Apistogramma Cacatouides "Orange Flash" Breeding Journal

[Colin_T]

I remember Tolak, how is he?

28C is the best temperature for growing tropical fish fry. There is no noticeable difference between 28C and higher temperatures from a growth rate perspective, but you use a lot more power keeping the temp higher.

Newly hatched brineshrimp is the best food for baby fish. Use other foods first and then put a heap of baby brineshrimp in the tank and let them pick at it over the next few hours.

 

[kribensis12]

I remember Tolak, how is he?

28C is the best temperature for growing tropical fish fry. There is no noticeable difference between 28C and higher temperatures from a growth rate perspective, but you use a lot more power keeping the temp higher.

Newly hatched brineshrimp is the best food for baby fish. Use other foods first and then put a heap of baby brineshrimp in the tank and let them pick at it over the next few hours.

Tolak is doing good - not to display all of his private info, but there was a divorce and his best friend passed away and his dad passed away over a span of about 3 years.

He stopped keeping fish after that - but I’ve offered to give him some of this Apistogramma’s in the future if he wants to start up again. He is highly considering it but first he and his GF need to move to a bigger place.

He lives just a few hours from me and we’ve met a few times.

I’ll have to do some research on water temp and fry development - If I find any data I’ll post it here.

I transitioned from BBS as I only have so much on hand and I need it for the new fry. The new fry food I am feeding them is 55% high quality protein so it would seem to me that it would be pretty close to BBS?

 

[kribensis12]

Well, the babies are officially 29 days old.

Check 'em out!

 

[NannaLou]

Wow! They’ve grown!

 

[kribensis12]

Quick update: They are now 42 days old! You'll notice that one of the two larger ones appears to be a male - he is starting to gain his father's classic orange coloration on his fins!

 

[kribensis12]

Update - they are about to get moved to a 20g! Look at how much they've grown!

Side note -- and REALLY interesting. The second batch of fry are STILL with the parents and the female was wrigglers in her cave (again... =) ) and they DON'T SEEM TO MIND the fry swimming all along the tank.

I'm going to see how this plays out. I suspect that the parents are going to allow both batches of fry to co-exist peacefully. If I see any aggression I'll intervene --> but this is really interesting.

 

[Colin_T]

The new smaller babies will get eaten by the first batch of fry. I would move the bigger fry out so that doesn't happen.

 

[kribensis12]

Thanks for your input, Colin. I do, too, suspect that this could be a problem. My original plan was to move the parents out before they could breed again - but I experienced an issue with a tank heater and they had laid eggs in this tank before I could purchase a new heater and move them.

Due to my tank issue, it would cause the mom a lot of stress to try and catch all of the bigger fry. Enough stress that I am afraid she might eat the fry on her own. I'm hoping that if they can co-exist peacefully for 1-2 weeks that I can just pull the parents and leave the fry in the tank together.

 

[kribensis12]

So.... the fry are now free swimming! Probably 30-40 (more than the last batch, which was TINY). Dad seems to not care if they are a month old or a day old, he just does his thing.

Mom, though, cares very much. She has not eaten any of the older fry, but she clearly sees them as a threat and they hide when she comes nearby. As long as the new batch are big enough, I will remove the parents at the week mark.

Here is a picture of the newest fry!

 

[Colin_T]

Don't separate the parents and babies until the young are 1 month old or until they start swimming off on their own.

 

[kribensis12]

Don't separate the parents and babies until the young are 1 month old or until they start swimming off on their own.

Considering that the other fry that are in there are being viewed as a threat, I feel that I don't have much of a choice.

I obviously would like to leave them with their parents as long as possible (as you can see the current situation I am in), but I am concerned that while now Mom has flared at the older babies and dad does not care, that they could change their attitudes.

This last batch of babies left the parents at the two week mark - ever since they have just co-existed with the parents in the same tank.

 

[Colin_T]

can you remove the first batch of young so the new babies can stay with their mum for a few more weeks?

 

[kribensis12]

can you remove the first batch of young so the new babies can stay with their mum for a few more weeks?

I have considered this, but I think that I would risk the parents eating their newest batch out of fear. The older fry are just big enough that they can swim away quickly & just small enough to hide into small crevices.

 

[kribensis12]

Update!

So the parent's ate the fry, I believe. It is possible that the other fry played a part as @Colin_T suggested, but I have a hard time believing that because the parents were exceptionally good at protecting the fry; driving off the previous batch with ease.

That being said, I moved the parents to a separate 10g 2 days ago and the female is already preparing to breed again! Hoping for another large batch!

Here are the OG fry --> about 72 days old! I am feeding them primarily Golden Pearls #5 size and now in their new, more spacious 20g tank.

 

[kribensis12]

Update! My have they grown!