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Advice wanted – raising Bolivian/Butterfly Ram fry


pink_fish

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Hi all,

I have a beautiful pair of Bolivians that have spawned for the second time in my AR980 tank and are now watching over their wrigglers with pride. Last time, we waited until the fry were free swimming and then took some out of the tank and put them into another tank (8'x8'x19') to raise them up. The fry left in the main tank all disappeared a few days later (presumed consumed, lol), but the fry in our fry-raising tank all died just a few days after that... :( .

I'm aware that they are sensitive to water conditions, and so I did a water change of around 50% every day/second day in the fry-raising tank. This first batch were unexpected, so I didn't have a cycled sponge filter for their tank, but figured that since there were only 20 or less, an un-cycled one, if nothing more than to provide water movement, would be ok. I fed them Liqufry initially, and then microworms after that.

Basically, I would just really like some advice so that this time we can raise the fry up properly. I have prepared a cycled sponge filter and have microworms at the ready. What else can we do?

Thanks for all your help in advance!

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Hi, Because my adult rams always ate their fry, I have raised over 50 bolivian butterfly babies by taking the stone that the eggs were laid on (always covered in water) and put them in a seperate tank with a few drops of Wunder Tonic in (its got the methyl blue in it) at 28 deg., sponge filter and gentle air bubbler near the stone. Left them for about 3 days once they started free swimming, then started feeding them on Liquid Fry food. Did small partitial water change once a weekly and uped the water changes as they started eating crushed flake and crumble mixed together. Lost one or two at the egg stage but the rest all grew to adults fine.

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Do lots and lots and lots and lots of water changes. Then do another one. That's the best thing you can do for them.

Read these two threads; they're about blue ram breeding, but from what I understand, it's pretty similar.

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33559

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33971

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It sounds like you are well prepared.

I would only add a few things...

Is the water in the spare tank from the spawning tank?, if not mix the waters so they are very similar.

Feed the micro worms and a little of the liquid in the culture from the beginning of the free swim stage.

The fry will grow MUCH faster on bbs or Decap b/s, if you have some start to feed just the smallest pinch/drop twice daily from the third day after F/Swimming, continue feeding micro worms as well.

Siphon any uneaten food daily with small water change or put a baby bristle nose in the tank after 1 week(still do little water changes daily/every second day).

Good luck

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