Please help - Breeding

BlennyLover

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I hope this is the right forum to post this ...

I've never really given any thought to breeding any fish until now. In the past I had two Maroon Clownfish purchased from Live Aquaria as a *bonded* pair. About 10 months later, I had one batch of eggs. Never saw anymore eggs and the clownfish were the only fish that I had more than one of -- so they definitely mated.

I currently have five starry blennies that were all together in a 75g. One that has no interest in anyone else and not bothered by any others. It's like he's a ghost. 2 others each have their own SIDES of the tank and each day stare each other down and go back and forth to *guard* their side ... and they have never fought even at feeding time -- these 2 don't know the other 3 exist as they are focused on one another only.

My other two PLAY ... they pick at the same rock, side by side on the sand ... they won't be without the other. I noticed the smaller one had a HUGE large marble ball size belly and knew she was pregnant. I put both of these into my 45g that also has a damsel, clownfish and 2 firefish. The very next day ... both blennies were in the PVC tubing and when the little one left it - there were hundreds of eggs in it ... the bigger one stayed in the tube and *fans* the eggs. He would come out once in a while and turns on his *courting* coloration - bright white on entire body and she would follow him back into the tube. This had been going on for weeks now. The eggs are hatching exactly on day 8 while the other fish swim side by side in a frenzy to feed on them ... then 5-6 days after that ... there is another batch. This is kind of sad ... hundreds/ thousands of little blennies are part of the food chain. Even if the other fish were not in there, the system is not set up to raise them.

The male is currently watching over batch number FIVE that many hatched today and the tube will be empty by morning. The female is getting a BIG belly again and I expect the tube to be filled with eggs again on Thanksgiving day ... Friday at the latest.

How many times is this going to repeat?

These are my favorite fish! First one I ever saw was the ugliest fish I ever saw, but was told it's a good fish to have to clean up the algae on the rock and glass, yada yada ... so I bought one ... a nasty one that use to pick up a mouth full of sand and spit it at me if I was too close when looking at the tank. He started to become very amusing. This same fish *attacked me* when I was removing powerheads for cleaning so I just dangled my hand over the rim waiting for him to calm down and he got in my hand. When I started to take my hand OUT ... he bit me again, so I stopped and he got in my hand again. This was just the coolest thing ever. I love starry blennies ... so much *individual* personality, soooooo entertaining.

I've talked to a couple of LFS owners that state it is near impossible to successfully breed & raise blennies, but don't have any answers or suggestions on why, or how or anything.

Does anyone know what I need to possibly raise them? Steps?

I truly appreciate any help and answers ... thanks in advance!

Grace & Peace ... Lisa
 
That is awesome. I think you are going to want to spend a good bit of time on the Marine Breeders Initiative site. A quick search over there shows some spawn and hatch reports for the Stary Blenny, but nothing past that: http://www.mbisite.org/Search.aspx?Species=255 I would start by reading everything linked to on that page to see what the other person did.
 
@ Titus ...

Thank you very much ... I've done lots of searching and read many forums and blogs, never found that site, but BlakeT that started the data collection on that and didn't finish has posted on numerous forums -- I tried to contact him, but no reply ...

I've searched snowflake and lawnmower blenny and results seem to be the same. Seems the ones that lived for 4-5 days were *collected* after hatching.

I found another forum where a user stated his were at 9 days old. No other member believed him. I don't either after I found out he was new to the hobby of less than a year and now an expert at breeding blennies that no one else is able to.

From other reports it looks like the cycle can continue for over a year ... then a BREAK and start again ... WOW ... fertility on these fish is not an issue, [smilie=smile.gif] but a lot/ thousands of lost blennies. So sad!!! The male blenny is just as upset as I am, as when they are hatching and the other fish are standing by ... he spends hours *bolting* out at them to try and scare them away.

Not one of these people that have been *trying* are seeing exactly *when* the eggs are laid as they state the eggs are yellow ... The eggs are *clear* on day one ... it takes the *clear* eggs 12-24 hours to turn *yellow*. I noticed this on batch 2 and every batch since. There were *speckles* everywhere in the tube - seen under the lunar lights ... not seen under the daytime lights. I kept checking on them and watched them slowly change to the yellow by 24 hours and then a day or two prior to hatch they will turn back to clear and you are able to see through the eggs -- 2 tiny brown spots that I am guessing are the *eyes* (???).

I appreciate your direction ... hopefully it leads me down the right path!

Have a wonderful week and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
 
No problem... the MBI site is cool because everyone shares what works and doesn't work rather than keeping it to themselves as some sort of trade secret. You might want to look though the database at other types of Blennies to see if there is success there. What works for other blennies would be a great place to start, as the needs are likely to be similar.
 
The MBI site is really outstanding, but before that was available, there was the MOFIB site (marinebreeder.org). You might go through that forum and see what documentation there is for s. rasmosus. It's not organized the same way as MBI, so more digging is probably going to be needed. If you can't find anything else, you could always look for a related blenny species that may be better documented and try to emulate that to see how far you can get them.

Good luck with them! They are a breed I've considered trying, so I'd definitely be interested if you keep a journal on your results.
 
@ David ...

MOFIB -- soooooo much information there! I found myself reading up on other than what I intended! Love it!

Whether Blennies are breeding or not ... they are a very *entertaining* fish to have. ... each one has its own character. So if you have several and can't tell them apart visually ... their personality will let you know who is who.

The LFS where I purchased my first one told me ONE only ... as they will fight till death of one or the other. My sister has been doing this since the 70's and told me *not true* but backwards ... introduce SMALLER so no threat to the one(s) that have been established in the tank. 3 years later I walk into check out another LFS and they had *several* starry blennies in the same tank. I purchased another ... this is the one that is a *ghost* that the others seem to not see. Then a few months later they had a bunch of little little ones and I bought 2 more. These 2 were in the same tank with many others at purchase, but if anyone is going to fight it would be or would have been them. They stare each other down and mimic each other as if there is a *mirror* between them. Neither crosses their imaginary boundary line. Then, I had the LFS get me as tiny as possible ... they did and didn't want to sell because she was missing a pectoral fin (born that way) They insisted other fish would pick at her, seeing her as injured or weak. That isn't what I was seeing in their tank, so I won the argument and they *gave* her to me ... SHE was less than an inch and my first one followed her everywhere ... swimming vertically and watching every move. THESE are the two mated. She is about 3 1/2 inches now. Her colors are darker than the other 4 (her white stars seldom show), but I guess that means nothing. No telling the difference between male and female (IMO) though some say they can by the anal fin. With these two ... the male was never *flashing* his colors until this past spring. It scared the heck out of me ... and 3 different LFS told me ... "Blennies don't turn white ... he's sick ... you're probably going to loose him". Strange that there is so little knowledge out there on these fishes.

I was in the store I purchased the first one a few years back and let the owner know I now had 5 and his eyes got really wide. I explained their behavior and he told me *tank raised* .... MAY ... get along ................... wild caught will NOT!

So ... everyone is going to have an opinion on that. My experience has been good.

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I am going to read up as much as I can before I start putting $$$ I don't have out to try to save these. So far I don't see any consistency among those who are able to keep them alive a *few days* ... temperature, food ... everyone is doing something different. I am going to start logging and get pictures when she lays the next batch ... Thursday-Friday.

Maybe I find the answers needed on one of these sites ... that would be awesome!

You can't go wrong with a Starry Blenny ... they are hardy, bring activity to your reef ... Amusing (how many fish in your tank make you laugh?). Just takes some getting use the their looks, but beautiful swimmers. I use to put seaweed on a clip and they would RIDE it in the current like a magic carpet ride. They spent more time riding the seaweed than eating it, so I don't bother with it anymore.

Thanks for the info ... I am going to be busy!

Happy Holidays!
 
I just wanted to update this...

Blennies are still going at it on schedule. I've not attempted to separate until now.

Why??? Because thousands and thousands of eggs later ... I now know it is possible.

I've got filter and powerheads and so much current ... so many snails and crabs etc. in that tank I never dreamed that ONE would be able to find a safe place. I removed some rock a few nights ago and saw something I'd never seen before. I wasn't sure if it was a short fat worm or what, but it was waddling like crazy -- holding in place by the flashlight -- against current -- both mom and dad blennies were going nuts!!! I got everything shut down and put the lights on ... it was an itty bitty baby blenny ... 3/8 - 1/2 inch. 100% no doubt. While I am trying to get something under the tank to get it, my male anthias just came by and it was gone! No clue, but I am guessing he was a few months old.

Not sure what it lived on/ developed by ... but now I know it is possible.
 
Oh man! That's like winning the lottery and then dropping the ticket into the sewer!

When you take a stab at it, keep good notes! I'd love to give them a try at some point in the future.
 
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