Shirlsscott Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Hi guys I have a tank full of (about 400) fry from my breeding of my salamander elephant ear and red/purple HM. All going good at the moment and taking micro worms. I have all the basics covered.... food/water quality/Almond leaves/extract etc etc... But has anyone got any ideas on a low maintenance approach to maintaining fry tanks.... i.e. has anyone used snails with their betta fry to clean up left over food or corydoras ect... ( I know dont over feed them, but when there is this many at this size, id rather over feed than starve them) Or Does anyone use a drip system to add water and drain water from the tank etc.... was thinking of making one that would gradually add 10-20 litres over a period of a week to the tank (aged water). to save water changes every few days..... Also does anyone know of an additive to actual prevent fungus, rather than cure? I want to prevent it rather than wait for it i.e. pre emptive strike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Congrats on your Betta Fry, WOW thats alot of fry :thup: I would be feeding upto 5-6 times a day, and doing daily water changes along with this. What size tank do you have the fry in?? You can use snails as the clean up crew, I used to use them when I was breeding angels. Wunder Tonic is usually what people use to prevent the Fungus of eggs, with plenty of good water change's I wouldn't think you would need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted March 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 I stopped counting at 300....but there was probably twice that, I transferred them into a 40L tank as there was so many in the bucket I bred them in that it was like a swarm.....(only 8lts) (I know never transfer them or blah blah blah etc). Ive never had any issues breeding betta, just getting the fry through to maturity, that never really bothered me before, usually I could see 30-40 through of a spawn of a few hundred. but I want as many to survive as possible to full adulthood as I only want to keep the best and try to continue a good quality line of the elephant eared salamanders.... so i dont want any to die......and want to try and keep them for at least 4-6 months to see the final result before I start back crossing the best females with the dad or the best brothers.. I have just set up a 165lt tank which i'll try and mature quickly and put them in that in a two to three weeks time...until i need to start separating them :-? But Im now on a diet of at least one 2.25 bottle of sprite zero or coke zero a day for the next 2 months :slfg: ill post a photo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinox Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 :thup: thats a lot of fry! pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted March 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Check back tomorrow night ill put them up about 9ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinox Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 awsum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Look forward to seeing pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Here ya go photos of the fry...... First photo wasnt to good so zoomed in..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 !drool: !drool: Lots and Lots of little mouths to feed :slfg: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#!CrunchBang Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Lots and Lots of little mouths to feed :slfg: My thought would be thats lots of feed for big mouths :digH: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Yep im gonna be pretty busy over the next few months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danval Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Well done with the fry.... Personally I wouldn't be feeding them solely on microworms... In the past I have tried this and have ended up with numerous "body sliders" which end up emaciated and eventually pass away. Now that you have got them to a decent size try different live foods like live brine shrimp, baby daphnia or baby mosquito larvae if they are actually big enough to take these. Well done and good luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 These guys are just to small at the moment, once they reach about 2-3 weeks i'll introduce brine shrimp. Dont have the time or access to anything else and also a bit messy... was going to try just micro worms.... recomended by another breeder to use them solely until they start accepting betta pellets, he has had some good success breeding and raising them with no deformities..... I have been told water quality is more imprtant for the first 4 weeks....so im panicking on that at the moment :-? Thanks :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danval Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Ok. Go with their tips rather than mine... Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish_fingers Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 Looking good, best of luck and we all look forward to further photos :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 The NZ brine shrimp nuplii are a lot smaller than the imported stuff. A bit more expensive but can be fed out sooner. You need to keep good food up to them or you will end up with half a dozen big fat ones and they wont be the best lookers either. All the anabantoids tend to grow at different rates no matter how well you feed them so you need to start seperating by size when you spot the difference. Good hatch rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted April 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 Got a bag of brine shrimp of trade me and spent a week trying to hatch them, ive done it before a while ago but I just thought damn I must be doing something wrong! Went up to HFF Albany and had a chat, from their perspective i was doing everything perfect.... so bought some more eggs from HFF..... Hatched after 18hrs.... BEWARE TRADE ME!!!!!! Anyone tried frozen Mysis with three or four week old betta fry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 Were the trademe ones eggs or freeze dried nuplii with the shells removed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted April 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Definately Eggs... I picked them up from him so dropped by yesterday and gave them back to him he apologized and said it hadnt happened before, he had a 5 lt bucket full and they didnt look to good...... i asked how long he had had them and he said just over a year..... I dont know how long they would last like that? he gave me my money back so im satisfied..... but i suspect the returned ones will go back in the bucket Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 When I buy a one pound tin it is OK until I open it because they are packed with nitrogen. Once opened you need to repack them in sealed containers with as little air as possible and refrigerate them or the hatch rate drops off with time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted April 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 This is probably what has happened..... I am having really good results with the micro worms, so far lost only one fry out of the lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 Well Done :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted April 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 Will try and load up some photos soon. They are getting to the stage were some are developing quite quick and a few are double the size of the rest :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirlsscott Posted April 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 I think they ma be quite popular have had quite a few people pm looking to buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 Awesome to hear, good onya Might be time to start thinning them out abit by the sounds of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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