setting up a breeding program

[Monacle]

I am in the process of setting up my breeding program. I started by getting 4 20 gallon tanks cycling along with a 100 gallon tub cycling about 200 pounds of live rock. These tanks are now ready to add fish rock and anemones for the clown tanks. I had actinic and super actinic vhos installed the length of the stand which is two levels and measures 16 feet long. It will hold 32- 20 gallon tanks. I would like to breed ocellaris clowns, maroon clowns, bangaii cardinals and maybe pj cards. I am now looking for good broodstock and detest buying fish from an lfs. If anyone has any or has good info. please let me know. Thank you, oh and I am brand new to this forum.. I like it, and will probably make it my main forum site. Thanks!:cool:

[Kev s]

Monacle,

Good luck with the programme and welcome to UR, your on the wrong side of the water for us to send fish to you though!

Your plans sound good, what are you going to do to provide food for the young are you going to set up rotifer and phyto cultures?

Kev

[Monacle]

Thank you. Yes, I do want to set up rotifer and phyto cultures, but I have never done that before. If anyone has got some suggestions about that, I would love to hear it. Thanks again.

[mark97r6]

Sounds good.
I wouldnt include anemones in the set ups though. With the heavy feeding you want to be supplying to your broodstock and basic equipment, nems dont stand a chance. The water in a breeding system wont come close to the quality of water in a reef tank, and it doesnt need to when not keeping corals and other inverts.

Also if you dont include inverts this leaves the possibility to treat the water if need be with copper based solutions. This could prove vital, as it is damn near impossible to replace a good pair of spawning fish.

As for broodstock, clowns generally take a few years to start spawning. My advice would be; if you cant attain 'proven' pairs, thenn buy pairs from tank breakdowns that have been together a long time already. They will still take a good few months but thats as soon as you can really expect from them.
Never disturb broodstock pairs, so plan your set up keeping this in mind...

Above all keep it very simple and go slow.
Good luck.
Mark

[Monacle]

Mark, thank you. I will take your advice to heart. Thanks again.