great news, Luis! Got any pictures?

Thanks,Kathy
No way to take pics.After they colour up,I will slowly bring the coral next to the front window ,where a macro lens could have them in focus