General
Species:  P. fridmani (Orchid Dottyback)
Social Structure: Mated pair
Size of Individuals:  Female 1.5", Male 2"
Age of Individuals: Male, from ORA on 5-6-08(purchased on 8-3-08) est. 8 months, Female est. 6 months    
Date added to Tank:  Male- 08-03-08 Female- 08-02-08   

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank: Standard 10 gallons     
Substrate Details: Fine layer of black sand, two lengths of PVC pipe  
Filtration Details: Plumbed with 5 other 10 gallon tanks and a 55 gallon sump/refugium. Filter sock, protien skimmer, refugium with LR, LS, and macroalgae 
Water Changes:
Water Temperature: 81-83F 
Lighting: Standard Shop light
Lighting Cycle: 14hrs light, 10hrs dark
Other Tank Inhabitants: Blue leg hermit crabs 

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  Various frozen diets, squid, bloodworms, mysis   
Feeding Schedule: Every four hours starting 1 hour after lights on.  

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn: 10-19-08
Dates of Consecutive Spawns: Every 6-8 days, usually every 7 days. 
Egg Description:  The eggs will be laid in a mass, about 1/2'-3/4" in diameter, consisting of several hundred eggs.  At first the eggs are clear, after a day or so, the eyes will be evident as black spots in each egg.
Behavior:  Spawning usually takes place in the late afternoon.  The male entices the female into the cave for spawning.  Eggs are tended by the male for four days.  In my case, the male's "cave" is not the same piece of PVC that they use for spawning, not sure why.  On the afternoon before the expected hatch, the eggs are removed and placed in an egg tumbler(see below).  The eggs hatch the following morning and need to be moved to the larval tank and fed right away. 
 
Recently I experienced a hatch within an hour of transfering the eggs to the tumbler that was located next to a bright light.
Larval Tank Details
Temperature: 81-83F
Size of Larval Tank: Standard 10 gallons, half full to start. (I'm currently filling the tank to increase water volume and reduce water quality issues.) 
Substrate Details: None 
Other Tank Decor: Small piece of LR 
Filtration Details: None until 21 days, then sponge filter.  
Lighting: Screw-in CF bulb w/reflector               
Lighting Cycle: 24/7 until Meta 
Water Changes: Siphon detritus every few days.  20% after 7 days and increase water volume.  

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types: Rotifers, newly hatched brine shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, copepods, Otohime A 
Feeding Schedule: Every 4hrs

Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Metamorphosis: Between day 25 and 35 (varies) 
Date of Settlement:

Grow-Out Tank Details
Temperature: 80-83F 
Size of Grow-Out Tank: Standard 20G 
Substrate Details: None
Other Tank Decor: Small piece of LR
Filtration Details: Plumbed into a central system, approx. 130G 
Lighting: Standard Shop light 
Lighting Cycle: 14hrs light, 10hrs dark 
Water Changes: 20% bi-weekly 
Size at Transfer: 3/4-1" 
Age at Transfer: about 2 months (This was on my first attempt, since then I've been transfering them around 5-6 weeks.) 

Grow-Out Feeding Details
Food Types: Finely crushed flake foods, OtohimeA, Spectrum pellets(small), cyclopeeze soaked in garlic
Feeding Schedule: Every 4 hours 

Additional Information
Miscellaneous Information:

Spawning Behavior:

I was able to catch the broodstock pair in action around 4:30pm:
 

 
And, the result:
 

 

 
 

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Here is the male tending to the egg ball in preparation for the hatch.
 

 
 

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Egg Tumbler:  A simple egg tumbler can be made with a glass funnel and airline tubing.  I used a light reflector as a base to support the funnel.  Eggs are placed in the tumbler and "tumbled" with air bubbles.  It takes a bit of parctice to get the bubbles right, not to slow and not too fast.  You just want to make sure that the eggs keep moving and don't get stuck.
 
To help keep the water warm I place the metal base on a reptile heating mat, you could also partially submerge the funnel in a tank with water and a heater.
 
Here is what mine looks like:
 

 And this is what it looks like in action when the eggs hatch:
 
 

P. fridmani larvae need to feed as soon as they hatch.  Previously I was letting the eggs hatch in the tumbler and transfering them the next morning.  Since they usually hatched before I got up I started adding some rotifers to the tumbler the night before, just to be sure they had some food.  

As I mentioned in the previous post, I had some luck getting them to hatch quickly by placing the tumbler next to a bright light after transfer to the tumbler so I can transfer them on the 4th night instead of the next morning.   

As soon as the eggs hatch, I now transfer them to a larval tank

Larval Tank:  A normal 10 gallon, half filled with water to start.  Having the tank only half full allows you to maintain a high density of rotifers during the early stages.  With advice from Witt, I place the heater on the side of the tank and put the airstone between it and the glass.  This provides unidirectional water flow rather than the multidirectional flow that you would get with the airstone in the middle.
 

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Larval Progression:  When they first hatch they are like tiny slivers of glass as you can see in the video above.  Here is what they look like close up...
 
One hour post hatch:
 

 

 

 

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One DPH (day post hatch):
 

 

 

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2 DPH

 

 

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3DPH 

 
 

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4DPH
 

 
  

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5 DPH 

 

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7 DPH
 


 
Unfortunately, this little guy didn't make it.  I took too long trying to take the pics.  The video didn't turn out well either. 

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9 DPH
I had a hard time getting this guy to hold still without killing him.
 
 

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10DPH
This guy was a bit easier to work with, and he survived just fine.
 

 
 

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11 DPH
 

 
 

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12 DPH
I tried a new color filter, not sure if I like it...
 

 
 
 

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13 DPH 
  

 

 
I don't think this one made it.  Heart was still beating but he wasn't breathing.

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14DPH
 

I got these shots of the eye and mouth.  In the first one you can see the teeth, the second one was taken without back light and you can see the eye in better detail.
 

 

 
Additional insight:  Looking back at the previous days I noticed the continuing developement of the tail, it changes almost every day.  The dorsal spines have appeared today as well, or at least I'm able to see them.
I got one to hold still, I think this looks a bit better.  This one doesn't have the same dorsal developement as the other one yet.
 
 

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16 DPH