Kribensis Fry Dying

[star4]

Hi I wonder if anyone could shed any light on what I am doing wrong with my Krib fry. My first batch I only raised 1 and this batch (my 2nd) keep dying.

Tank size: 30 x 12 x 6" (6" deep water)
pH: 7
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 17
tank temp 24

I do a 50% water change daily (Morning), I am running an airline and a small sponge filter. The tank is bare bottomed and I syphon the bottom daily. I also have a bit of live plant floating in the tank. They are fine all day but every night I am loosing fry this morning 8, yesterday 12 day before 6 day before 5. I had a problem with the heater but that is sorted. I was feeding them crushed beef heart flake, but it keeps going mouldy overnight (on last feed) so have changed to a sinking pellet that breaks down easily.

The only other thing I can think of is I removed the eggs from the main tank and 3 days later I had an outbreak of whitespot, could this have affected the eggs?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ripley]

Water changes are crictical when raising fry, but 50% daily maybe too much, as the tank may cycle again. I would try feeding them baby brine shrimp. I found some fry won't eat finely crushed flakes, when they are just starting out.

 

[Athena]

You could try using Liquifry No.1 for egglayers fry - this is a thick white liquid that you squirt one or two drops into their tank and because it is in miniscule particals they are able to eat this. I'm presuming the fry are less than a week old?

When they first hatch they will eat their egg sacks and won't normally begin feeding on other foods for about 72 hours.

Also, remember not to overfeed the fry tank because any rotting food can cause an ammonia spike and, even if it's a small spike, in fry they are so tiny and therefore more sensitive and it can poison them.

Regards - Athena

 

[star4]

sorry should say they are 3 weeks old tomorrow, I will try less water changes I only have abour 25 left out of over 70

 

[Ripley]

Try feeding them some daphina. I am not sure how big the fry are, but when I had my krib fry I fed them frozen daphina, along with finely crushed flakes. Also I found that I would lose 25%-50% of the fry every now and then. But I could never figure out why, I just figured its natural selection. Now of course my first time breeding them I lost the majority of them. But I have bred them 5 times now, so I got it figured out, thats for sure.

 

[star4]

Thanks both for your help , I will see if I can get some daphnia tomorrow lost another 5 during the day. This is only my second batch I raised one the first time, but its the 6th time the pair have laid (they useually get eaten) but my female is quite small! just wondering if that was anything to do with it?

Better luck next time I suppose

 

[kribensis12]

Your tank is waaayyy to cold for them. Boost the temp up to 28-30 C and they should start doing alot better ( their colors will appear sooner, they will grow faster, ect.) Other than that, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[star4]

Thanks for the info on temperature Kribensis, I was told 24 was good, will turn the heater up a bit thanks

 

[star4]

I turned up the temperature last night and still had 4 dead this morning, only have 20 left. I think I am going to loose them all at this rate.

 

[Spishkey]

star - this may sound like a stupid question but do you actually see the fry eating?

 

[Ripley]

What do you have in the tank , in regards of ornaments? There could be some leeching from something you got in there. It is very stange for them to be diing off so quickly.

 

[star4]

Hi Spishey, yep they are actually eating, and ravenously too! put in some daphnia today, they went for it like crazy.

Ripley, the tank is completely bare apart from a bit of slate and a stone they hide under.

I have had another two die today, I have looked under a magnifying glass at them (eyesight not great) and both deceased fry had a white head almost like their head had split open? I have been glued to the tank and actually seen one "dance about, swim fast to the surface and crazily swim about (a bit like gnats dancing on the water in summer) then it just stopped swimming and crashed to the bottom of the tank where it twitched then died? there is obviously something in the tank. I dont know whether to just strip the tank and re-fill it and hope for the best with the remaining few or try some melafix or just keep fingers crossed some survive. looking doubtful though as I started with 70+ and have 18 left at the moment. Dreading the body count in the morning.

 

[Ripley]

I would try melafix first. If you lose all the fry, I would most certainly think about gutting the whole tank out, and trying again. What do you have in there for filteration?

 

[star4]

I just have a small sponge filter, (which I had running in another tank, no problems in that tank) operated by the airline and a seperate airline. I think I will try the melafix, goto do something

What dose of melafix should I use? It doesnt say on the bottle if it is ok or not for fry. I dont know whether to half dose or full dose?

*tearing hair out*

 

[star4]

Have added full dose of melafix. Just waiting till morning to see if anything happens.