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- Jan 9, 2010
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- 353
Sorry to hear you lost her. 
on the babies.
So Iris lived almost a week from the initial hatching (mentioning as a reference). Did you notice any additional hatchings after the main group?
Are they still coming in mass to the wall at night?
Are they still coming in mass to the wall at night?
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Goodbye Iris. You were an wonderful mom! Good luck with the babies--it sounds like they are doing well so far. What age are they typically surviving to in aquariums?
RIP. Iris! Love you pics, keep posting!
Last night I came home late (way past midnight) and made a few observations:
1. I only counted about 40 babies on the glass, but there was lots of activity all over the tank. A large fraction of them were active and not just sitting there; swimming, foraging, fighting, etc. Not sure if they are dying off or just losing interest in the glass.
2. I noticed what looked like a big fuzzy mass of arms, and looked closer. It was two live babies feasting on a dead one! It was very disturbing. They are *definitely* cannibalistic. I didn't get a photo, unfortunately, but I'll keep looking and maybe come up with one.
3. I tried hand-feeding some of them frozen/thawed mysis shrimp (using plastic tweezers), and they seemed to love it. They grabbed on with gusto, and didn't let go. I can't be sure they were eating them, but it sure seemed like they were. I was able to feed about 10 of them like this, and the others were out of reach.
Some photos from this morning (check out those blue eyes!):
1. I only counted about 40 babies on the glass, but there was lots of activity all over the tank. A large fraction of them were active and not just sitting there; swimming, foraging, fighting, etc. Not sure if they are dying off or just losing interest in the glass.
2. I noticed what looked like a big fuzzy mass of arms, and looked closer. It was two live babies feasting on a dead one! It was very disturbing. They are *definitely* cannibalistic. I didn't get a photo, unfortunately, but I'll keep looking and maybe come up with one.
3. I tried hand-feeding some of them frozen/thawed mysis shrimp (using plastic tweezers), and they seemed to love it. They grabbed on with gusto, and didn't let go. I can't be sure they were eating them, but it sure seemed like they were. I was able to feed about 10 of them like this, and the others were out of reach.
Some photos from this morning (check out those blue eyes!):
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By the way, I'm planning to close the buffet today. I'll move the macroalgae (chaeto) into the main tank (it's chock-full of amphipods and copepods) as well as the two small pieces of live rock. I'll pick up any live shrimp with a nylon sieve and move them to the main tank. I'm not sure if there are any live octos still alive in there, but if there are, today is moving day.
My reasoning is that I think the babies are getting old enough that they should know how to eat by now (so they don't have to be swimming in food), the water quality is just too unreliable in the buffet, and I'd like for as many babies as possible to have access to the remaining food. (Another shipment of live mysids is on the way, but it will be a few days before it gets here).
My reasoning is that I think the babies are getting old enough that they should know how to eat by now (so they don't have to be swimming in food), the water quality is just too unreliable in the buffet, and I'd like for as many babies as possible to have access to the remaining food. (Another shipment of live mysids is on the way, but it will be a few days before it gets here).
D, there are a couple of large egg layers.... but there are down on the southern coast.
TMoct- your reasoning for moving them makes sense to me. It sounds like they are doing great! I know the cannibalism can be unnerving, but it's still a natural source of food… Lovely blue eyes!
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