First Post: Spawn #5

[red99cat]

This is my first post on this forum, and my fifth spawn attempt. First four ended in failure. Hopefully this fifth spawn between a copper combtail and a green CT will reverse the trend. The fry are 5 days old and are eating egg yolk rubbed between my fingers and swirled in the water. I'm planning on a few more days of egg yolk and then I'll introduce bbs.

I have included photos of some of the fry, and the Copper Combtail. My goal is get some copper CT when I spawn the siblings. I hope the photos get posted.

 

[Synirr]

Woohoo, you finally posted!!! The fry are looking great

 

[red-devil0602]

i love pictures of the babies, keep them coming welcome to the betta section

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

Awww, widdle biddy babies, so friggin adorable!
Welcome to the forum, glad you're here!

 

[Karah's_Mommy]

They're looking great! I'm crossing my fingers for you! Best of luck!

 

[red99cat]

Thanks for the welcome.

On this Day 5 of the spawn, I decided to see if the fry would would eat a slightly larger food. I have seen the fry eating the hardboiled egg yolk, and the resulting tiny strands of betta poop hanging from their bodies. So I added a small amount of Mike Reeds "No BS Fry Food: 100-200 micron" this morning. This stuff has to be the most expensive powdered fry food at $11 an ounce! It has a really strong smell when opened. I've tried Hikari First Bites in the past, and that stuff has no odor. Anyway, I saw the fry actually eat the larger pieces without hesitation. So I think this will be the last day for the egg yolk and the next three days will be the Mike Reed food.

Has anybody tried powdered food for fry on this forum? What are you thoughts?

 

[platyfreek]

awwwwwwwwwww! dey're so cute! i want one! -takes-

 

[Andie]

I'm pleased to hear that you tried the hard boiled egg yolk. I'd heard of the method, but hadn't ever heard a report outside of Thailand that it actually worked(!) If/when I do my own spawn I'll be in a dorm room with almost no room for a hatchery, so I was hoping the egg method would work, since all I'd have to do would be to pinch hardboiled eggs from the cafeteria, hehe

The beebees are adorable, of course, and your father is just stunning. Of course, I may be biased in saying so since I have a terrible weakness for coppers

 

[Synirr]

Wow, I'm actually really surprised they ate the powdered food! That ought to make things much easier for you. Mine wouldn't touch anything that didn't move until the 4th week.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Congrats on the beautiful fry, and welcome to the board!!

 

[red99cat]

I was planning on introducing bbs to the fry in a few days, but seeing how the fry are eating Reed's fry food so readily, I've decided to raise the fry solely on this powdered food product. I'll post pictures of the fry development each week. If the food works out, it will save me time.

 

[red99cat]

I've added 6 corydoras pygmaeus, or pygmy cory catfish, nto the fry tank with great results. They do a wonderful job in eating the excess food on the bottom. They also do well in combination with the powdered fry food that I am now using. It seems that the fry are not big enough to eat the larger pieces. But now the pygmy corys eat the excess off the floor. All in all, rasing betta fry is becoming less time consuming.

It also appears that the fry food, which costs $11 an ounce, is much less expensive than feeding baby brine shrimp daily. I use so little daily, that an ounce should last me dozens of spawns. Here's a link to his site:
http/www.mreed.com/fryfoods.shtml

Mike's a really nice guy, and he took time to answer all my questions about his fry food.

 

[Andie]

Do you find they take well to the non-living food? I ask because I checked out a similar kind of fry food; it's apparently designed to bob in the water (not on the surface, but a little ways below it) to simulate the appearance of live food. As you pointed out, it would be cheaper than feeding bbs, but I was a little doubtful as to whether or not it might work.

 

[red99cat]

There are two ways to use powdered fry food. One is put it in water first, stir it and pour it in the tank. Apparently this is good for fry which are not surface feeders. I was told by Mike Reed that betta fry can eat from the surface, so I just dip a dry finger tip in the bag of food and shake it over the water. I shut of the sponge filter at that time and let the fry eat from the surface for a while. Then I turn on the air, and the 100-200 micron pieces are moving around suspended in the water, so the fry also eat within the water column. The food eventually sinks, where the fry can pick at it on the bottom along with the pygmy corys. I have seen the betta fry eat the fry food at all three levels. Maybe the water movement helps, but betta fry do eat things that are not wiggling around.

I have tried Hikari First Bites, and it is a good product. But the current fry food is like 10 times more stronger in smell, and the fry are devouring this stuff with less hesitation than the Hikari product. I think Reed's product has a stronger scent to attract the fry. Also after doing some calculations the price between Hikari First Bites and Mike Reed's food is about the same. First Bites cost $3.95 for 0.35 ounce.

Mike Reed is also a former editor of Tropical Fish Hobby Magazine.

I know that my current use of powdered fry food and miniature corys will save me a lot of time and money. I now need to see how big the fry get with this system, so I'll be posting a new photo every week.

 

[Andie]

Thanks for the information; I very much like having other peoples' experience to make my own decisions from!

I look forward to seeing the pics, too!