G.gouramie Babies New Pics.

[Miss Dib Dabs]

I don't. But shall try and get some. The older fry are very sociable these days and cluster to the closest corner of the tank when they see me. Seems they're learnt to ask for food very quickly!
Strangely the very young ones I added to the tank have been left in peace by the older bunch, accepted as part of the family group. Those still in with the adults have free rein in the tank now. The adults totally ignore them.
On slightly less encouraging note, Nursey (Called that since she raised a bunch of fry after BB kicked them out of his area) is very tired currently. Poor gal spawned recently and obviously overdid it. She's gone quite pale and lethargic. Thankfully the girls are leaving her be and so long as she keeps away from BB he leaves her alone. The four girls spend alot of time together now and BB will also spend time mingling happily, especially at food times. He even lets them into his space at meal times now. Except Spot, who he chases off since she started nibbling at any eggs. He got very upset at that.
Still no spawning from Blue, although she is very round now. It doesn't help that every time she shows intrest the other girls cluster round to watch, she gets upset and runs away. *doh*
Anyway, yes I'll try for some pics and post them up later.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

A pic taken today. Hopefully the other one will be up shortly too.
Hugs,
P.
Edit:And here's another.

 

[wuvmybetta]

awww
I've been peeking in on your threads,miss dib dab, as I find it quite interesting. They are absolutely adorable Congrats!!

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Awww thanks hon. ) Being that these are the first fry I've dedicated myself to raising I do think I have been very fortunate with them. They are all beautiful, colourful and growing wonderfully. The credit goes to them putting up with me rather then any expertise on my part.
I still can't get over just how friendly they are. They live in the kitchen and watch whilst I am working in there. They also see how I interact with Ollie (a male betta), who lives in his tank in there too. He is incredibly friendly. He never flares at them.
I'm guessing their temperament has been inherited from their parents, who are also very friendly, as I'm sure you have realised. BB loves his girls and, with the exception of the odd bad mood or getting overzealous while spawning, has never hurt them (and even in those moments never more then a slight tail/fin nip).
Now all I need to do is get some peeps to give them good homes in a few months time.
Hugs,
P.

 

[sylvia]

Aww they are so, so cute! Your pics are always so clear and the detail on them is amazing. How many do you have (approximately)? I'd imagine it's going to be quite difficult to find them all individual homes. Are you giving/selling any to your LFS? Or are you planning on keeping them all until the time you can find them homes? I love the bright green plants in the background - I'm useless with plants I'd love to see what the whole tank looks like with little yellow blurrs all over the place on that bright green background What are you feeding them now? How are their parents? It's great to see them looking so healthy (and big ).

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Aww that post made me smile Sylvia. Those two pics were taken, amazingly, on my mobile!! I had the phone right against the glass too. They were curious about what I was up to. As you can tell, not even remotely worried.
I would love to find them all homes one by one but the lfs has said they will take some when they're old enough. It really depends on how desperate I become for the tank at the time. I mean, if BB (my resident male) spawns with Blue (she really is a beautiful blue girl with highly distinctive dark blue spots) then I'd like to move the babes to the fry tank, but obviously that can't be done with the older fry at their current stage. They'd think they're baby brine shrimp!
The parents are both still lovely. Queenie's pic is on the first post and she's the Mum to most of them. BB is a little under the weather at the mo. He didn't like the tank being medicated about a week or so ago, but I couldn't risk them getting the virus that had spread through 3 tanks and killed three fish so fast. So he's not really in full spawning mood right now. If I sit and talk to him he blows a few perfect round bubbles for me then leaves them alone. Poor fella. The girls are all in excellent health and were untroubled by the meds. I think it was more the fact that I was having to do extra water changes because of the potential damage they can do to the filter system.
Food wise they have a varied diet from the odd drop of liquifry still (There are some much younger fry in there y'see) to older fry food, finely crushed flake food, frozen bbs, and occassional live bloodworm and brine shrimp. The older babes are eating them now. Not tremendously well but they are getting there. I only ever put in a very few and watch them to make sure someone doesn't outdo themselves. Thankfully they've all got on successfully. They pick at the plants throughout the day and I still feed them a small amount 3 times daily. Only downside is now they're much bigger the tank needs far more filtration, which it has, and alot more substrate cleans! Never seen so much poop produced in a day! But it's all worth it.
When I think they're ready to go to new homes I'll offer them on this site first. I'd like some to go to the ppl here. It'd be so nice to know that at least some of them will get excellent lives and care as far as is possible.
I'll try and get a pic of the whole tank tomorrow. They've gone to bed now and their lights are all out so shan't disturb them.
Hugs,
P.
P.S:I really have no idea how many are in the fry tank. I'm guessing at approx 30. Possibly more. The tank itself is appox 25usg I believe (brain like swiss cheese) so it's a reasonable size. The two internals can handle upwards of a 50usg so it's well filtered and no, the outlet is set so no one gets blown away by a current.

 

[sylvia]

Wow! Those pics were taken on a phone?!!! Seriously - what kind of phone do you have? I'm not kidding you when I say my jaw dropped when I read that.

Good luck with all your fry and I hope BB feels better soon.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Didn't get a pic today. Just been one of them days. Soz. The mobile is an LG U8150. Takes pretty good pics but battery life is naff.
BB seems brighter today. Spent some time talking to him today and he bit me when I went to remove a snail. Always a good sign.
Pity I can't say the same for the betta lady I was given from the lfs. She's come out with popeye poor girl. She's now in a hospital tank on her own and she seems to have perked up a little. Can't say I'm holding up my hopes for her though. At this stage it's really only luck being on her side that'll pull her through.
Hugs,
P.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

Ok, finally have a pic of the tank for you. And a pic of the babes taken this afternoon.
Hugs,
P.

Edit:On a side note, BB is back on the pull. He's built a bubble nest of massive proportions over the course of yesterday and today. Am hoping Blue gets some attention as she's truly very round right now, bless her.

 

[sylvia]

That's lovely - so green! Good to here BB's a little better as well. As a side note, I bought myself some new plants today (various hygrophila sp.) - I hope I can get them to stay alive

 

[sylvia]

edit: oops double post

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

I'm afraid plants aren't my strong point by a long shot. For some reason they do really well in some tanks and badly in others. I never feed the plants anything so it really is only luck. Although I suspect the lighting and depth of the tanks has a marked impression.
Some of those in the fry tank were taken from the parents tank and have flourished nicely. I'm forever moving plants from the adults tank into all the other tanks. Naturally all those that go into the syno tanks end up pulled up, stripped or wrecked in some way. Bygones. They're so rampant in the 35g there's still plenty even with all them destroyed.
Gouramies love their mess of greenery. And I do leave it pretty messy for them. Did have to cut back some in the adult tank this week simply because it was so thick in places the grown ups couldn't get through it! Not that that ever bothered Queenie, who is more then happy to slide over the top of them at the water surface. She's quite a sight when she's doing it too. Literally has part of herself out of the water and she often eats like that too.
Spotted some more young fry (not very young but not as old as some in the fry tank) that need moving out of the adult tank. Now BB's back on form and flaring for the girls' attentions I'd like to see the two younger girls have some success. Spot (a brown girl with very black spots) doesn't appear to yet be carrying eggs but Blue, who is quite a small lady is so very round now, should hopefully be high on BB's list right now. He's always been very fond of her, never nipped or chased her at all. Of course, now he happily feeds alongside them at meal times with no animosity or aggression. That will change once he's in Father mode though. They all have to give him a little breathing space then.
Only downside right now is my empty tank is being occupied by my sick lady betta and her nasty case of popeye. She's started eating again, which is an improvement, albeit second stage fry food. Seems more palatable to her right now. Hopefully the anti-internal bacteria meds will have a good effect and help her recover soon.
Lordy I don't half prattle on sometimes!
Hugs,
P.
Editome 24 hours on from this post...BB has a huge nest and one of my older girls is acting very tired. often a sign she's been spawning. I haven't spotted any eggs in the nest but decided to leave off the extra small clean I was planning on today just in case. Blue still looks round so she's yet to pay BB a visit but all enjoyed their live brine shrimp today. Including the fry! Munched it up quick as anything. Prooved very popular. I try to ensure they all get live food once or twice a week every week. Not that even round bellies stop the babes from begging like baby birds every time I go in the kitchen now. And they are really beginning to produce a great deal of waste now. Even with massive over filtering the substrate is littered with their waste within a short time. Am having to do changes twice a week just to keep it half way decent.

 

[Genesis]

good to hea your fry are doing well

i'd happily take some if your in the UK

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

I am in the UK hon. See you're in Bucks. I was born there....or was in Berks? Lol I can never remember which! )
I'm reckoning the oldest will be about ready to have their new homes late Jan or Feb time. Hungry little beggars that they are. Never stop eating.
On a side note, someone nipped BB in the night!! His beautiful dorsal fin has been torn at the end. Don't know who's responsible but my money's on Queenie. She's the only one big enough and brave enough to 'stand' up to him.
Have also spotted another few fry in the tank. Not real babes but older ones again. They really can hide very well the cheeky things. Still no eggs in his nest that I can see. Seems Blue is still being very standoffish about the idea.
Hugs,
P.

 

[sylvia]

Aww - poor BB - but I'm sure he'll recover