Surprise Angelfish Breeding

[Lucky.13]

My angelfish one week ago laud some eggs that we expected to get eaten like the next day, but have survived. I thought that(from what I've read) that they would stay in the egg for two weeks< hatch stay in the egg for two days then start freeswimming.
From there egg soon after they were laid they kind of morphed and today they have started to freeswim. Not much, but every once in a while one or two, sometimes five get away and swim for a while before momma or pappa sees them and scopes and puts them back in the nest. This is all normal after only one week, right?
Also, they've been feeding them the normal flakes- the mother takes some and spits it into the nest... When should I start feeding them... Shrimp brine? and does that come in flakes or frozen or do I have to keep the fish or what?

Thank you sooo much for any replies.

 

[Tolak]

That's a normal hatch period, and normal behavior for fry starting to swim, as well as adults raising fry.

Angel fry have the best survival rate on freshly hatched baby brine shrimp. Check out http/www.brineshrimpdirect.com/ for some of the best info on bbs.

 

[Lucky.13]

Ok, but is there any replacement?
Oh, and when should they be separeted from the tank? Five weeks or sooner?

 

[Tolak]

Replacement for bbs? You will be lucky to have a 10% survival rate without it. Everyone, including myself, has tried doing without it at first. Tiny live food triggers their feeding instinct for the first 2 or 3 weeks.

Once the fry start showing fins I would move them, usually between 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[Lucky.13]

Ok, so when should I start giving it to them? ASAP? Or in how long?
How much do I give them how often?
And for how long do I feed them bbs before they can be switched to regular food or a different food?

Sorry for all the questions, but it was really a shock to us.

 

[Mystix212]

Feed 4-5 times a day. After 2-3 weeks you can feed mushed up flakes. Remove them after 5-8 weeks.

 

[Lucky.13]

Ok, but do I start feeding them the shrimp NOW? Or are they still parent feeding?

 

[Tolak]

This is the chart I've been following for years;

Day 0: Eggs spawned in streaks, are clear or translucent.
Day 1: Some infertile eggs turn white.
Day 2: More eggs turn white, wiggling tails emerge from clear eggs. Some white eggs may get fuzzy.
Day 3: Tadpole shape forms with large yolk sack, fry remain stuck to the slate.
Day 4: Small eyes form.
Day 5: Eyes grow large, yolk sack shrinks. Start brine shrimp hatchery.
Day 6: Some fry are free swimming.
Day 7: All free swimming, time to start feeding.

 

[Lucky.13]

Ah! Thank you! That's exactly what I wanted! I'll be going to the store in a couple of hours for the shrimp. Thank you!!!

 

[DiscusAngel]

Good luck!!

 

[Mystix212]

Its pretty cool watching them heard babies around.

 

[Tolak]

You may find frozen baby bbs, but you will have a hard time finding live, as they must be hatched every 24 hours to be of any real nutritional value. After they have been alive for 24 hours they have used up their yolk sack, the most nutritional part. They have also grown too large for most newly swimming angel fry to eat. You are better off setting up your own hatchery.

 

[Mystix212]

Or in turn you could feed mushed up/crushed flakes and frozen BBS. This may get you a 5-10% survival rate. But hey thats still around 30-60 angels.