Possible Endler Fry. Total Newbie. Help!

[marlie]

Got my Cory habrosus this morning and there was a stowaway!

This little guy I saw swimming around my tank, whipped him out quick before he became Betta food. He is currently in tank water in a *blush* tupperware tub. It's all I had! he has a little moss ball to keep him happy.

I rang Trimar and they said he was in tanks with Endlers, so i assume its a little Endler. how do I look after him? I have no experience with fry. Last time I had some I was about 6 and I had my shubunkins laid eggs, and they all died!

Here is a pic of him... I know its probably hard to tell at this age what he is and how old...

Any advice very appreciated!

 

[OldMan47]

If its an endler, how old is maybe a week. A single endler could be raised in a half gallon or more so its probably OK in that container. If there is room in the betta tank, the temperature and water quality would probably be better there if you put him in a breeder net. A very small pinch of crushed flake will only require you to vacuum up lots of it after every feeding. A single small flake crushed between your finger tips would probably still be too much, I have never tried to cut down to only feeding one fry. If you can't get him into a stable heated aquarium, it will make him grow a little slower but an endler would be OK down to about 65F for surviving and growing, they just grow faster around 77F. Again assuming its an endler, don't expect to be able to sex the fish at less than 4 to 6 weeks and if its a male don't expect full colors until about 3 months. A pure endler female has no colors but of course has a body color that is absolutely plain, no color to fins or tail.
As far as survival, if you kep the water good and don't put him in with the betta too soon, he has a good chance. BTW when he gets older he could look as nice as my endler avatar or even better.

 

[marlie]

I'm not planning on putting him with the betta at all, too risky.

Ive been reading up and it looks like you can feed tiny amounts of daphnia... i might try that

 

[OldMan47]

It should be able to eat baby brine shrimp or daphnia just fine, the crushed flake is a more complete food but those would make a good treat and might promote faster growth.

 

[marlie]

It should be able to eat baby brine shrimp or daphnia just fine, the crushed flake is a more complete food but those would make a good treat and might promote faster growth.

I put a tiiiny finger nail scrape of frozen daphnia in so it would melt on contact with the water, and he ate it all up! So cute seeing him eat lol

How many times a day should I do this. I've seen other food slike liquifry being mentioned as 4 times a day things, but how about Daphnia?

 

[OldMan47]

Frequent very small feedings are better s long as you don't end up overfeeding. I expect that would be even harder to judge with just one fish.

 

[marlie]

I have been feeding a tiny amount, roughly half the size of him, 4 times a day. He has survived the night! lol Each time I ahve fed him I ahve sene him eat, and he seems okay right now *crosses fingers*

 

[marlie]

Just wanted to update!

Baby fishy is still doing well! I got a breeding trap about a week ago and he seems much happier int he warmer water of the main tank, much more active.

Are there any changes I need to make to his care now?

 

[OldMan47]

You still need to be wary of not overfeeding it but its good that he is in a heated and filtered environment now. In just a few more weeks it should be old enough to try to sex. If your lfs has a supply of real endlers, not hybrids, you have a very unusual lfs. So many have hybrids that people come to the conclusion that true endlers don't look like endlers. They have been misled way too often by the hybrids being called endlers.

 

[marlie]

You still need to be wary of not overfeeding it but its good that he is in a heated and filtered environment now. In just a few more weeks it should be old enough to try to sex. If your lfs has a supply of real endlers, not hybrids, you have a very unusual lfs. So many have hybrids that people come to the conclusion that true endlers don't look like endlers. They have been misled way too often by the hybrids being called endlers.

He came in a Cory Habrosus delivery from Trimar online. When I found him I ran up and asked what other fish were in with the cories, and they said they were in with Endlers, so thats where I got the assumption he was an endler

 

[OldMan47]

I keep habrosus with my endlers too. They are a good size to keep together. The endlers are no threat to the cories and of course the cories leave the endler fry alone. It makes a great combination.