Halfbeak Fry Care

[guppymonkey]

I have a young pair of Celebes half beaks that I have been trying to breed for the last two months since I moved into a new house where I can have a real fish room instead of just tanks all over the house (Now its a room dedicated to fish plus tanks all over the house!). Last night I finally found 5 baby halfbeaks, I think there were more but they must have been eaten some of the fry had nips taken out of their tails. The fry seem almost hunchbacked with a curve to their backs. I am not sure if this is due to just being born because when they move they seem to straighten out, its almost like fatigue? Is this a good possibility? I never noticed it with my N. erbrardtii fry.

 

[nmonks]

Don't be so sure that the parents ate the babies. I haven't found halfbeaks to be terribly predatory, and I have had broods as small as four fish. Funnily enough, sometimes you'll find some more a few days later. So keep an eye out.

As for the curved spine: completely normal. Both Nomorhamphus and Dermogenys fry come out a bit crooked, as if they are bent over to the left or right. Yes, they straighten out.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[guppymonkey]

I have a pretty good indication that the adults were at least nipping at the young. Two of the five young ones have nips taken out of their tails. Its not a split its a clear bite mark in the tail, they don't seem to be harmed otherwise. I haven't found any other hiding in the tank yet but there are plenty of hiding spots so they may be hiding somewhere. Since its winter I don't have any live daphnia and am making due with freeze dried daphnia (which they started eating without any hesitation) along with some small live brine shrimp. I also have some veggie flakes that I am crumbling into small bites but they haven't tried that I have seen.

 

[nmonks]

Suprised you don't have any daphnia. Still plenty in my pond. But maybe UK is a bit warmer than wherever you are. Anyway, lobster eggs work very well, and being nice and fatty, help fish to grow fast. You can get them from marine aquarium stores. They cost the same as frozen foods, and being used sparingly, last forever. My halfbeak babies take ages to learn about flake, often not until they are mixed with parents who eat the stuff. Perhaps try different brands?

Neale

Since its winter I don't have any live daphnia and am making due with freeze dried daphnia (which they started eating without any hesitation) along with some small live brine shrimp. I also have some veggie flakes that I am crumbling into small bites but they haven't tried that I have seen.

 

[guppymonkey]

I live in upstate new york in the US. Its not extremely cold compared to our average temperature but the temperature has been dropping below the freezing point most nights. I don't have the space in my fish room for a daphnia only tank (and can't get permission from my girlfriend to have any tanks anywhere else in the house). The half beaks seem to be doing well on freeze dried and frozen foods. They haven't shown any reluctance to eat prepared foods like some of the books and articles I have read about half beaks say.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I don't have the space in my fish room for a daphnia only tank (and can't get permission from my girlfriend to have any tanks anywhere else in the house).

Since you are doing well anyway, it's probably not that relevant, just wanted to point out that I have maintained a population of daphnia in a couple of plastic measuring jugs for the last few months. This weekend I might actually upgrade their accommodation and let them move into a bucket