Bigest impediment to fish breeding in systems

[blackcloudmedia]

So I was doing a little thinking. WHat do you guys think is the biggest factor(s) preventing marine life (corals, fish invertebrates etc) from breeding successfully in our systems. I tried to find the article but a while back I saw a system that was very large. Its owner claimed that the fish and corals successfully propagated within it. The one thing I noticed about the system was its height. The tank was very deep. Another system that i saw that is six feet deep claimed that his tangs shot towards the surface in a mating ritual but the water wasnt deep enough. Thoughts?

 

[Anonymous]

I would say that the biggest impediment for many fish species is the tank size. In many cases you need a LOT of space for two fish of the same species just to prevent them from killing each other, let alone tolerate each other enough to spawn.

 

[Anonymous]

I would say that the biggest impediment for many fish species is the tank size. In many cases you need a LOT of space for two fish of the same species just to prevent them from killing each other, let alone tolerate each other enough to spawn.

agreed. there just isnt enough room for most fish species, with the exception of a few like Clownfish - I know of several people that have successfully bred them, same with some inverts too - I've had Cleaner Shrimp successfully breed, although the fry didnt last long with the other fish in the tank. Others have had corals successfully spawn in their tanks - especially after a moonlight had been implemented.

 

[leftovers]

well the biggest issue is that your tanks system (skimmer/pumps) destroys the larvae before it has a chance to develop so even if they were to spawn the resulting fertilized eggs and resulting larvae die off long before they even have a chance.

The odds are long on successfully breeding plankton/pelagic fish given the delicate nature of them and the foods they require to move from pelagic to benthic to fish...

 

[blackcloudmedia]

David Saxby, thats the guy. Apparently his fish and inverts breed successfully.


http://www.ultimatereef.com/TOTM/2007_jan/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLRubZGW ... re=related

 

[leftovers]

David Saxby, thats the guy. Apparently his fish and inverts breed successfully.

Breed or spawn...many a reefer has had successful spawning of corals and certain fish even schooling fish, but the actual breeding is something else entirely.

 

[Anonymous]

If we are talking about spawning (forget whether the eggs live/develop or not), then the hurdles are just tank size, proper social groups, and feeding.

Thinking about it some more, the biggest hurdle to accomplish breedingthat is really beyond the limits of what we can do is feeding the larvae. In many cases it is easy enough to get the adults to spawn, and even to collect and separate the eggs into a kreisel, but then nourishing the larvae is next to impossible. We just don't know how to do it in many species.

This was the case with the Rhinopias larvae that we tried in vain to rear earlier this year. Rich Ross worked his butt off trying to feed them and they just refused all food offered. And of course even if they eat something it doesn't mean they will gain the proper nutrition from it to develop properly. Lots and lots of trial and error is necessary to determine the suitable foods for each species.

 

[blackcloudmedia]

I should have clarified better by what I meant. I means successful rearing of inhabitants. Apparently in a lot of very large tanks, corals will show up where none were placed. A guy in my area has a 1200 gal tank and (not documented) he had 5 clown-fish when he only added 2 to the system years before. I agree with Matt that the main problem seems to be rearing rather than spawning. I imagine the fish that start out as plank-tonic are the nightmares to try to rear.

 

[Anonymous]

I should have clarified better by what I meant. I means successful rearing of inhabitants. Apparently in a lot of very large tanks, corals will show up where none were placed.

That probably from brooders ( http://www.secore.org/gsp.dll?sid=203&pid=1&p_menuid=14 ). It doesn't take a large tank, just a mature an happy coral.

A guy in my area has a 1200 gal tank and (not documented) he had 5 clown-fish when he only added 2 to the system years before. I agree with Matt that the main problem seems to be rearing rather than spawning. I imagine the fish that start out as plank-tonic are the nightmares to try to rear.

In tanks, with both fish and coral, the problem is that larvae are tasty, even before the feeding issue. I am skeptical that 3 clownfish were spawned, hatched and grew out in a display tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the vertical space is a consideration with some fish.

Paul B (with the 40 year old reef tank) reports that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are important. And he soaks the food in some. the result is that most fish spawn.

my .02

 

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the vertical space is a consideration with some fish.

Paul B (with the 40 year old reef tank) reports that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are important. And he soaks the food in some. the result is that most fish spawn.

my .02

That one is up in the air. Many don't add anything to food and still have spawning.