First Fry...

[cation]

Thanks for all the good wishes, guys.

Okay - so the fry are three weeks old today, and I'm trying to decide what to do. I am considering moving the dwarf cories into the fry tank, but I am concerned that they won't do well in unfiltered water. I do have an airstone and a heater in the fry tank, and I change about 25-30% of the water daily. I'm happy to keep doing this, but I wouldn't mind having someone to get the tiny bits of extra food and turn them into *ahem* poopies that are easier to suck up when doing water changes. The tanks filter will be turned on in about two weeks, I'd guess, depending on the growth rate of the fry..

Opinions?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi cation

It sounds like a good idea to me. From the cory point of view, I think they will be fine, especially if there is no salt in the tank. On the other hand, with the substantial water changes you are doing, there's no need for salt anyway.

As long as the temperature is kept within the ideal range for the kind of cory you have, I see no other problems. Corys are subject to suffering from the same bacterial disease problems as the bettas and as long as you are watching them, the corys should be fine too.

As far as filtration goes, corys like other fish, need clean and fresh water. It doesn't matter how it gets that way. But, please watch the corys to be sure they are getting enough food. You might need to supplement it.

Good luck, cation. I hope all goes well for your little babies.

 

[cation]

Y'know guys, I'm also tossing around the idea of removing the dad soon. I may not, but on the next spawn, I think I'm going to take him out at the 2 or 3 week point if it's not a big spawn.

Here's the thought behind it - up until this point, the father is doing good things for the babies. He cleans them (I saw him mouthing and spitting out fry when they were a week and a half old, cleaning/checking them I'd bet), and he culls the weak and injured ones (we'll have to wait until the fry grow up to see if this assumption is true.).

Now, in a big spawn, leaving him in might reduce aggression and allow you to wait longer before having to jar them, or allow you to only jar the largest, selectively jarring every few days. This would be helpful - the less jars to clean for the shorter amount of time the better.

In a small spawn, massive jarring ceases to be an issue, so who cares if aggression is limited? You can just jar the males out, and it's not like 150 of them.


Anyway, just tossing around ideas. What do you think?

 

[cation]

Hi cation

It sounds like a good idea to me. From the cory point of view, I think they will be fine, especially if there is no salt in the tank. On the other hand, with the substantial water changes you are doing, there's no need for salt anyway.

As long as the temperature is kept within the ideal range for the kind of cory you have, I see no other problems. Corys are subject to suffering from the same bacterial disease problems as the bettas and as long as you are watching them, the corys should be fine too.

As far as filtration goes, corys like other fish, need clean and fresh water. It doesn't matter how it gets that way. But, please watch the corys to be sure they are getting enough food. You might need to supplement it.

Good luck, cation. I hope all goes well for your little babies.

Cool, thanks for the info, Inchie. I will make sure to drop in a bit of algae tab every other day for them, and a shrimp pellet now and then. This works great for the fry, actually, as the cories tend to kick up tiny particles of the food they are eating, which the fry can then eat!

 

[Inchworm]

...I will make sure to drop in a bit of algae tab every other day for them, and a shrimp pellet now and then...

Hi cation

Errr.......I was thinking of something more like a few worms! Corys are big meat eaters and benefit from live or frozen food in their diet.

I would caution you too, if you are using Wardley's shrimp pellets, that they are no longer what they used to be. Not too long ago they changed their recipe so that the second ingredient on the back is ground wheat. This is not something corys will eat and it will make a big mess in your tank. They now say Wardley Shrimp Pellets Formula on the can. In the process, they reduced the protein content from 37% to 30% too. IMHO, they are a waste of money.

 

[cutecotton]

DAMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i just got a huge bottle of wardley's shrimp pellets! :crazy i wa salways wondering why the cories never touched it...argh!

sorry to hijack cation )

 

[cation]

...I will make sure to drop in a bit of algae tab every other day for them, and a shrimp pellet now and then...

Hi cation

Errr.......I was thinking of something more like a few worms! Corys are big meat eaters and benefit from live or frozen food in their diet.

I would caution you too, if you are using Wardley's shrimp pellets, that they are no longer what they used to be. Not too long ago they changed their recipe so that the second ingredient on the back is ground wheat. This is not something corys will eat and it will make a big mess in your tank. They now say Wardley Shrimp Pellets Formula on the can. In the process, they reduced the protein content from 37% to 30% too. IMHO, they are a waste of money.

Bleck! Yeah, they'll get bloodworms and shrimp in the fry tank, and the shrimp pellets I am using now are not wardley's, but thats good to know. There is nearly more frozen fish food in the freezer then human food, but that's another story.


No hijack worries here, cc - I don't care at all.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi cation

If you don't mind my asking, what kind of shrimp pellets are you using? I'm still trying to find a suitable replacement brand, but I tried HBH and most of my corys don't seem to touch them. They seem to be harder and I've actually pulled some out that stayed intact and got moldy.

 

[cation]

This is going to make me sound silly....I don't know! When I get any food other then flake, I put it into small mustard jars. They stack nicely and eliminate the messy look of food packages, since I always leave them out around tanks. )

However, I'll look at the lfs or online and let you know.

 

[cation]

Y'know guys, I'm also tossing around the idea of removing the dad soon. I may not, but on the next spawn, I think I'm going to take him out at the 2 or 3 week point if it's not a big spawn.

Here's the thought behind it - up until this point, the father is doing good things for the babies. He cleans them (I saw him mouthing and spitting out fry when they were a week and a half old, cleaning/checking them I'd bet), and he culls the weak and injured ones (we'll have to wait until the fry grow up to see if this assumption is true.).

Now, in a big spawn, leaving him in might reduce aggression and allow you to wait longer before having to jar them, or allow you to only jar the largest, selectively jarring every few days. This would be helpful - the less jars to clean for the shorter amount of time the better.

In a small spawn, massive jarring ceases to be an issue, so who cares if aggression is limited? You can just jar the males out, and it's not like 150 of them.


Anyway, just tossing around ideas. What do you think?

Anyone? Bueller....Bueller?

 

[cation]

Hi cation

If you don't mind my asking, what kind of shrimp pellets are you using? I'm still trying to find a suitable replacement brand, but I tried HBH and most of my corys don't seem to touch them. They seem to be harder and I've actually pulled some out that stayed intact and got moldy.

Today I picked up some Top Fin (petsmart brand, I think?) shrimp pellets. My cories are loving them. They are 40% protein to Wardley's 30%, and only 4% fiber to Wardley's 10%. They look to be a better pellet.

 

[cation]

Well, the fry are 3.5 weeks old, and it looks like they're doing (mostly) well. Some are getting really big (well, comparatively ) The largest fry has a noticable dorsal and looks like s/he has an anal fin too. A few of the fry are still really small, though...

Dad's a plakat, so after reading one of wuv's threads, I see that they grow a little slower. I'm starting to wonder what these munchikins are going to look like - and I'm still contemplating taking Dad out in a bit.

 

[cation]

So, they're not even four weeks old. I was staring at them last night - for the last week or two, they've been hanging out in groups. Then last night, right after feeding, they were prowling around close to the bottom of the tank to look for any chow they'd dropped. They stare at the bottom as though it's going to fly away if they don't - very intently. So - two were not paying attention to where they were going and almost ran into each other. Then came the staredown.

I was starting to think this was weird - they were basically facing off. After about 30 seconds or so, the larger fry turned, and broke the stare, looking for something to eat. The smaller one then snuck up next to him and nipped him! What brats.

Anyway, I don't know if this is an isolated incedent, or if this is how the agression begins. They are so small - I just don't think they are ready to be jarred, they don't even fully look like fish, still just like babies growing in fins. What to do?

 

[shrks1fan]

Sounds pretty normal to me, about this age they will start to set a pecking order. I wouldn't do a thing, I doubt they will injure each other yet, just let them setup their dominance order and things will be fine. If at any point you see someone who is being particularly mean and causing damage, then byall means, jar him/her, but I doubt this will happen this early.

Wait until they start flaring at each other, there is nothing cuter in the Betta world then 2 fry/small juvis, flaring at each other...it is just to precious!!

Linda

 

[cation]

Whew! Thanks for easing my mind.

I can't wait to see their cute little flares...